Orpintons and eggs

[3goodeggs]

I don't know, but I wonder if they learn what to do from the ones who are already doing it? They are coming into this ovulation thing sporatically. I felt so sorry for the first one. She just wanted to be held all day. poor thing. but I am now looking everywhere for eggs, in case they do not learn from the others.
I never really thought about what chickens think about, but I wonder what they think is going on?

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

I'll check one more time before dark.

I did notice, because I had put golf balls in the nest yesterday afternoon after finding the egg in the run, that in one of the boxes the ball had been pushed to the corner. I fixed it back. As soon I did, one of my red hens ran over there and pushed it right back. So I suspect she's my layer and she doesn't like the golf ball in that spot in the nest. LOL

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

By the way, I don't have any older ones for them to learn from. So they are on their own.

 

[mstricer]

Mine were between 24 and 26 wks

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

Mine are already 30-32 weeks. And we are just getting our first eggs.

 

[3goodeggs]

Ours were 25 weeks to the day...but only the first one. She had a red comb. Most of The rest are rather pale and completely disinterested in the boxes...except to play with the golf balls.
It should be cranking up soon.
My first egg was really clean. I had a coulpe weeks of poultry science in my animal science class, but I don't think they went into the pros and cons of washing the eggs.
Do any of you know?

 

[3goodeggs]

North Carolina, You may have cooler nights than we do down here in Fla..
Maybe that has something to do with it.

We have a nursey, so we are mindful of the plants that change with temperature and day length.
I know light affects them, but I do not know about heat.
Orpintons are supposed to be good layers through the shorter days...and I don't think they are aware of daylight savings time. I wish I weren't.

 

[frankenchick]

3GE: washing the eggs removes the natural protective coating from the egg. The hatcheries wash their eggs and then coat them with a preservative. I just use a stiff veggie brush to clean the poo off (I keep it in the coop and try to use it before the stuff dries). I suppose you could wash them and then coat them with food grade mineral oil (FGMO), or maybe petroleum jelly(?).

Congrats on the eggs, btw!

My BOs are still using the boxes for roosting at night.

 

[3goodeggs]

I think I'll leave my eggs natural.
washing just dosen't seem right.
If you sell them do you need to was them? Or sell the carton and give the eggs away? We are supposed to have a processing kitchen. $$$
and a licence.$$$
bah.

 

[christa7032]

I just got my first egg from my BO at 23 weeks. My hubby is dragging his feet on building the boxes also (but he has a pretty good excuse since he is building us a house instead) so I just stuck an old horse feeder bucket in there with some hay in it. Within a few days they had already been in it and moved the hay into a circle and within a couple more weeks she had layed in it. I know people who have fancy nesting boxes and their hens lay in random things in the yard or horse pens so I wasn't really worried about it. Definitely get something in there though if you haven't already. Good luck.