Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Wishing4Wings]

My spoiled laying hens demand to be let out of their run every morning. Very loudly and very early. 6am you expect to hear a rooster, but these girls are way louder. So I stagger out there to set them free to let the neighborhood have a peaceful morning. Ungrateful creatures demand treats as well and keep up the loud squawking until treats are delivered. Little extortionists.

The other morning, I went to let them out wrapped in a blanket because it was foggy-drippy-cold. I was kind of flapping the blanket to keep it from touching the ground and they thought I was some kind of a monster trying to eat them! Screaming and running to go hide, but, they were very quiet after that. Guess they didn't want to attract the attention of the chicken eating monster. Hehe. Tried it again the next morning and it worked like a charm. Didn't even have to give them treats and they were quiet for a couple of hours. Never thought I'd be playing dress up for a bunch of chickens. Whatever works!

Only one hen knew it was me and wasn't afraid, but she's rarely noisy, so as long as she doesn't give me away...

I won't tell anybody, mom.

 

[BullChick]

Lol! I said as much to her! I am glad I am getting eggs. It's food when I need to go shopping, and a sure winner when Jaz is being a picky eater.

 

[cheeka]

's

both of y'all crack me up! thanks for the laughs... much needed. don't have blood test results yet, but wow I feel like crap. chugging along tho'... been spending time every afternoon bug hunting for the camera. it doesn't take me far, or stress my body too much and is very fun. especially going through the photos later. I got some amazing pics. so good that one of my game friends on FB actually asked me if that was really my photo. (this one)

male Common Wood Nymph, very elusive, wouldn't let me get within a dozen feet. but he was gorgeous!

there's a half of a chilled melon under there - after, I did check my fingers - intact! phew.

because they lay eggs communally on the coop floor rather than in the nests, it's a battle to keep bedding in there. they love to kick it out, and dig into the earth to make a nest. trouble is, it's all rocks under there... I usually find a few small rocks in with the eggs, but this is becoming more common. larger rocks, up on edge... I think the hens dig them upright on purpose so they can dine on broken eggs.



I'll make some changes soon. I can't keep crawling around or squeezing into spaces that are too small for me to fit, just to get an egg. wish me luck!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

The hens sure do have minds of their own. Your photos are beautiful. I love it when a picture makes you look at something in a new way and shows you things you can't see with just your eyes. Just keep away from those ticks when you're out bug hunting. Sure hope the test is negative. Did they test for ehrlichia too? How about mono. My sis has that and it really wipes her out sometimes.

 

[Debby27]

's

both of y'all crack me up! thanks for the laughs... much needed. don't have blood test results yet, but wow I feel like crap. chugging along tho'... been spending time every afternoon bug hunting for the camera. it doesn't take me far, or stress my body too much and is very fun. especially going through the photos later. I got some amazing pics. so good that one of my game friends on FB actually asked me if that was really my photo. (this one)

male Common Wood Nymph, very elusive, wouldn't let me get within a dozen feet. but he was gorgeous!

there's a half of a chilled melon under there - after, I did check my fingers - intact! phew.

because they lay eggs communally on the coop floor rather than in the nests, it's a battle to keep bedding in there. they love to kick it out, and dig into the earth to make a nest. trouble is, it's all rocks under there... I usually find a few small rocks in with the eggs, but this is becoming more common. larger rocks, up on edge... I think the hens dig them upright on purpose so they can dine on broken eggs.



I'll make some changes soon. I can't keep crawling around or squeezing into spaces that are too small for me to fit, just to get an egg. wish me luck!

Oh my gosh cheeka.....those photo's are gorgeous!! I am sorry to hear you are not feeling well, hopefully your test come back negative!

and you're back to your feel good self soon!

 

[cheeka]

thanks for the well wishes. they're testing for lyme, ehrlichiosis, babesias (sp) as well as all the co-infections that come with those nasty ticks. they're checking sed rate too, for inflammation problems. I've got to get a grip on whatever it is tho', it's really becoming problematic. but I will not let it interfere with the things I love. changes are coming in the event that it's something more serious, although lyme... is pretty serious. I'll rework my pens so I have easier access to stuff and maybe they won't filthy up their water and such so quickly. getting the hens to lay where I want will be the big trick. but as long as I have my flock and my camera... and the ability to amble quietly in the yard... I'm happy. other stuff may drive me berserk but it all goes away once I get home.
I've never gotten a tick bite here on this hilltop, and only a few wood ticks on the cats over the years. it's too cold for too long for a lot of insects to survive here, but we do have cases of lyme in this county now which we never did have before unless you visited another county. which is how Ruby Pug got it. I may have caught it from her, or I may have had it for a very long time and it was hiding in my body. I did grow up on Long Island in the 70's when it was discovered, and I had plenty of tick bites with rashes back then. I also had a tick bite with rash and all the symptoms in the early 90's, but once I found the tick all the symptoms cleared up and I didn't give it a second thought.

I'll find out by the 30th at the latest.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

 

[BullChick]

Two confirmed layers!

 

[Michael OShay]

I actually just responded to your other thread and as I stated there, I would personally go with the Silver Laced Wyandotte among the Wyandottes. In my personal opinion, they are the prettiest of the Wyandottes (probably one of the reasons that they are the best selling Wyandotte variety), and you can use the SLW hens to breed Red Sex Links, which are laying machines, should you ever decide to do so. I've raised most of the breeds on your list over the past 50 years and here is my input on the ones that I've raised.
Wyandottes: Very cold hardy, their rose combs are virtually impervious to frost bite, generally docile although on occasion I've had an aggressive one, good layers (typically around 4 brown eggs per hen per week).
Chocolate or Black Orpington: I haven't raised these two color varieties but I have raised Orpingtons and they are very cold hardy, calm and gentle (my children and granddaughter made lap pets of them), and good layers of large brown eggs.
Salmon Faverolles: I haven't personally raised them but a good friend and neighbor of mine loves them (his favorite breed), they are very calm and gentle (his children made lap pets of his SFs), and good layers of brown eggs (3-4 per hen per week).
Welsummers: Cold hardy, generally docile but sometimes a bit flighty, good layers of very dark brown eggs (3-4 eggs per hen per week), in my personal opinion the chocolate eggs of the Welsummers (as well as the Marans and Barnevelders) are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world
Barnevelder: Cold hardy, generally docile, decent layers of very dark brown eggs ( around 3 per hen per week), in my personal opinion the chocolate eggs of the Barnevelders (as well as the Marans and Welsummers) are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world
Wheaten Marans: Haven't had the Wheatons, just the Cuckoo and Black Copper but they are fairly cold hardy, generally pretty docile but can tend toward flightiness, decent layers of very dark brown eggs ( around 3 per hen per week), in my personal opinion the chocolate eggs of the Marans (as well as the Barnevelders and Welsummers) are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world
Silkie: Fairly cold hardy, the best temperament of any breed--sweet, gentle, calm, and friendly (my children loved to carry them around), not good layers and the eggs are small but they are the best brooders and mothers
Brahma (Dark, Gold, Lemon Pyle): I haven't had the Gold of Lemon Pyle, only the Dark, Light, and Buff, but Brahmas are very cold hardy, their pea combs are virtually impervious to frost bite, they are calm and gentle giants (my children made lap pets or them), and good layers of brown eggs (4 eggs per week per hen)
And a variety of hybrid hens - Rhode Star, Amber Star, Black Rhode, Bluebelle, Calder Ranger, Daisybelle, Speckled Star, Sussex Star, White Star, Buff Barred and Partridge: I've had a large variety of hybrids over the years but personally I don't think any of these on your list can match the Black and Red Sex Links (actually the exception may be Black Rhode which I believe is an UK label for Black Sex Links). To me the primary reason for raising hybrids is for their laying ability, and Black and Red Sex Links are the best brown egg layers in the world, consistently churning out 6 (sometimes 7) eggs per hen per week. I have been especially impressed with the Black Sex Links hardiness, friendliness, and ability to churn out eggs even in the coldest winter weather but I don't think you can go wrong with either sex link variety. Black Sex Links are also marketed under the labels Black Star, Bovans Nera, Black Rock, and likely Black Rhode; and Red Sex Links are marketed under a lot of labels including Red Star, Brown Sex Link, Gold Sex Link, Gold Star, Golden Comet, Golden Buff, Cinnamon Queen, Bovans Brown, Isa Brown, Red Shaver, Brown Shaver, Babcock Brown, Warrens, Bovans Goldline, etc.
For me personally, the two main factors in the breeds I would choose are laying ability and good temperament, so if I had to narrow my flock down to five birds on your list, I would personally go with Chocolate Orpingtons, Salmon Faverolles, Dark Brahmas, Silver Laced Wyandottes, and Black Sex Links (for my hybrid).

 

[robynstamps]

I went ahead and went out and bought eggs last night. I couldn't wait any longer. Then today 3 of my chickens layed their first eggs!!