Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Chaneys Ranch]

Did you guys say that a pullet might sing the Egg Song a few days before she lays her first egg?

I knew when I walked out this morning it wasn't Baby or Penny singing. They never have. I thought it was the neighbor's girl until I got closer to my coop. But no egg. Sooo... When do ya think she will be laying?
While exiting, Mr. "I am never going to learn. You may as well eat me" Red did what I have been hoping for weeks he would do. He ran out of the coop to get me. He tripped over the thresh hold, and realized he was out. And he was freaked. I shut the door to keep the others in, and watched him, taunting him the whole time. He finally started around the coop, and I decided to let him back in. Then the fun started. He kept running the wrong way. I got him behind the door, and opened it, but he couldn't figure out to come around the door. Then I got the dog involved. He has no desire to chase his flock (more now since they are bigger than him!

) but I finally got him excited enough to help me get Red to move in the right direction. THAT didn't last long.

Debating again about not letting the mean thing back into the run, I grabbed a fence panel (taken off when I extended the run) and used it to block the wrong way. He was just so stressed, I swear he will go into a molt!
You know? As much as I wish I could find a pattern to what makes him mad now, but not then, I am starting to find his behavior as acceptable. He body slams my ankle. He only goes to my knee when I have the pot in my hand (scratch). I just might let him live after all. I do, however, plan on keeping him in the new coop alone when I get it built. I am considering going out to hand feed him several times a day, making him eat out of my hand, or live on grass. Not to the point of starving! But if I can make him stop, great.
Speaking of food... I know if a hen goes without food/water for "any length of time" she will stress, and not lay that day (or longer). Can someone tell me definitively, just how long they can go without food in their faces? People ask if I feed the chickens morning and night. No, they have food 24/7. But doing the FF, I keep a feeder in the coop so they aren't hungry before I get them out in the morning, and feed them the FF. So? What is the time frame I have to be sure to feed them?

MC, hehe, love the egg song

My EE has a chatter that sounds like it.. She rarely lays, just lies lol. Not even 100% convinced that's what she really is. She came here with my BR and our first pig. My other girls never sang the egg song till they started to lay tho. It all happened around the same time. Squatting, crowing, singing, active mating. I hope your Red wakes up, and learns his manners. sounds like a stinker. I read a lot about the grab and hold upside down thing for roosters but I haven"t done it. They are great to have as your flock manager. My Red just growls and squawks so loud if anything isn't right like a HRRRRRR baKKAKAAAAWK! All the fowl except the geese go to the big coop they just run, or fly to get there fast.. The geese just freeze and watch.

My alpha Gander has bitten me a few times, it hurts a lot, they grab, twist and tear.

He is stupid crazy hateful if you have different color clothes or shoes on than usual. Strangers, wow forget it they better call first. I don't think Embden see well or just get that angry? Usually Big G is a lover boy, he will climb on my lap and snuggle if i sit down in the yard. Do it a lot working on the fences, landscaping, and my pond. Now, he is a challenge for me but i do still pick his feisty attitude up, sit on the mommy chair and hold him snug till his attitude stops. No nuzzles and lots of loud angry words. He is huge, at least 20 pounds and i bet more. He acts so indignant and embarrassed, then he finally when he hides his head under my arm. then i put him down. He is fine and all's good then. He sure hates white shoes

On the FF, its OK, don't worry. I do a daily feeding, but i try to make sure its around the same time. All the birds seem to adjust better to a schedule. If you have dry food also, they will eat if they are really hungry. I feed around an hour before dark, right now about 430pm. Use about 1.5 gallon of FF for 6 geese 4 ducks, 4 Guinea and 8 chickens. Its usually gone in 30 minutes. I let them all range from 11 am til and hour before dark, but our grass is still green here. Its rare that i am not home cause of my moms care tho. They look almost plump, heavy. I give mealies, lots of kitchen scrap if its carrot tops, broccoli, and homemade yogurt for extra protein, yummy good stuff for treats during the day too.You will just know if somethings not right, you will see it.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Sounds like you are feeling better. I'm glad!

OT stands for old timers, who offer a great deal of wisdom and information, but who are occasionally impatient and can be quite set in their ways (as are we all). Santa says to keep spreading the Christmas spirit!

Thank you

I am realizing to wait and go back before i spout off

Some things just set the fire going faster than my brain hehe.... That is one subject I just fire up on, can't shut up.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote: When I read that I took OT to stand for "Off Topic". But you all may be right. When the threads get off topic thats when the BS starts and disagreements follows

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote: I like it when a person can understand the animal they are dealing with. I hate it when somebody is mean to a dog or any other animal because the animal cannot understand what we expect of them. Sometimes people give the animal too much credit for being smart and knowing right from wrong. They have to be trained. But understanding what makes them tic and why they react like they do puts you ahead of the game.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Get up Roger. It's time for scratch and meaty bones. Breakfast is served.

 

[luvmychicken]

Get up Roger. It's time for scratch and meaty bones. Breakfast is served.  :cd

Wow. 4 hours ago I was still checking my eyelids for cracks. Btw. I didn't find any

 

[BullChick]

Quote: Like I said. I understand the shiny pot making him mad. Yesterday i was bent down in front of him (I was checking a feather to see if I wanted to keep it) and he was not even looking at me. I stood up, checked the water, and walked out. He came running. I understand the rooster watches out for the hen in the nest (I too was told the egg song is a protective thing). Really there was nothing going on. I keep watching. I watch what I wear from head to toe. Still looking for a pattern. But, I am more accepting of his behavior. I can tell you that having a new rooster, and the baby growing up (he is now a teen) has calmed Red down. It also got him interested in the girls again.

Rocky got in trouble for mounting Red's favorite. So things have improved since the behavior started (he was in my face back then).
Any hoot, I have been getting two eggs/day for the past week. I am still hoping the others get going in the next two weeks!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I appreciate the complements, really, but I'm not all that. Learned alot of things out of necessity really. I guess I mention er because we really can probably outsnark anybody we want...we just choose NOT. I get the feeling some are just waiting to pounce on the first wide eyed innocent that posts, or how best to pointedly exclude from the 'inner circle'. Why be inflammatory? When you get older and have real wisdom, you know its better to be kind.
I've had alot of practice under pressure, and I think I've come a long way, hard work to really keep yourself in check some times, but take a moment and think.....which dog do I feed? The angry selfish one, or the kind considerate one.
Truly funny humour....is that wonderful loaf of bread.
I have been watching the chickens roost of late, just popping my head in the door, seeing who is causing commotion, who is calm, and the other evening, a few had the nerve to start growling! Huh? They should know by now I do this. Then I felt some pressure on my leg....Lucy had snuck up and was watching with me....furry dog face peering up at the chickens. Sorry bout that chooks! I guess they are paying attention after all.
We kept geese growing up, talk about painful pinches, and hit you with those wings at the same time....always worse when someone is nesting....I got real good at sneaking around the yard! They tell me swans are worse....I don't think I'll try and find out. Some day, when we rent a bull dozer again, I'd like to enlarge the pond and have a few ducks...mild manner nibblers, something small.

 

[cheeka]

Venison is one of the best... I really like all the game meats, like Ven. and Elk, and Buffalo, and wild turkey and all kinds of fish. One 2.5 year old deer, buck or doe, I don't care, is enough meat to last me for an entire year, and that includes plenty of dinners with company. It's so much healthier, and so tasty if harvested at the right time of year, and butchered quickly... aging meat by hanging is tricky, narrow temperature margin... it truly needs to be between 34*-37* consistently to get the perfect result. I have a neighbor who takes deer on off times because he needs to feed his family, and it just doesn't taste so good when harvested in the dead of winter, when the deer are mostly scrounging and eating a lot of pine bark.

I've gotten 3 eggs so far, one RIR and both EE's AND! I think Peach might lay her first egg today! interesting behavior: I was out with the whole gang, everyone happily foraging and dust bathing, when Peach and Si headed back to the enclosure together. I should have taken a picture of the first odd thing, I did have the camera... but I was more concerned about what was happening... Si was way in the corner on the inside of the dome, Peach was in the same corner, but OUTside the dome. She was trying to get to him, so rather than snapping pics, I picked her up and went in to see what was wrong with Si. nothing was wrong, he was making small popping sounds, like a cat's purr slowed way down. he was building a nest in the corner of the dome. it is quite perfect. he dug down to the ground, and made a perfect ring of bedding. When I brought Peach in, she roosted for a moment and watched him, then jumped down and made herself comfy. he's been standing guard over her ever since, all the while making the popping sound. when the rest of the gang returned, he took up a very defensive stance, and blocked Peach from sight.


it's a hard angle to capture the depth of the nest, looks flat, but it really isn't... it's so cool! I put a length of fence in to corner them off and afford them a bit of privacy, but i'll have to go back out soon to make sure all is well, and see if I get a tiny egg!

 

[cheeka]

I am simply Amazed! How did Si know? like an expectant Dad... too funny! She did it! she laid a perfect egg, and lots bigger than I expected!




it's the same color as Isis' egg! i need to set up a better layout so the nice oval shape is clearer... but thought the blue towel would show the green better... I am stoked! this is not such a tiny egg... I would be very happy having 4 of her eggs for breakfast, probably equal to 3 of the others...