Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

Cheeka your story cracked me up. Now I don't feel so bad about having gone BACK outside to observe Penny some more. She went into the coop....came out a few minutes later....walking around...picking at her feathers...nothing exciting. They are all back in the run though. Just in case. Twerp probably won't lay for another month now. She is probably enjoying watching me fake out.
 
you mean 4-6 per hen per week, right?
Right
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The following, unlike most of my stories, is completely true. This actually happened.

I was puttering around the house this morning, having shuffled the kids off to summer school, and I happened to walk by the back door. We have french doors that open out onto the deck where there should be a sliding door, but nevermind that. They are like one huge window. As I said I was sauntering by and I happened to glance toward the coop.

And I saw a chicken's neck and head sticking out of one of the next boxes.

RED ALERT! RED ALERT! THE MOTHER BIRD IS IN THE NEST. I REPEAT. THE MOTHER BIRD IS IN THE NEST.

I couldn't open the door to get a better look because that would disturb whomever it was that was sitting so nicely in the nest. I went down to the basement to see if I could find some binoculars so I could see who it was. Maybe you guys were right, maybe it was Penny. I couldn't see any birds in the run. Probably all inside cheering her on. No binocs. Hmmmm.....

So I did what any sane person would do. I put the long lens on my camera and took a peek, heart hammering. I twisted the lens to zoom alllll the way in, in hopes of getting a better look...and this is what I saw:



A shadow across the window which, from far away, looked JUST LIKE A CHICKEN NECK.

I am checking myself into a facility. I appear to have gone nuts.
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Oh Mortie.....
 
I see it. it would have faked me out too.
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all right now. she's close. very close. she knows it. she just doesn't know when. so if it's going to be today, it will be when she now least expects it, and you too... lol, like when she's having a drink of water. but since it's been a few hours, it may be tomorrow... but she's close!



had a scare early this morning with this one! it was still in the kennel, but away from Peach, on it's back, chilled, weak... I warmed it up in my palms, then stuck it in my bra so I could use my hands... the other 2 are fine, and Peach sill wanted to sit on those other eggs, they were a half day behind so I figured I would let her keep them til I got home. then I saw a MITE! and another! and another!!! omg! I've never had mites! so I dash with the chick still in my bra to the shed, grab the food grade DE for starters and gave both broody's a good dusting. then I started to itch. OMG! the chick in my bra! pulled it out, dusted it good, dusted the other 2 and whipped my shirt off in the back yard! I found 5 mites on ME! so I kept itching all day at work - and did find one more mite crawling on my arm! itching and worrying about the little chipmunk... well... when I got home, all three chickies were up and eating, Peach showing them all the tricks about scratching for the good stuff... I checked Peach over thoroughly and didn't see any mites, and I took the other 5 eggs away. I see nothing on candling. all quitters, I guess. I'm not good at candling... but all was dark, and the eggs are heavy, none are sloshy... I hope I didn't toss a chick that would have hatched in another 12 hours. she needs to focus on the 3 she has. then I checked Gossamer over. no mites on her either. then she got all pissy with me when I took the small piece of watermelon rind that she had tucked among the eggs.

anyway, the flock is out, the weather is iffy... so I'm heading out!
Ok... now I itch!!
 
After I let nugget sit on non fertile eggs for 3 weeks I saw mites in the nest and on the nest box door and completely freaked. Read some natural threads and immediately ordered virgin coconut oil from amazon. But in the mean time grabbed some wood ash from our outdoor firepit and rubbed it into the door, the nest and walls. Haven't seen a mite since. Someone made a good point that all these critters are normal to have but it's an infestation that's the worry. If you keep birds healthy and coop clean the few mites you have from an extended hatch shouldn't turn into a problem. I didn't even need to use the coconut oil. I've checked the roosts during the day and night as well as the nest where I saw them and I've seen no evidence of any more mites. Always going to keep wood ash around now. Better than toxic chemicals!

1 egg.... Being rolled around the side yard by Phyllis today! Glad hubby found it!!!
 

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