Alright! So, I figured it may be helpful to track my SOE egg laying as they come into maturity, for documentation and guidance.
My SOEs are from my local feed store. I have 6 total. Three of them look like other SOE you see commonly on the interwebs. Pretty laced/barred hackle feathers that are dark, with a pretty blue/barred/laced body. One of em is solid light grey, very pretty girl. One of the others has golden laced hackles and around her eyes. Kind of an oddball... she looks very serious compared to the rest of em. lol! The last one is the "runt" and she's very barred, with a few full black random feathers in her hackle... I dunno, she's my favorite and the sweetest in the world. TINKI!!!!!! She's my head hen. <3
Anyway I digress.
Of my six pullets, the first started squatting at 12 weeks old. She laid her first egg at 14.5 weeks old.
4 of the other girls have started squatting since week 13. My runty girl that is the smallest is far behind in waddle and comb development still hasn't squatted (Tinki). And the one that is light grey (Peaches) hasn't squatted but her waddles are fabulous and red like her sisters that have squatted.
My girls used to free range every day, and eat EVERYTHING in my garden.... So my bell peppers are stunted and look depressing... my kales look terrible but they're recovering.
Since last week I've finished my chicken run and I totally made my own dutch door. I'm super proud of it! I feed the girls a variety of scraps and "weeds" from my garden. And the Kale that is coming back... since it's for them anyway. At least now it's not just stumps! I feed my ladies crushed eggshells in their run, I just scatter them so everyone can pick at them if they want/need. I also give them fruit from my trees, hop leaves, hop cones, blackberry leaves, happy hens fruit frenzy treats every few days, only with hand feeding or trying to keep them away from the door when I go to escape. I also feed them clover and purslane from my garden ground cover. I refuse to eat the purslane... it invaded, I don't care how healthy it is, I won't eat it... directly. XD
Anyway, Susu laid her egg in my oversized nesting box. I need to build my second one, but the current one is 22" wide, 12" tall, 14" deep to the egg tray. 24" total deep including the roll away egg tray. I made a roll away box and eyeballed the slope to a paint tray that my sister in laws husband used for their roll away nesting boxes. So far, I have no idea how well it works... I'm nest training them so there's pine shavings in the box. *shrug*. We'll see! Hopefully it's enough slope. It's close to 3.25" over 24".
Susus first egg was almost 2.5" tall. The yolk was proportionate to the whites, like it was just a tiny egg, not a full sized yolk with less whites. Susu has the most dark neck... her first egg... totally a brown egg. Inner shell is white, so it's not even khaki green. Bummer, but eh, whatever! it was a perfect, healthy egg. The shell was perfect, the yolk was rich and dark yellow. I'm fine with the color of the shell if my babies are healthy and happy.
Today is a day after Susu laid, other pullets are looking at the nesting box, laying in it, arranging the bedding, being little ladies.
Susu sang the egg song four days ago, three days before her egg. It was evening, just before they go to bed; she sang the egg song like she had just laid. I actually went to check. No egg. She was also the LOUDEST... most chatty chook for the whole two weeks before she laid her first egg. She's still chatty, but actually less so. I'm thinking the rumor that they get really loud before they set into lay is true. I have two other pullets that are getting very chatty and checking out the nesting box.
Susu's waddles and comb are rather pale since the day before she laid. I'm thinking it'll be a few more days until she lays again. I've got the chook cam set up and ready to observe the nesting box during the work week.
Updates and photos to follow.
My SOEs are from my local feed store. I have 6 total. Three of them look like other SOE you see commonly on the interwebs. Pretty laced/barred hackle feathers that are dark, with a pretty blue/barred/laced body. One of em is solid light grey, very pretty girl. One of the others has golden laced hackles and around her eyes. Kind of an oddball... she looks very serious compared to the rest of em. lol! The last one is the "runt" and she's very barred, with a few full black random feathers in her hackle... I dunno, she's my favorite and the sweetest in the world. TINKI!!!!!! She's my head hen. <3
Anyway I digress.
Of my six pullets, the first started squatting at 12 weeks old. She laid her first egg at 14.5 weeks old.
4 of the other girls have started squatting since week 13. My runty girl that is the smallest is far behind in waddle and comb development still hasn't squatted (Tinki). And the one that is light grey (Peaches) hasn't squatted but her waddles are fabulous and red like her sisters that have squatted.
My girls used to free range every day, and eat EVERYTHING in my garden.... So my bell peppers are stunted and look depressing... my kales look terrible but they're recovering.
Since last week I've finished my chicken run and I totally made my own dutch door. I'm super proud of it! I feed the girls a variety of scraps and "weeds" from my garden. And the Kale that is coming back... since it's for them anyway. At least now it's not just stumps! I feed my ladies crushed eggshells in their run, I just scatter them so everyone can pick at them if they want/need. I also give them fruit from my trees, hop leaves, hop cones, blackberry leaves, happy hens fruit frenzy treats every few days, only with hand feeding or trying to keep them away from the door when I go to escape. I also feed them clover and purslane from my garden ground cover. I refuse to eat the purslane... it invaded, I don't care how healthy it is, I won't eat it... directly. XD
Anyway, Susu laid her egg in my oversized nesting box. I need to build my second one, but the current one is 22" wide, 12" tall, 14" deep to the egg tray. 24" total deep including the roll away egg tray. I made a roll away box and eyeballed the slope to a paint tray that my sister in laws husband used for their roll away nesting boxes. So far, I have no idea how well it works... I'm nest training them so there's pine shavings in the box. *shrug*. We'll see! Hopefully it's enough slope. It's close to 3.25" over 24".
Susus first egg was almost 2.5" tall. The yolk was proportionate to the whites, like it was just a tiny egg, not a full sized yolk with less whites. Susu has the most dark neck... her first egg... totally a brown egg. Inner shell is white, so it's not even khaki green. Bummer, but eh, whatever! it was a perfect, healthy egg. The shell was perfect, the yolk was rich and dark yellow. I'm fine with the color of the shell if my babies are healthy and happy.
Today is a day after Susu laid, other pullets are looking at the nesting box, laying in it, arranging the bedding, being little ladies.
Susu sang the egg song four days ago, three days before her egg. It was evening, just before they go to bed; she sang the egg song like she had just laid. I actually went to check. No egg. She was also the LOUDEST... most chatty chook for the whole two weeks before she laid her first egg. She's still chatty, but actually less so. I'm thinking the rumor that they get really loud before they set into lay is true. I have two other pullets that are getting very chatty and checking out the nesting box.
Susu's waddles and comb are rather pale since the day before she laid. I'm thinking it'll be a few more days until she lays again. I've got the chook cam set up and ready to observe the nesting box during the work week.
Updates and photos to follow.
Beautiful girls!
They'll be 16 weeks on Tuesday.
