Post your FIRST EGG pics!

[SamanthaBrooke]

Thanks to my 18 week BSS!!

 

[Ballerina Bird]

As with all things related to keeping poultry, there is a range of opinions on the matter - the best thing to do is to do your own reading and then decide for yourself what is right for you and your flock. The biggest risk is in relation to use of them in brooders as this is generally a time when very young birds are in a fairly close space -- the size of the chicks puts them in closer range of the bedding than an adult bird and the close space of a brooder over the more ventilated space of a coop means the aromatics involved are more concentrated. As noted in my previous post, folks do use them - and those that do seem happy with their choice.

Agree with OGM -- I did research on cedar and came to the same conclusion, though as OGM says it is of course up to every individual what works for them. I also use a mix pine of pine shavings and straw in the nest and the girls and I are happy with that -- no sticking to the eggs. OldFrenchy, if you like the cedar because it is aromatic and want something to deodorize, there are lots of herbs that are good for chickens. I will toss sprigs of rosemary and lavender into the coop bedding. There are also commercial dried herb blends, from LuvNest and Treats for Chickens, that do a good job keeping the coop fragrant, but they are super expensive, so growing some and snipping them to throw in with the bedding is a good, economical solution.

 

[OldFrenchy]

... if you like the cedar because it is aromatic and want something to deodorize, there are lots of herbs that are good for chickens. I will toss sprigs of rosemary and lavender into the coop bedding. There are also commercial dried herb blends, from LuvNest and Treats for Chickens, that do a good job keeping the coop fragrant, but they are super expensive, so growing some and snipping them to throw in with the bedding is a good, economical solution.

Thanks, Ballerinas we have plenty of lavender and rosemary to make the nesting box sweet smelling. I will move to pine shavings and add sprigs of herbs. No point in taking unnecessary risks.

 

[DSFChicks]

 

[CanadianAllie]

So excited! After waiting a week after getting my very first chickens my hen is laying!!

 

[pdx-mel]

I know this is a "First Egg" board, but I thought I'd pop on here to share a bit about our second egg. We were starting to worry there might be something wrong with our layer, but 10 days after our first egg, I happened to have the opportunity to watch our New Hampshire lay her second egg. Even though the coloring is a bit different from the first egg, I'm confident it was her both times. We started feeding the gals crushed oyster shells after the first egg, which I expect could account for the some of the change in shell color.

Here's the second egg:



And here is the first, from ten days prior (so much pinker, but nearly identical in size):

 

[ConPollos]

One of my Golden Comets that I bought at TCS in mid March was frantically searching for something this morning, trying to squeeze herself into tight corners while scratching like crazy. Fortunately I had this Tidy Cat container in the house. Now she's squawking Super LOUD in a way I've never heard before. This must be my first ever egg!!!

Update: She finally got off the nest after an hour and is walking around doing that same loud song, only not as loud. No egg in the box yet. I wasn't expecting them to lay until mid July.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

One of my Golden Comets that I bought at TCS in mid March was frantically searching for something this morning, trying to squeeze herself into tight corners while scratching like crazy. Fortunately I had this Tidy Cat container in the house. Now she's squawking Super LOUD in a way I've never heard before. This must be my first ever egg!!!

Update: She finally got off the nest after an hour and is walking around doing that same loud song, only not as loud. No egg in the box yet. I wasn't expecting them to lay until mid July.

Pullets approaching production will often go all sorts of wonky in the days/weeks leading up to that first egg -- this may have been the beginnings of her trial runs, or you may find an egg later today/tomorrow morning in an odd place as many times they will do a whole lot of nesting but then leave the nest and have the egg seem to sneak up/out on them as a big surprise later while out in the run, standing at the feeder, on the roost that night, etc - - the first few eggs are a bit of a crap shoot as their bodies figure out how to get all the moving parts to work together and the bird learns some control over parts of the process.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Pullets approaching production will often go all sorts of wonky in the days/weeks leading up to that first egg -- this may have been the beginnings of her trial runs, or you may find an egg later today/tomorrow morning in an odd place as many times they will do a whole lot of nesting but then leave the nest and have the egg seem to sneak up/out on them as a big surprise later while out in the run, standing at the feeder, on the roost that night, etc - - the first few eggs are a bit of a crap shoot as their bodies figure out how to get all the moving parts to work together and the bird learns some control over parts of the process.

Once again, I find myself totally agreeing with OGM.

Mine spent a couple of weeks "practicing" nesting, going in and out of the coop a lot, before the first egg actually appeared. For me (though of course it's different for everyone and their chickens), the best indicator that my pullets were approaching POL was that they started to do the rooster squat -- you hover your hand over their backs and they drop into a submissive squat. The breeder who sold me my birds told me that when they started doing this, that meant about T minus 10 days to POL, and he was pretty much exactly right.

 

[ConPollos]

Pullets approaching production will often go all sorts of wonky in the days/weeks leading up to that first egg -- this may have been the beginnings of her trial runs, or you may find an egg later today/tomorrow morning in an odd place as many times they will do a whole lot of nesting but then leave the nest and have the egg seem to sneak up/out on them as a big surprise later while out in the run, standing at the feeder, on the roost that night, etc - - the first few eggs are a bit of a crap shoot as their bodies figure out how to get all the moving parts to work together and the bird learns some control over parts of the process.

Lol I think it's hilarious that hens sometimes think they're in labor when they're not, just like we do. She sure put on a show! Thanks so much for the info. I put a couple of fake eggs from the farm supply in the nest box. I'll keep an eye out for the surprise egg.


I just have to share this adorable pic of Lucille presiding over the first egg attempt.