Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote:

Actually some of the biggest eggs I got from mine were when they first started laying. Until they get there egg system regulated they often laid huge double yolk eggs. The first egg is usually tiny but after a few months I think you got all the size your going to get. Now I hardly ever get a double. Thats my experience with the breeds I have.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Good morning, Ok.

for me yesterday. The run is so sloppy wet, the eggs are filthy! I am glad the snow is melting, but the puddles are too much! Especially since they are going to freeze up in a few days. Yeay. Falling in the run. In all that ...

Good Morning MC. I put leaves in my run to help with the mud problem. The chickens love scratching around in them and it keeps them out of the mud. Best thing is they are free and if you have a garden in the spring they will be great to put on your garden.

 

[BullChick]

I have no trees. Alright. I have a few, but the leaves are long gone. The problem is that I thought I was smart to let all the old pine shavings stay in the run. Now I have soaking wet shavings, and a roof that was never finished. Thus resulting in a sagging wood roof (which I am HOPING to pull off this week, and replace with just wire for now) that leaks, and makes lots of puddles. I raked it some today, but the girls were so curious, I couldn't get it done. I will try again later.
Eggs are the biggest after the first molt.

 

[cheeka]

Now when Peach is ready to move back outside will you be able to take her from the warm house to the chicken closure "cold turk....chicken"? Guess it depends on the weather. And I suppose she will lose her pecking order. Could you introduce Peach to the chicks and then that whole group of chicks along with Peach to the established flock. I'm just thinking out loud here about how I might handle that situation.

I brought Peach out to free range with the gang this afternoon, it's almost 53-54 degrees! the snow is melting fast. I stood beside Peach the entire time, to keep her safe from mounting. Si was very pleased to forage next to her, even tho' she kept squatting and I kept blocking him. she's pretty much at the bottom of the pecking order anyway, Isis is at the very bottom, and I have introduced her to the chicks several times, since the day they arrived. she wasn't into them on day one, tried to peck them on the head... and she's within sight of them while in the crate. It may be a good idea to add her to them, she'll be at the top for a while, and in the middle at the big merge... but, I think she'll end back up at the bottom once everyone grows up to full size. She can handle herself quite well, honestly... and she is fast. if she doesn't fly from roost to roost, she can scoot mighty quick across the ground and back up. during free range, she's quite capable of hanging with the group... she is healing so quickly, it's amazing, I love Ichthamol... and I learned a lesson today. Blue Kote stains. Everything. my palm is purple.

Good morning, Ok.

for me yesterday. The run is so sloppy wet, the eggs are filthy! I am glad the snow is melting, but the puddles are too much! Especially since they are going to freeze up in a few days. Yeay. Falling in the run. In all that ...

it's melting so fast here too... I was able to clean the last of it off the roof of the dome just by pushing up on the hardware cloth from the inside... it just slid right off with a whoosh... I picked up all my leaves and bagged them (10 55 gallon bags) for my (covered) run, and did the same at old bh's parents house, got about 18 bags from there, and asked a few folks on my postal route if I could have their leaves too. which of course they said yes... I didn't even have to do the raking, which I would have, but they hooked me up with tons of leaves! I have so many bags, that I was able to line the front outside wall of the house to block the foundation from the west wind. I will be able to use those leaves in the Spring. plus I picked up a couple of bales of hay, so the gang would have some housekeeping activity to keep them from getting bored. I can put a square hunk of hay in, and come back later and it's perfectly spread out, all nice and even... good chickens! my bedding lasts a bit longer with the vinyl covering up, but next year, with it moved to the "little woods" I may be able to use something different and allow them to have more sunlight, as the woods offers quite of bit of weather protection.

Quote:

Actually some of the biggest eggs I got from mine were when they first started laying. Until they get there egg system regulated they often laid huge double yolk eggs. The first egg is usually tiny but after a few months I think you got all the size your going to get. Now I hardly ever get a double. Thats my experience with the breeds I have.

mstarr! I'm with you, not sure how much bigger, if at all... my eggs might get by next fall, MC says after the 1st molt, so I have til next fall for that. my RIR's and EE's lay a very nice large to extra large egg consistently since about 6 weeks after starting, but my BR's are smaller, and Wilma (BR) lays a pee wee egg, same size as my bantam EE's egg, which is actually a very nice sized egg for such a small bird.

W4W, it's someone new entirely!

and he's not a nub tooth!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Happy Chooks posted this on our local thread when I asked if winter molting was common (along with a pic of Spot). Thought I'd share her reply. Compared to Frankenchicken below, Roger doesn't have any worries in the ugly department.


Originally Posted by Happy Chooks

No it's not uncommon - I always have a few that wait until winter to molt.

And that is nothing as far as molting goes, here was my BR this year for her molt:

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Good morning, Ok.

for me yesterday. The run is so sloppy wet, the eggs are filthy! I am glad the snow is melting, but the puddles are too much! Especially since they are going to freeze up in a few days. Yeay. Falling in the run. In all that ...

At least it's too cold for the flies! I was intending to leave half of my run uncovered for the winter. Changed my mind after the first rain. SuperHubby rigged up a tarp that works fine for the rain. Luckily, we don't get much wind and no snow. Maybe a tarp over your leaky roof would work until you're ready for major construction. Whatever you're doing, your chickens seem happy and laying great!

Quote: Not sure when to expect full sized eggs. Think it depends on the breed. My super layers (sexlink, New Hamp, and Leghorn) started off pretty consistently with quite large eggs. Most of the others went through a pullet egg phase, and the eggs got gradually larger over a couple of months. The Welsummer was the last to start laying (by about 3 months!), and her eggs are still a small pullet size. She sure had a personality change, though. Went from being extremely quiet and skittish, to crazy-noisy and underfoot for treats. I have heard of others who had to wait for their Wellies. Maybe just late bloomers!

This is Grace. Her dark egg front and center. It's smaller than it looks here.

W4W, it's someone new entirely!

and he's not a nub tooth!

Woohoo for you! Wonder if he likes eggs...



ACW, I hope you are doing well. Wish I was closer, I'd make you some soup.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Happy Chooks posted this on our local thread when I asked if winter molting was common (along with a pic of Spot). Thought I'd share her reply. Compared to Frankenchicken below, Roger doesn't have any worries in the ugly department.


Originally Posted by Happy Chooks

No it's not uncommon - I always have a few that wait until winter to molt.

And that is nothing as far as molting goes, here was my BR this year for her molt:

Roger and Spot are pretty even. Roger has no tail feathers and neck is almost bare. Not as bad as that poor bird.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Any word from ACW? Not right her not showing up daily. Concerned.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Any word from ACW? Not right her not showing up daily. Concerned.

Yesterday was her most recent post. I know I've been thinking about her too.

 

[BullChick]

A woman that lives across town insists that she had a dead peep in her store-bought egg. Another of her friends is telling her it has been happening a lot in a nearby store that my B-I-L works at. I can't convince them they are wrong.