Moving the fake egg, how long now?

[BBK]

I've set up 3 baskets in the egg laying compartment. For the first couple of days, no one went near them. I used colorful plastic Easter Eggs, that's all we have.
And yesterday, finally some chick went in and moved the egg and kick out a lot of the shavings. All of the EE's combs are getting redder.

So, it has to be soon, right?

DS says not until next month. The girls are right around 20 weeks old. We fought about putting in the baskets so soon. I ended up doing it myself. these are HIS chicks for showing at the fair. the RIRs combs are not turning darker yet, but they're a little younger, going on 16 weeks.
And one of the roosters is starting to really crow, not some Godawful sound, a true crow!!! Is this a good sign too?

The waiting is a killer....

Melinda
Thanks

 

[ging3rhoffman]

My EE girls started laying at 17 & 18 weeks old. Your girls should lay any hour !!

If they are getting in the nest, its going to be anytime now. I used wooden eggs in my nest and the girls have been laying for 3 weeks now and the wooden eggs are still there. Im not sure when to remove them. I still have 2 black aussies that havent laid so i am leaving them in there for those girls...then i will take the wooden ones out.

Wait till you see those colored eggs!!

Your heart will skip a beat and swell up in your chest. How many EE'd do you have? Below is a picture of my EE's eggs. I have been showing them off, i cant help it. Post a picture of your girls and their eggs. I love to click on the post with pictures.

The light brown egg on the top right is from my SLW and the center egg is from my RIR..the other 5 are from my EE's.

 

[BCMominMD]

Ahhh - those are lovely eggs. I have at least three out of eight laying now - they are 21 weeks old. My two stone eggs in my community nest box get quite a work out. I spread them out but always find them bunched together with the fresh eggs
And yes - they eggs are such perfection. I take them out of the frig and keep looking at them. I've showed them off at work as well!
I wish I could figure how to get the picts out of my camera and onto this site.

 

[kelidei]

I actually had six ceramic eggs I used in some of my boxes and for a while the girls would just kind of ignore them--- then they started rolling them around. Finally after they started laying occasionally I would find one rolled out to the middle of the coop. I would put it back and eventually they would be back in the middle of the floor. Some of the girls were still laying out in the yard so I would dutifully place them back in the nests. One day I came out to refresh their water and check for eggs and I saw another egg in the middle of the yard--- I said to the girls---"come now you know they don't belong here" and I picked it up--- it was one of the fake ones!!! What the heck??? how did they get it all the way out side? Next day same thing--- finally the third day I go out and all the fake eggs are out of the nests and either by the pop door or in the yard!!! I got the message that time! The ceramic eggs have been retired! Chickens are silly--- that's why I love them!!

 

[emilyweck]

Those are great stories and those eggs are lovely. My EE's started laying pretty late, like 23-24 weeks. But, it is true......your heart does skip a beat when you see that first egg sitting in the box. If they're kickin' around in the nests, you're due eggs any day! Keep us posted.

 

[embkm]

Hopefully it will be soon, but you never know. Mine are almost 22 weeks. Combs are redder and they've all been hopping in and out of the nextbox for weeks. We finally got our first egg yesterday (probably from the RIR- not from the EEs)and it wasnt even in the box.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I put out the plastic easter eggs the other night, and my Sebbie geese just went crazy in there playing with them, had 1/2 eggs EVERYWHERE!! Soo I think I'll have to get me some golf balls! My chickens/khaki campbell ducks are 16 1/2weeks old so I'm on watch and wait!!

DH called me today and he's home with the youngest grandson (2yrs) and he said they were Easter egg hunting in the coop, that was the highlight of grandson's day!!

 

[BBK]

Update: big smiles here. I almost forgot, b/c we were in a hurry, doc's appt.

I look in and there was nothing, but when i looked on the ground in the corner, under the shelf with baskets, there it was. A perfect little brown egg and small!

So, now i'm thinking it's got to be one of the RIRs (4 of'em)...but their colors are not as dark as the EEs (6 of'em). Now when i just got home there's another egg in there same place to. Same color.

we called everyone that I could think of that would understand me....and my happiness..

Melinda
So, it begins.....

 

[cmom]

Congratulations on you egg. Most of my birds started laying from 20 to 24 weeks. I use golf balls in the nest boxes.

 

[BBK]

We don't have golf balls...so I went with what we had.... I may have sneak into the golf course and try to get a couple. I did see that one of my plastic eggs was open, but together. Need to fix it.

I can't wait to go out in a couple of hours to see what's out there. Hoping for more colors...

Melinda