I am still waiting for a broody. Maybe by the end of Summer. The girls are only 8-months-old. I need to be patient ... And buy an incubator.
Beautiful day here. It was in the 40's. We finally got some snow last night, but only about a 1/2 inch. All gone already. I got some things done today. I cleaned the new quarantine where the new gang had stayed for a couple days. It was pretty easy. I did find the remains of another egg on the steps. Darn concrete!I don't know if I said before, but it is an outdoor access to the basement. There is a light, a window, and 3 landings. There is also a door to keep them out of the basement area. When I was cleaning, I was looking at the other 2 rooms that have doors and windows/ventilation. Not easy to clean, but if there were a hurricane that made me bring the birds in, I would be all set!
13 eggs total today. I am getting confused. I know that whatever color a bird lays, THAT is the color of the eggs, and they will only get lighter as the laying season goes on. Then get dark again after a molt.
Now the question. How am I getting blue eggs now when I KNOW the first few were all green? I think one day I got 2 blue, mostly now I get a blue and a green on the same day. The girls are sisters from the same hatch. They didn't free range, so just one rooster fathered them.
Second, I swear the Marans eggs are getting darker. I will take a picture of today's later. The pint is that I know they are not supposed to change like that. The woman is even willing to replace the girls! I know she just wants to get rid of some more to make room for her hatches.
The blue/green eggs seem to follow their own rules. I read that the color can be enhanced by carotenoids (yellow and green veggies), but you really need to look at the inside of the shell to see if it's a brown coating that might be changing the outside color, or if it's the base shell color that's different. My EE lays a green egg that has no brown coating. That's the color of her shell all the way through. She laid one yesterday that was so pale, it was almost white and the NewHamp laid one without the usual bloom that makes her very round eggs look pinkish. Guess my girls are still a bit messed up. Hope that Denagard works! --When I get it.
I have heard that the Marans eggs will get darker, especially for new layers. People talk about them 'kicking into gear' color-wise.
In the movies, strange things are always hidden in the basement.... monsters, aliens, bodies... Never heard of chickens in the basement!
