NOW I know what was going in in her little brain

[Dorte]

I posted earlier today a story of my crazy chicken that was acting strangely and wanted to go in my house constantly. Someone suggested that she wanted to check out my coop to look for a good place to roost or make a nest. Turned out she was right! She was looking for a place to put her first egg!

Unfortunately, the way I found out was by my 3 year old saying "Momma, I am giving the egg to the chickens"

At first I thought she meant some of that scrambled egg that I had left out for them earlier on, but it looked too slimy. Then I realized it was a fresh egg. Poor little chicken was looking for a place for her precious first egg, I just contemplated spraying her with water. And then my offspring takes her present and through it to them. I feel so bad now. Good thing that chickens (probably) wont take it too personally

I hope she hasn't made all three of them into egg eaters before they even started laying eggs!

 

[mgw]

Do you have fake eggs in the nest boxes? If they are all at point of lay maybe keep them cooped up for a few days at least until the layer figures out the nest box. I doubt they will turn into eggeaters but keep an eye on them. Good luck, hope she figures it out.

 

[Dorte]

I wasn't really expecting them to start this year. A farmer convinced me that they would start next spring because they tend to go into molt at this time of the year. Since my coop was full of feathers at some point I figured that had happened. One of them (the one that was acting strange) did have a very large and red comb though, so perhaps they are on different schedules.

 

[Judy]

What the farmer said is true for some chickens and not for others. You may get some eggs all winter. I always do, just a lot fewer than in the spring and summer.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

yep, my faverolles and others that were under their first year started laying for me in december and kept on laying till a month ago when they started their molt! now my newbies for this year have slowly started to lay to replace those older girls while they are loosing their 'childhood' feathers!

 

[Dorte]

So do I feed them all layer food or do I stick to grower until they are all laying then?

 

[gryeyes]

I'd put out crushed oyster shell, free choice, until all are laying, then switch over to layer feed IF you so desire.

I don't feed layer feed, because I have chickens of all different ages. I feed everybody the grower/finisher feed, and keep oyster shell available for those who need it.

 

[Dorte]

She laid a second egg today, and this time in the nesting box away from predators like 3 year old girls

It is the cutest little egg. I am guessing that the other two will wait until spring. I have two australops and one buff orphingtin. It is one of the australops that is laying, and she looks completely different from the other one. Her comb is big and bright red, the other one is still small and pink.