Leghorns -19 weeks to first eggs

[AllenK RGV]

Wow today is my big lay day from the girls but as of 3PM not a single egg yet. I'm guessing they aren't happy about the tropical storm force southerlies we are experiencing today.

On a positive note, due to the cold fronts we have recently been experiencing my feed store was able to tack my order of 3 sumatra pullets and 2 cockerels to their order when those central Texans get their weather act together! Stuck a heat pad in my amazon basket as those guys are spending their first two weeks on the porch in a dog crate. After that I will move em out to the back half of the coop and install a 2x4" wire door between the back and front. Might as well get my gals used to the look but don't touch part sooner than later.

EDIT----I was quite surised my wife gave me absolutely no grief when I placed the order, probably because she knew I wasn't going to be shelling out stupid cash for MPC shipping. Pretty sure that was $70 on its own. edit----checked the invoice it was only 55 but still stings when I think I spent 4.50 for each chick when ideal sells em for 2.29M 3.92F and I had ordered their straight run.

Cool nobody commented after so I can slide in another edit funny watching chicken walk backwards in these wind gusts around 35mph.

 

[AllenK RGV]

My next trick will be to put a ramp to the top of the compost heap and open one side by removing one pallet. Lots of earwigs and rolly pollies at the top.

Chaos rules the chicken yard!

No idea why but mine don't seem to recognize the roly polys as food. They always pass those by its a head scratcher.

 

[RUNuts]

No idea why but mine don't seem to recognize the roly polys as food. They always pass those by its a head scratcher.

I have a couple that will look and not eat. Then I have a couple that will push their way in and start picking these little guys out. Same with termites. Bust open a fire ant mound and a couple will start on the little white tasty bits and others say no. I want a fire ant eating chicken.

Opened the Compost All You Can Eat Buffet. The leghorns are the only ones to eat in the penthouse dining area. The others were waiting on the ground floor for the raining goodies. Funny! The leghorns were picking out 1" long worms. These are the same birds that won't touch an earthworm. Granted, the ones I offered were 6" long and 3/8" diameter. Meaty! I'm waiting to see the ratings. Since we had a crowd all day, I'm hopeful. I guess the pile will last for a week. Collected some of the fluffed compost and added it to the plantings today. Another week and the garden gets closed and planted. If the zucchini can wait. The little buggers already have secondary leaves and growing fast.

The clover protector has a tomato growing in it?? Strange. May have to give it a shot inside the flight cage. I've got a bit of leftover fencing.

Also have some butternut squash seeds that sprouted. Another week and they get rescued too.

 

[Kiki]

The leghorns were picking out 1" long worms. These are the same birds that won't touch an earthworm.

They are smart.
Earthworms can cause them to get Gapeworm.

 

[RUNuts]

@KikisGirls and @aart

Have a question for you experts of chickenness. I got a fairy white egg a week ago on 2-15. Call it a very small egg. It was a mess inside, blob of yellow in white.

2-18 I get a white egg the size of a quarter under the roost.
2-23 Repeat on the quarter sized egg in the nest box.

1-31 was the last time I got 7 white eggs (leghorns)
2-24 get another 7 white eggs. Problem solved?

They are fairly regular at 6 eggs a day. I was thinking one had some issues, but everyone acting normal. Eating well. Active. When the weather snaps came on 2-19, we dropped down to 3 eggs, so no worries while watching everyone.

Today I found blood smears in the nest, but the eggs are all clean. Again concerned, no hens with obvious injuries or strange acting.

What else should I be looking for? Butt checks on the ones I caught showed no issues. But all white chicks look the same. I could go through the effort of corralling all and inspect as a group.

The 10 brown egg layers plodding along at 8 or 9 eggs a day this week.

 

[Kiki]

Does the blood happen to be mixed with poop?
Coccidiosis is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Have you checked over crazy lady yet for potential injuries?

 

[RUNuts]

No poop present. Clean blood on some hay and on the wall butt high. They will back into the wall while laying.

 

[RUNuts]

Have you checked over crazy lady yet for potential injuries?

Not yet, but that does sound like fun. She normally doesn't hang out in the nest box.

 

[Kiki]

I do not know.
Aart will have a good guess I am sure.