Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[lindz8504]

Apparently I have a case of MUSICAL BROODYs! Last night I went to lock everyone in the coop and both Clarabelle and Amelia were a nesting box. I put Amelia up on the roost, and shut the coop. This morning, I go down to let everyone out, and Amelia has kicked Clarabelle off the nest. So, Clarabelle takes advantage and takes a dust bath and forages for a bit. Just went down a few minutes ago and Amelia is still on the nest, and Clarabelle out. So I took Amelia off the nest and Clarabelle went into the coop and got on..... Amelia is quite a bit bigger than Clarabelle, so she muscles her off the eggs whenever she wants to. At this point we are 9 days from the first 2 eggs, and 4 days from the last being in the nest.... I am assuming this will cause a staggered hatch, and I just hope that she will stay on the nest long enough for them all to hatch. I am thinking that I should probably move Clarabelle and the eggs into the brooder/isolation coop so Amelia will quit kicking her off. Then I guess I can see if Amelia is really going broody, or if she is just wanting to bully Clarabelle! Oh, so much CHICKEN DRAMA!!!!

On the upside, I found some Lavendar Cochins! I am going this afternoon to look at them! The guy will only sell pullets with a cockerel, so I guess I have solved my Rooster problem! LOL I am going to try to talk him into letting me have 4 pullets and a Cockerel. He is wanting to sell them as trios though...

I will post pictures if I end up getting some!

 

[BullChick]

Don't underestimate the power of frozen pie on hot weather. Ice cream, frozen vegetables and frozen fruit (I freeze water melon).
I have about 200 eggs I need to do something with.

DH is gone now, and he used to eat 2 + dozen eggs a week.
I don't really cook for myself, and forget to eat eggs when I do cook. I can only freeze so many casseroles! Anyone want to take a weekly trip to PA? Ha ha.
And I do give them away. Not as often as I used to. I keep getting snide remarks because I "must not be selling that many eggs anymore. No one want them?" I went from 18 layers in the spring to .... More chickens than I will admit to this Summer/Fall.

 

[Sallysec]

Don't underestimate the power of frozen pie on hot weather. Ice cream, frozen vegetables and frozen fruit (I freeze water melon).
I have about 200 eggs I need to do something with.

DH is gone now, and he used to eat 2 + dozen eggs a week.
I don't really cook for myself, and forget to eat eggs when I do cook. I can only freeze so many casseroles! Anyone want to take a weekly trip to PA? Ha ha.
And I do give them away. Not as often as I used to. I keep getting snide remarks because I "must not be selling that many eggs anymore. No one want them?" I went from 18 layers in the spring to .... More chickens than I will admit to this Summer/Fall.

Crack them and freeze them

 

[lindz8504]

Don't underestimate the power of frozen pie on hot weather. Ice cream, frozen vegetables and frozen fruit (I freeze water melon).
I have about 200 eggs I need to do something with.

DH is gone now, and he used to eat 2 + dozen eggs a week.
I don't really cook for myself, and forget to eat eggs when I do cook. I can only freeze so many casseroles! Anyone want to take a weekly trip to PA? Ha ha.
And I do give them away. Not as often as I used to. I keep getting snide remarks because I "must not be selling that many eggs anymore. No one want them?" I went from 18 layers in the spring to .... More chickens than I will admit to this Summer/Fall.

Scramble them and give them back to the chickens! They are an eggcellent source of protein! (sorry couldn't help myself!)

 

[lindz8504]

Well, Amelia was back on the nest when I went down tonight. Clarabelle was in another nesting box sitting on invisible eggs since Amelia took hers! Amelia had also added an egg (although it was a little speckled and her's normally are a pale cream colored) to the nest. So I moved Clarabelle's eggs to the nest she was in, and left Amelia's new egg in her nest. She has pulled some feathers out of her chest as well (Clarabelle's chest is bare!), so maybe she has decided that she really does want to hatch some eggs? Who knows with that crazy chicken! It has been about a week since Doodle was killed.... will her eggs still be fertile? I have read anywhere from a week to almost a month????

 

[Wishing4Wings]

They can stay fertile for 3 weeks, but fertility tends to drop. Most breeders wait 4 weeks when switching roos.

 

[cheeka]

MC, like Sally and lindz said... freeze some for your own use, and feed lots of them back to the chickens, save on feed... if it's hot out, scramble them, spoon them into ice cube trays and freeze... makes for fun egg football for the flock. it'll be nice in the winter too, a nice hot meal... mix with oatmeal... all new pie possibilities...! you know they love eggs too!

as for the snide remarks... charge those people for their eggs... make it seem like you don't have too many to spare - lots of folks donate their overload of eggs to food pantry's. they can't be sold, but they can be given to people who really need the food... I have 2 elderly ladies on my route who I give eggs to - I saw one of them at WalMart reaching for a dozen eggs - I hollered "Don't You Dare!" she turned around, shocked... the WalMart employee standing there was funny. asked me if I have chickens... she completely understood, and that was that... the lady knows I sell my eggs and wishes she could pay me for them, but she only has food stamps - I told her that I sell them to my boss for double, so her eggs are already paid for. (I don't charge her double, just in case anyone was thinking that I was so rotten...) I say find a food pantry - give them to folks who will appreciate the effort you put into your flock which will be evident by the delicious eggs!

7 Eggs for me today... it's been a while since I've had a drop, so... I'll take it. it was crappy all day, no free range. poor babies. 2 pies today because of that, 1 in morning, 1 in evening... hot dog buns in the middle of the day, courtesy of Mylee.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote: Two Weeks Have Passed......7 Days To Go
Got Your Silly Machine.....But I'm A Broody Pro
I Won't Get Up.....You Might Steal Them Or Cheat
Just Turn That Thing Off.....And Admit Defeat.
RK Broody
Not A Chance RK .....I Will Challenge To The End
Now Don't Get Corrupted....By Your BR Friend
You Will Get Your Prize.....Its Pie You Know
But First You Must Win.......There Is Five Days To Go
OK
So How Is Your Styrofoam Box Of Air.....Have You Lost Electric Yet?
And Watch That Humidity......You Don't Want Them Soaking Wet
It's Time For You To Get Nervous......Me I'll Just Sit Here Some More
It's Down To The Nitty Gritty.......The Day Count Is FOUR
RK Broody


No Worry Here....I Have No Reason To Doubt
Inside My "Box Of Air"......Four Chicks Will Hatch Out
Your Awful Sure About Yourself.....Make Jokes About My Ways
But I Will Be The Champion.......In Three More Days
OK

 

[okallthis4eggs]

SEVEN

SEVEN.......Today We Had A Perfect Day. Seven Laying Girls Laid Seven Eggs........Fork Over The PIE

 

[okallthis4eggs]

I Thought You Were Going To Post A Picture Of The Egg I Laid Today