Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Scrambles55]

Mine kind of surprised me. I think the RSL were about 18 weeks old. And within two weeks... all three were laying on a regular basis. Now I wait for my new girls to begin. I bought 2 pullets in November and Penny laid from day one. Si waited about 2 weeks to lay for me. Then in December, I got Rumples. She was about 25 weeks old when she blessed me with her first egg. Now I wait for my new girls to lay. I still have not named the Lavender Ameraucana pullet. My guess is that the Golden sex link will lay in mid to late August. Jemma, the BSL, late August. The two Ameraucanas.... hmmmmm..... Late September... early October. So... I have a while. I should have 7 layers by then. Maybe 6 since Smoke is older, but I hope for 5 eggs a day. That way I can sell 2 dozen a week to help cover the cost of feed and PIE.

 

[mortie]

Wilson and Maggie are reds of some sort...or crosses....you've seen pics of them. They seem farther along than Penny, who is at least a second gen RSL (I can tell because her brothers were not white). My guess is wilson will be first, she seems to be the farthest along, followed shortly by Maggie. I am guessing they will go between 16 and 18 weeks. I think Penny will go at 18 or 19 weeks. The Ameracaunas I am expecting to be around 22-24 wks.

If my wild guesses are close, Wilson and Maggie will gift us with something potentially as early as 9 days from now but maybe not for another 24 days or so. (probably later, they read Rodger's book). Penny will take 3+ weeks from today and the others it's anybody's guess. Sometime in August.

i just need ONE to drop ONE egg somewhere and I can settle down....I think. I think I will always find it entertaining to pick up eggs, but the anticipation of that first egg will be over and it'll take the edge off lol.

 

[cheeka]

for the most part, my flock is good about going home. there's always 1 or 2... especially in Summer, who drive me insane playing ring around the lilac, or dodge under the pine tree... but I always gets em! only once in all this time did I have to wait til dark to get one. that was Carl. Carl was delicious.

 

[Scrambles55]

My little flock is real good about returning to the pen and the Three Stooges will coop up. The Bungees are still hanging with Rumples.

I tend to go through the anxiety thing when the girls molt and cease to gift me with eggs. I know that it is normal for them to stop laying during a molt, but I still worry that something major is wrong.
Everyday that I get eggs is a day with little blessings. It makes me smile that my girls are feeding us.

DH bought eggs today.

Why oh why??? We are going camping and we have 2 dozen in the fridge. I will never understand some of the things that he does.

He thought that I would get upset if the kids ate the good eggs. HECK.... that is what they are for. No store bought eggs!!!!!!!

Happy Weekend!!

 

[subhanalah]

My pullet Limin just laid another egg 10 hours after her daily egg, it was shell-less of course, I could see where it started to get lined with shell, but she expelled it earlier than appropriate.

Could worming her this afternoon caused her to lay the egg early?

 

[mortie]

Mine go back when it's bed time or when I want to put them back. They follow me around like the pied piper. I just don't want them laying all over the yard.

 

[lindz8504]

Hubby called me last night and said that a brown dog came through the yard and grabbed Bitty's last chick. He said that Ratchet and Zauk was right on its tail but he called them back when they got the road. HHubby says we are going to expand the run to about 3x what it is now and separate it into 3 sections. Then we should be able to sow grass in a section at a time and do rotation to keep them from scratching it up so much.

 

[Scrambles55]

Mine go back when it's bed time or when I want to put them back. They follow me around like the pied piper. I just don't want them laying all over the yard.

At this point in time, the girls will NOT willingly go into the pen when I want them to. They know what is up and run the other way. Even bribing with PIE or the favorite corn on the cob does not work. I wait for dusk and they march back home on their own. I will be glad when it becomes dark a little earlier. The sun sets here around 8:45 pm right now and I like to go to bed by 7:30.
The only other place that is used for a nest is my ATV. Smoke likes laying in the back of it when it is covered.
Rain......

 

[chickenlindz]

Same thing here scrambles!!!! My kids roam far and wide so once out they are gone all day.

My original 10 still go to bed at 7:00ish which is delightful! The 2nd group waits til the last drop of light has gone which kills me cause I like to go to bed early. It's also a little nerve racking knowing they cut it so close to the nighttime critters coming out.

 

[mortie]

Mine can't go too far....They've got the back half of a 1/3 acre lot that is fenced in, smack in the middle of the city. Can't get too far.