Jacin's Poultry 2022

[The-White-Elephant]

Yeah, that's the plan next time I go to the store to get some lipsticks and try

Wait, how do you mark eggs? As in, why?

 

[NatJ]

Wait, how do you mark eggs? As in, why?

Mark the hen's vent, so the egg gets marked when it comes out, so you know which egg comes from which hen.

There are reports of people doing it with food coloring or lipstick.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Mark the hen's vent, so the egg gets marked when it comes out, so you know which egg comes from which hen.

There are reports of people doing it with food coloring or lipstick.

Oooh ok, thanks. I was thinking of that, but when you said “mark the egg” I got A bit confused.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Because apparently most of my birds from the 2021 pen lay white (I should really pay attention to the egg color when ordering), apart from separating the birds until they lay, I can't tell most eggs apart without marking. And while it would be bad if someone ordered silkies and got sexlinked bantam, it would be really bad if someone ordered sexlinks and got something else

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I can.usually tell my one silkie's eggs apart due to shape, but that's about it out if the white eggs in that group

 

[JacinLarkwell]

One of my Spanish girls having a siesta

 

[NatJ]

Because apparently most of my birds from the 2021 pen lay white (I should really pay attention to the egg color when ordering)

Paying attention when ordering only sort-of helps.

Over a several year period, I got chickens from various hatcheries with the following egg-color descriptions:
brown
light brown
cream
tinted
lightly tinted
white
chalk white
shades of blue, green, and pink

And I got the same color eggs from all of them! I would call the actual egg color "cream" or "light brown." So much for being able to tell who laid what...

(Yes, I did get a few that laid actual brown eggs, one that laid actual white eggs, and a few Easter Eggers that laid green. But the vast majority, including one Easter Egger, were laying same-color eggs.)

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Paying attention when ordering only sort-of helps.

Over a several year period, I got chickens from various hatcheries with the following egg-color descriptions:
brown
light brown
cream
tinted
lightly tinted
white
chalk white
shades of blue, green, and pink

And I got the same color eggs from all of them! I would call the actual egg color "cream" or "light brown." So much for being able to tell who laid what...

(Yes, I did get a few that laid actual brown eggs, one that laid actual white eggs, and a few Easter Eggers that laid green. But the vast majority, including one Easter Egger, were laying same-color eggs.)

It's just funny because before this year, I've never had more than 2 white layers at any time, including bantams.

Now, it's like 9+ that lay white.

Usually mine are tan, cream and shades of brown. And one green

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Maggie and the orpington have started acting differently now that Glenn is gone. Not a bad different, but their habits are different now that it's two and not three.

Before: They would sleep next to the open door of the coop with Glenn either in-between them or between them and the door.
After: They sleep in the nest box right in front of the door. Usually the orpington is in the back and Maggie is either scrunched next to her or is sleeping in front of the box on the floor.

Before: All three would be out in their pen most of the day.
After: The orpington stays in the coop a bit more often, but perched in the doorway so she can still see Maggie

I don't know I'd not having a rooster or third bird has made the orpington a bit more skittish, or if it's more that they don't have to worry about Glenn now and can do more whatever they want habitwise

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Working on doors for some of the cages. Pro tip: Gain laundry soap works wonders to get dried animal pee off metal