Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Sallysec]

SBMom, that's a toughie really... do other hens get in the nest with her? are you going to let her hatch eggs or is she sitting on unfertile eggs til you get chicks to slip under her? need more info... if she's hatching, she needs some privacy. move her soon rather than later. if she just sitting til you get chicks, leave her alone til the chicks come, then move her... she won't like it, but it's better to give her chicks away from everyone else.

Peach is so darn easy, I can just give her a chick anytime. but for others, it's best to slip them under in the dark.

Silvester, if your flock gets good quality feed and extras like grasses and bugs, your eggs will have less cholesterol than store bought eggs. I wouldn't worry about it, but you can always toss a yolk... I almost never do, they are so vibrant, and dark orange... I want to eat them all...I haven't been scolded by my doctor... he thinks it is great to have a flock, especially the exercise part of hauling water.

You can always give them the yolks to eat
Cheeka is right...if you haven't yet read it, there is an article I love from Mother Earth News. http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/eggs-zl0z0703zswa.aspx#axzz2bLkdCxDA

I get the magazine and loved when they did two series of articles about the benefits of eggs/chickens from home...this was really interesting to read. 1/3 less cholesterol

 

[cheeka]

Sally... here in somewhat near the poverty line, rural, common sense rules (most of the time) country, I can tell you that some cardboard has been around and around! I've delivered parcels from elsewhere in the county that have scribbled out address from 4-5 other addresses in the county... by the 5 shipping, that poor cardboard box is getting pretty tired!

speaking of tired, I finally am! g'nite everyone who's still up!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I'm about 90% confident it's only Georgette that is laying. I have seen her in the nesting box and found an egg soon after...
Harriet seemed to be the more physically mature and sat in a nesting box first, but she seems content with just standing guard for Georgette every once in a while.
Arthur seems the least mature of the group...

Once they get rolling, my cholesterol is going to go thru the roof!

its not really bad, they are better than store eggs usually! and WOW do they taste good!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Nite cheeka rest well!
so true, Jobs are still scarce here. keep telling DH I need to go back to work, but I do not want anyone else caring for my parents.
I worked scheduling for the local visiting VNA for a few months, ugh, They were late, never showed, no compassion.
Not reprimanded and just didn't care. I want better for my parents, can live without the extras to know they are cared for properly.
Just sad, not going to see that happen here.

 

[cheeka]

it's frightening what is "acceptable"for elder care. your parents are so very fortunate, they obviously did a wonderful job raising their daughter to know what is important in life. it's one of the main reasons why I am considering selling my house and moving west. While my folks are doing very well, I would like to live closer...

 

[showbarnmom]

SBMom, that's a toughie really... do other hens get in the nest with her? are you going to let her hatch eggs or is she sitting on unfertile eggs til you get chicks to slip under her? need more info... if she's hatching, she needs some privacy. move her soon rather than later. if she just sitting til you get chicks, leave her alone til the chicks come, then move her... she won't like it, but it's better to give her chicks away from everyone else. Peach is so darn easy, I can just give her a chick anytime. but for others, it's best to slip them under in the dark. Silvester, if your flock gets good quality feed and extras like grasses and bugs, your eggs will have less cholesterol than store bought eggs. I wouldn't worry about it, but you can always toss a yolk... I almost never do, they are so vibrant, and dark orange... I want to eat them all...I haven't been scolded by my doctor... he thinks it is great to have a flock, especially the exercise part of hauling water.

Wait it out...sibling chickens can start to lay at different times/weeks etc. Bahahaha

I can picture someone trying to squeeze an egg out. It reminds me of a key chain my sister had...it was a novely squishy rubber when you squeezed it an egg came out its butt...they had a pig too that pooped. I wouldn't if you see all the people having reintroduction issues....its better to leave her in with everyone or at least in site if she can protect her own. If you think she might be low on the order or that their isnt other boxes etc for the other girls to use...then move her out. Is she sitting on fertile eggs? I got confused at the end...are you giving her chicks or are you hoping she will hatch out some fertile eggs? Silvester I think they like to take credit for each others eggs, so the switcheroo is very possible. I didn't know until I watched or caught each girl. And even now occasionally I get a surprise. I had the hardest time because I had one girl who wasn't laying who would just sit on everyones eggs after they laid them. The curious nature of them checking it out is good though because they will know where to lay their eggs later. CT was wonderful, thanks for all that info on shipping cheeka...I constantly think I would love to be eyes on a package to see what it goes through etc. I often think silly things like ...where has this cardboard been?

Sorry it was confusing. I was tired lol. She's got fertile eggs under her. I want to see how my rooster is producing. I don't see him cover the hens very much. She's in a common box, but there are two other boxes, and she isn't in the most used. If I move her, it'll be just her and the water and food can be very close. She is a game mutt and seems to be middle of the flock. She doesn't start fights, but doesn't let the older hens pick on her either. I've seen her peck at some. I do worry about adding chicks to the same area because I had another hen beat the heck out of some older chicks when I put her and her smaller chicks in the same coop. She killed one older chick. I don't have to hatch the eggs she is on, just want too, so I could let her sit till I get the chicks. I don't know what to do :/

 

[BullChick]

You guys have posted almost 100 posts since I was last on. Too many for me to get through right now. If there is anything for me to know, please tell me.
My news is that I did get the coop cleaned out, and the girls are very happy. Now that all the older chicks are old enough to be in the layer pen, I am going through food like crazy. If it weren't day time, I would swear I had rats eating half the food!
Yesterday my Ameraucana was put down. She was rarely standing up, her breast bone and wrist bones (one more than the other) were protruding from her body. she was just not right. I am going to move my 2 splash EE soon. They will be going elsewhere if they don't begin laying again soon. I might give them until the spring, but I doubt it. The only other blue layer I have is the cross beak. She should begin laying again anytime now. She never hatched any eggs, and the 21 days was up about three weeks ago. She may decide she needs another 2 weeks.
I still have the Ameraucana rooster. I will hatch out some eggs (and probably EE) when my chicken numbers get down below 30 again.
My husband got a new trucking job. He begins the end of the month. Now I need to interview chicken sitters for when I will be going with him for a few weeks at a time. I don't think it will be easy to find experience/knowledge without them having a flock. We will see.

 

[Sallysec]

Wow MC good luck with ...everything...so much going on!
I feel like that is how it is around here.....crazy house!

I got nine eggs yesterday YaY and my chicken baby sitter took the marked eggs out of the nest from the broody !!! LMFAO ...he is too much. He was like "I wondered why they had little x's on them"


Hehehe

 

[cheeka]

oh bummer about the hatching eggs Sally! how far along were they?

welcome back MC! a lot of those posts are worth perusing when you have a moment or if you can't sleep, but many of them were recaps of some of the poetry from last year... and Peachy hatched one Silkie chick, so adorable, but the chick arrived on day 25, when I was no longer expecting any hatches and I picked up 4 bantam Marans chicks... Super Mom doesn't mind.

SBMom, if she'll keep sitting, why not try to hatch the eggs... don't move her, see what you get?

I am hurt. overextended something in my left forearm, and knew it wasn't good. I got home early (2:00) feeling pretty crappy, didn't get enough sleep last night either, so I went to lie down. slept til 5:00 and when I woke up, my forearm problem had settled into the elbow as well. feel like I just played a round of tennis against a Pro. awful. and it finally started pouring just as I got back inside with the dogs. I have yet to check on the chickens. kitchen flooring is also started, it's going to look amazing!

 

[Sallysec]

No cheeka, they wheren't fertile...I was trying to entice the ex broody into coming back and brooding again...failed and she is molting now so not a loss.
Ordered another incubator today. Eggs are shipping Saturday.