Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[chickenlindz]

Is it possible for my 10 1/2 week rooster to be getting it on w the girls?

I cracked 8 eggs for scrambled eggs today for the crew and all the ones from today had a white disc on the yolk. The ones from a couple weeks ago didn't.

 

[Phionex Boy]

LOL gettin it on? haha

 

[valjean]

Now I have Barry White's "Let's get it on" song running in my head.

So Lucy came back out, no egg. It's progress. I won't bore y'all with the blow-by-blow, but hope to report soon that an egg has landed.

 

[Phionex Boy]

i got my first egg yesterday but nothing YET today...

 

[Hershy]

Still waiting! I think my girls are on strike.

 

[JW12]

9 again today all from the reds! So the count stands at:

RSL ... 9/12
Silkies ... 0/3
Ducks ... 0/8

I had to adjust the counts on silkies because I can't count the cockerel and also the ducks because two are confirmed drakes. I didn't think it would be fair to expect eggs from them lol.

On a funny note I was told yesterday that one of my RSL's had to be a male or I wouldn't be getting any eggs! I just said hmmm you must be right and walked off. No point in even trying to explain.

 

[mortie]

Val, is lucy the one that was squatting? Penny went in and out the next box a lot the day before she laid her first egg. Look for something under the roost tomorrow morning. That seems to be the pattern around here...I would say you get an egg tomorrow for sure.

So we just had some excitement here today. I'll throw it back all the way to this morning. After I collected our 1.25 eggs, I decided the girls could range right away since they were done for the day. I let them out and as I was walking back into the house, movement caught my eye and I saw a hawk fly into the tree next door.

The girls saw it, too. With a chorus of shrieks, they ran under the deck and proceeded to chastise it. I put them away because I didn't want anyone getting swept away and you just know it would be Penny.

Then just now there was a lot of egg songing going on outside so I looked and it was Penny, cackling away. I went outside and counted 5 birds. I glanced in the window and didn't see anyone in the coop. Maggie was missing! If she was out, she should have run up to me when I went outside, that's what they do. Panic!

Then I looked in the coop again and saw a bird in the nest box. Then I took a closer look at the one that was in the run and realized that was Maggie, Wilson was the one in the nest. WHEW. She sat in there and played house for a while, Penny singing her heart out the whole time. Then Wilson came out, threw some wood chips on her back, sang a bit, and went about her business.

Here's where it went south. Dh said shortly after all this he saw one of our neighbors making her way across her yard from that corner. She may have been peering through the fence to see what was making the fuss. If they didn't know I had chickens before, they do now. They are the type to cause trouble for me. It wouldn't be a problem if I only had 4, but since I insist on having 6...I could get in trouble if they call AC. If they call AC and they pay me a friendly visit, I am in trouble.

 

[valjean]

Yes it was Lucy. She's been in and out of the coop all day, restless and chattering.

Oh, man, I hope your neighbor doesn't cause trouble. Why can't people just be amused about these things and let it go? Our city ordinance says your chicken pen/coop have to be 50 feet from any property line of your neighbors. I have a friend who has 4 chickens in a nice golf community, not really following the rules about that because it's impossible. All her neighbors and many others know about it but think it's fine and let her be. Hopefully your situation will turn out okay.

I have another friend who lives outside the city - has about a dozen chickens the same age as mine. She got her first egg today. I'm hoping tomorrow is the day.

 

[mortie]

Tomorrow for sure, Val. I just know it.

The rules here are:

4 chickens over 8 wks
No roosters over 8 wks
cannot be inside principle structure past 8 weeks
Have to have contained in a coop/run that is no less than 25 feet from neighboring principle structures
License required ($5)
No processing in your back yard

So I am good to go except that I have 6 birds. Now I am usually the first to advocate that people FOLLOW THE LAWS where they live because when they don't, it kinda gives the whole hobby a black eye but as far as 6 vs 4 I just don't know what the harm is. I get why they have the rule. They don't want people turning their yards into factory farms. But 6 vs 4 isn't going to make a bit of difference for noise level. It's Penny making all the noise so far...I could just have one and it would be every bit as noisy. We don't have a fly problem, you can't smell them at all...and it's not like I am sneaking them in where they're flat out illegal. If they called the animal cops on me it would just be to be mean. And I think they would do that.

After all this time I figure they must have seen them or heard them at some point. They parade around my yard all day most of the time up until it got close to egg laying time when I limited their range time. These neighbors can't really see into my run easily but if they look out their window and see 6 chickens wandering around, well....they've got me dead to rights.

I'm feeling kinda stressed now.

 

[mortie]

Val I am so excited for you! Look under your roost tomorrow morning, I bet Lucy drops one off the roost in the middle of the night. Penny and Wilson both did that. If not then you'll be super lucky and Lucy will hit the nest box first time I betcha. I KNOW you're getting an egg tomorrow one way or another. The day is finally here! I am hoping for 2 good eggs myself. C'mon wilson, lay me a hard shelled egg.