Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[lindz8504]

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

Ok, so they should still be fertile... Good. I still have to find a roo, or just wait for one of my chicks to get old enough to cover the hens.... How old are they generally when they start finding the girls interesting? My definite roo, has no interest in any of the other chickens, and runs squawking from any that get too close... we have named him Rogue!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

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

I Called Ripley's Believe It Or Not Instead. They Are On The Way

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote: My Delaware and RR Roosters are four months and still can't crow let alone find a girlfriend inside the woman's prison they live in

 

[lindz8504]

My Rogue may not have a prayer then!

 

[lindz8504]

I Called Ripley's Believe It Or Not Instead. They Are On The Way

My Delaware and RR Roosters are four months and still can't crow let alone find a girlfriend inside the woman's prison they live in

 

[Sallysec]

So I see development in 13 of the 14 eggs...I worry about a few of them having misplaced air cells...I debated stopping the turning and putting them in cartons inside the incubator somehow...

Tomorrow I need to spend the day outside in the garden and the chicken coop. I will be in Virginia over the weekend and starting work next week.

 

[BullChick]

222 eggs. That is not counting the dozens that were cracked or broken before getting packed up (either in the coop or by my roughness). I think in the time it took to collect these eggs, I have lost 3 dozen. I wasn't giving oyster shell

. Apparently this year, being a full year old, the girls need it. I have a dispenser, but they keep knocking it down. So I kept forgetting to give it once or twice a week. Anyway. They have it, and I have had a lot less problems the past several days.
I am selling 6 dozen eggs tomorrow, and if I ever get time, I do plan on freezing eggs. I am busy with the furniture from the other house (along with tons and tons of boxes) and stuff maturing in the garden (slugs and worms in my kitchen from the cabbage

). The eggs are not too old (about 2 weeks) so I have time. Here is the mess I am dealing with in the living room...





And my HUGE cabbage. They were 1.9 - 4.8 lbs!


For the record, creepy crawlies are the reason I am afraid of fresh vegetables. I won't do carrots (underground) onions (I did do them in a window box once) they are easier to buy anyway. I don't use many. Cabbage was the test to see if I could handle lettuce next year. I was growing them just for the chickens. Now I am being talked into cabbage rolls and saurkraut. The girls got one today. After finding two more worms on my counter tonight, I may give them all of them! Yuck!!
On the bright side, the plum tree that has not successfully held fruit in about four years has some nice plums. I gave them to the girls though. There is a tent of caterpillars on the tree I need to take care of. I also have to learn to prune the fruit trees. So much to learn/get used to. I am still a city girl, but I think I am doing pretty well!
OK, Sally ... Everyone! You had me walking to the house this evening with a Marans egg in my hand chanting, "I will not incubate eggs. I will not incubate eggs! I-WILL-NOT- INCUBATE -EGGS!!!" I may give in, and do it for the New Years hatch along. I (obviously) still need to lower my chicken numbers.
Night all!!

 

[Sallysec]

222 eggs. That is not counting the dozens that were cracked or broken before getting packed up (either in the coop or by my roughness). I think in the time it took to collect these eggs, I have lost 3 dozen. I wasn't giving oyster shell

. Apparently this year, being a full year old, the girls need it. I have a dispenser, but they keep knocking it down. So I kept forgetting to give it once or twice a week. Anyway. They have it, and I have had a lot less problems the past several days.
I am selling 6 dozen eggs tomorrow, and if I ever get time, I do plan on freezing eggs. I am busy with the furniture from the other house (along with tons and tons of boxes) and stuff maturing in the garden (slugs and worms in my kitchen from the cabbage

). The eggs are not too old (about 2 weeks) so I have time. Here is the mess I am dealing with in the living room...





And my HUGE cabbage. They were 1.9 - 4.8 lbs!


For the record, creepy crawlies are the reason I am afraid of fresh vegetables. I won't do carrots (underground) onions (I did do them in a window box once) they are easier to buy anyway. I don't use many. Cabbage was the test to see if I could handle lettuce next year. I was growing them just for the chickens. Now I am being talked into cabbage rolls and saurkraut. The girls got one today. After finding two more worms on my counter tonight, I may give them all of them! Yuck!!
On the bright side, the plum tree that has not successfully held fruit in about four years has some nice plums. I gave them to the girls though. There is a tent of caterpillars on the tree I need to take care of. I also have to learn to prune the fruit trees. So much to learn/get used to. I am still a city girl, but I think I am doing pretty well!
OK, Sally ... Everyone! You had me walking to the house this evening with a Marans egg in my hand chanting, "I will not incubate eggs. I will not incubate eggs! I-WILL-NOT- INCUBATE -EGGS!!!" I may give in, and do it for the New Years hatch along. I (obviously) still need to lower my chicken numbers.
Night all!!

LOL MC, I totally am like you with the veggies. I love growing them though. I still get a little freaked out when I find a mystery bug or slug in the basket I bring in. My facebook page gets peppered with pictures of bugs and me asking what it is. My husband is awesome though and does a lot of the veggie washing and debugging. I often times will cut down veggies and just give him the basket to wash and clean. I do the chopping and freezing/cooking. My son joins in on occasion. I have nightmares about spiders eating me alive while I walk through my garden. Silly I know

but I have come a LONG way. As for freezing your eggs. I have heard some people who use a dab of milk in a gallon ziplock bag with the eggs whisked in. Thing is when do you need a gallon of eggs? So I also read that some people use ice cube trays and freeze them like that..one cube is about one egg etc. My father wants me to freeze whatever extras I get in buckets for him. He buys eggs by the bucket for work so that is my backup plan for extra eggs. Thing is...We never have extra it seems. Between friends, my family, and food swapping once a month I have a dozen and a half on the counter from yesterday and today.


My Plum tree took like five years and a lot of "pruning" in order for it to become fruitful. Last year I got some fruit...this year it was crazy how many plums came off that little tree. Chickens loved it and so did all the wild birds.
Hide your incubator. Disconnect your power, do whatever you have to in order to hold out til next year.

LOL or wait for me next month because I have some marans eggs on order

<- that will be my husband next month.

2 Chicks in the brooder, 13/of 14 eggs showing growth in the incubator and more eggs on order.....I don't have a problem until I go to meetings.

Luckily I have two people local who want chicks if I hatch out 'extras'.

 

[lindz8504]

Hubby said I couldn't buy any of the lavender cochins. 8 ( On the flip side I am pretty sure Amelia is going broody with Clarabelle so I will probably let her hatch some eggs too.

 

[Sallysec]

Chicken Bath!
My daughter was so curious as to what they do in that corner of the yard.

These are the two from the July Hatch. Around 5 weeks old.


It looks like he is checking her out. Question is...is it a her? I caught them fighting the other day which made me wonder if the little black one might be a boy.