Our VERY FIRST EGG !! :)

[BruceAZ]

i think my family like eggs with more yolk than white.. so we will raise bantams with the next flock.. so.. 3-4 years from now


you stated that you also feed your chickens starter feed?

i was worried that starter feed will not provide enough calcium

but it's been 2 weeks or so now and still no eggshell problems

i thought for sure if i don't switch them over to layer feed .. then i'll have eggshell problems due to the lack of calcium in their feed..

but i guess that is not true .. for my case anyway.. i guess my chickens are getting calcium from somewhere..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I keep a dish full of oyster shells so they can regulate their own calcium needs. They won't need much up front when they start laying but can quickly become deficient, so as soon as you can I would add a bowl of them and fill as needed.

 

[BruceAZ]

my remaining hens started to do squats 1 week or so now

I used up all the starter feed so i switched over to the layer feed 2-3 days ago

i got my first egg from my leghorn..

but :/

i'll try to put the nesting boxes back in the coop again..

not sure if it's egg eating problem or bullying ?

my leghorn is the smallest in the group of 5..




this is the egg from the 1st hen that started laying 2-3 weeks ago

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are they laying on the floor? It does looked pecked but not eaten.

 

[ChickenAndMore]

Congratulations on everyone's pullets starting to lay. No matter how many eggs you've gotten, it's always nice to see a pullet has began to lay. My hens started laying on July 6. They have laid 121 eggs since then. I have 6 red sex links and 2 barred rocks.

 

[BruceAZ]

Are they laying on the floor? It does looked pecked but not eaten.

yes. right on the coop's floor

They didn't lay any egg yesterday so i'm not sure what is going on at the moment

the leghorn is the smallest.. so i don't know this is a form of bullying from the other chickens?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Floor eggs will usually get pecked and eaten, so it's best to lure them up to some nestboxes that are 2-3 feet off the ground. Use fake eggs in them to show them it's a safe place to lay and to deter curios pecking of eggs. Egg eating can be hard to break if it becomes a habit.

 

[BruceAZ]

my family collected these eggs today

clearly one of the hens didn't get enough calcium..

no more pecked egg when i put the nesting boxes in..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Soft eggs are usually from stress, the egg comes out before the shell can be applied. It's also common in new layers as the system regulates.

 

[BruceAZ]

so it's not due to the heat or lack of calcium ?