MARYLAND THREAD!

[Jackandjillslittlecoop]

I just joined the site today. I live on the shore, Pittsville to be exact. We started our first flock on March 1, with 6 Rhode Island Reds. I built my coop using pics from this site as inspiration. We were blessed with our first egg just the other day. I am thankful for the ability to pick the brains of the more seasoned flock owners in my back yard!

 

[Wytch13]

I can't have roosters in Columbia, and I'm afraid 2 of my beautiful silkies are roos! Anyone interested?

 

[Cntry1958]

With a few of us having chicks this spring here in Maryland has anyone got their first egg yet? I am still waiting on mine and I got my chicks the first week of April.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I have a Barnevelder and a Jersey Giant from Hoovers in March and neither is laying yet. The JG looks to be getting close, though. I don't think my Speckled Sussex that I got in Feb from Cackle is either but I can't say for sure. The EE I got with her is laying, though.

 

[Cntry1958]

I have a Barnevelder and a Jersey Giant from Hoovers in March and neither is laying yet. The JG looks to be getting close, though. I don't think my Speckled Sussex that I got in Feb from Cackle is either but I can't say for sure. The EE I got with her is laying, though.

Congrats on your first Egg from your EE what color are they? Brown, green or blue? I can't wait to see what color I will get from my EE's

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I was just thinking about it and I think that blue egg I am getting is actually from my Lavender Ameraucana. She is not very red in the face so I did not think she is laying yet but she is mating and I just did the math and, based on what the breeder told me when I bought her, she is 9 months old. I am getting that blue egg and a green egg, but I am pretty sure the green is coming from my EE hen that just recently weaned her chicks. So, I think the Cackle EE may not be laying yet, after all. I might put some dye in her just to check. I was a little surprised when I thought the Cackle EE was laying already as my older EE waited until 9 months to start laying so I have learned to be patient with them. I also thought my SS was laying but then a few weeks ago I witnessed my bantam Brahma laying the egg that I thought was hers. Sigh. It's hard to figure out when I have so many girls that should be coming into lay. Even with having bantam and LF, it can sometimes be hard to tell if a small egg is a mature bantam egg or a pullet LF egg. The color only helps so much since many are so similar! I did get a new chocolate egg this week and it could be either my Barnevelder or my Golden Cuckoo Marans, but I think it's the Marans as she looks more mature physically. I have not seen either one mate, though, but who knows what goes on when I'm not home.

 

[Cntry1958]

What do you going to do with all your Eggs if you have 73 bird laying. That's a lot of eggs in a day?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Well, I have 73 birds but some don't count : 28 are chicks (2 large fowl and the rest bantam). They are being grown out and the majority will be sold. 4 are adult guineas - 2 pairs, and their eggs are incubated and the babies sold. 5 are juvenile guineas. I have two large fowl cockerels and 12 large fowl hens, but only 8 of those are laying. Once I get some olive egger babies then I will be getting rid of the Marans rooster. I have 15 bantam pullets and hens. One is raising babies, another is broody, and some are immature which leaves me with ~7 laying and they don't lay every day. I have 5 bantam cockerels and 2 bantam roosters and will be getting rid of most of them too once I decide on my breeding plans.

I give most of my eggs away to my husband's coworkers or our neighbors. I was going to sell them but it's kind of a hassle and I don't like random people showing up at my house.

 

[Cntry1958]

Wow what a verity of chickens. We have 3 Orp that are going on 3 years old still laying. Then we have the 2 Welsummers, 1 RR, 2 EE that were hatched the first or second of April. I cant wait to we get our first egg. The Orps were given to use to see if we liked raising chickens and I fell in love with then. Now I want a mini incubator to hatch my own.

 

[Wytch13]

I can't have roosters in Columbia, and I need to rehome one of my beautiful silkies. Is there anyone who is interested?