Minnesota!

[lalaland]

10 dozen eggs!!! how many are you getting in a day? and how many layers do you have/??

I only have 21 hens, and am only getting 7 eggs a day....again some are aging hens.

and hooray! Monday is a holiday, no work.

 

[duluthralphie]

10 dozen eggs!!! how many are you getting in a day? and how many layers do you have/??

I only have 21 hens, and am only getting 7 eggs a day....again some are aging hens.

and hooray! Monday is a holiday, no work.

I have 30 pullets, all young prolific birds. I am getting 24-26 eggs a day right now, So 10 dozen is less than a weeks worth of eggs.

I have been weighing the eggs, because of curiosity and not OCD, maybe. I am finding the majority of my eggs to be 2.25 oz or better, with a large number of larges and about 2-3 jumbos every day. The perfect egg (porcelain) weighs in normally at 2.0 oz. But the other day it was even 2.3 oz.

Which surprised me because a bird always laid the same size egg, once they get their full size egg. I am not telling the girls Monday is a holiday, I expect rent on Monday too!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

 

[duluthralphie]

I am pretty sure it is a DP.

This is what I do know it is not one of my early morning layers and that is it.


This is the package of chickens I bought http://hoovershatchery.com/assorted-heavy-brown-egg-layers.html


However, it is not even that straight forward. I did not order them directly from the hatchery, I bought them from the feed mill in Clear Lake. It was my mistake, I ended up with nearly half EE' ers. I also did not get any "bonus" chicks.

The feed mill puts in everyone's order and when the chicks come they sort them out. They keep all the "bonus" chicks. I am not sure how the sorting goes, but there is no way to be sure of what they give you. I had never bought anything from the Mill there before in my life, they did not know me from Adam, so there is no reason to think I got any special attention. I know when I was living up north I would buy a lot of stuff from Widde's in Esko and they always took good care of me.

The only other chicks I got were from Ramsey Feed near Anoka, and that was just a couple chicks for Ethel, my turkey to raise. Some barred rocks and a Deleware. The rest were boys and decided to stay at freezer camp.


I have not the faintest Idea who lays that egg. I have looked at egg charts to see if some breed lays that color and texture egg. I cannot find one like it. I will hatch some of them this summer, if I have them then. But the chances of getting a baby to ay those eggs is slim without knowing the breed to get the right rooster. I think.

It is weird an old guy like me getting all excited about an egg,,, Maybe I need to go to EA. (eggs Anonymous)

 

[Dandelioness]

Hey, Ralphie
Sorry about that lottery bust.

Even sorrier about that CX hen. I hope the survivors make it to see some spring and summer days, too. I imagine a lot of us are rooting for them with you.

I'm not a hugger, but your earlier post made me want to give you a firm handshake. Approaching from the front, of course.

My dad was military, like Bogtown chick's.

I feel like we're all friends here, too, even though I'm one of the new kids.

And can I just say, love the egg pictures!! Wishing you a porcelain egg every day -

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, having a bird that lays the perfect egg or a chicken that you feel is a special bird is not weird. Regardless of age it is great to have something that you are engrossed with, and chicken keeping is a totally worthwhile and in many ways challenging endeavor.
From my perspective you have added much life and interest to the Minnesota thread.
I don't know too much, but of necessity I have adopted a philosophy that is " many people are the victim of traumatic life's events and the fortunate ones find a way to live with it".
I am not preaching to anyone here, but I'm just sharing what has worked for me.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Bogtown - my brother did is Master's thesis on chicken brains. I am going to have ask him what he thinks of the whole "chickens have feelings" idea. I agree they have personalities, but I am not sure about them feeling such things as love. Heck, I know many people who don't even possess that! I am curious about the whole "birds of a feather" splits I see in the flock when they are out on pasture. They are prejudice, I think, and some are separatists that just don't want to mix with others. I can clearly see who the thugs of the flock are too.
I have learned to dispatch the various species of critters we have around here when needed, but I never feel good about it. I don't quite understand how other people can think that because I do what I HAVE to do, that I am willing to do their dirty work, but I have had people I know call me and ask if I will put down their animals or birds that they don't want to. I really don't understand that at all.
Whatever your story that got you where you are, Ralphie, it has been a pleasure reading all your sharings. You make me laugh and your wit is quite uplifting. Sometimes it is easier to share things with folks on here than with people in person too. I totally get that. I am sorry you have gone through whatever has left you with your mark, but know, we are all here to help each other and it doesn't just mean with poultry. This is a fun group and I do enjoy coming on and reading about all the antics and encounters everyone has to share.

 

[Cluckies]

I hear you about being attached to your chickens/animals. I feel they are my little girls. I feel awful when one is sick or not doing well, feel helpless. Don't even want to think about one dying. You could blindfold me and I would be able to tell who was talking, and sometimes what they are saying, lol I think people i know think I'm nuts cause i'm so attached, but what can you do? I love them!

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I am pretty sure it is a DP.  

This is what I do know it is not one of my early morning layers and that is it.


This is the package of chickens I bought  http://hoovershatchery.com/assorted-heavy-brown-egg-layers.html


However, it is not even that straight forward.  I did not order them directly from the hatchery, I bought them from the feed mill in Clear Lake.  It was my mistake,  I ended up with nearly half EE' ers.   I also did not get any "bonus" chicks.

The feed mill puts in everyone's order  and when the chicks come they sort them out.  They keep all the "bonus" chicks.

It is weird an old guy like me getting all excited about an egg,,, Maybe I need to go to EA.  (eggs Anonymous)

What do you mean by "bonus chicks"? I do the ordering for our local feed mill. We order from a.couple of hatcheries and we pay for every chick we get. Very rarely, they'll send an extra common breed chick if I get a large order.story. meat birds are usually a different story. There are usually 3-4 extra per 100.

 

[duluthralphie]

When I bought directly from Hoover I got 28 birds for 25 I paid for. I believe they are to cover the deaths of those that simply have " failure to thrive" or die in transport.


Those are what we always called "bonus birds" when I was a kid. I know I did not pay for them.

However, neither did the feed store.


I bought 110 birds from the feed store and got just that many, I lost a few in the first couple days. When I got the 25 I lost zero and had 28. I lost some when I started free ranging, but I had an extra 3 to play with. I think the extra handing in the feed store is another chance to get disease and injury. I just prefer the direct mail from the hatchery now. Hoover was good to me. I will use them again this year, by mail.


I will ( if you see typos my L key is screwed up seldom works and takes a ton of presses to get it working) buy between 50-100 CX's this year. Most likely.

I will not be buying layers, I want to raise my own mutts and hopefuly get another porcelain egg layer.