Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[BullChick]

At seven, I was outside. The sun was shining, the grass is long. I decided the chickens could come out. I rarely let my other flocks out, but these girls just needed it. Besides, they were free ranged at their old place.
Out they came (surprising since they have never even tried to walk out when the door was open) and they made their way around the coop and run perimeter. 45 minutes later, Sturgis decided to woof at them. Steven told them to get away, but Melissa wanted to check out the lilac bush. As the sun sunk further and further, I began to wonder if they would ever go to bed. They are usually in bed very early. I had tried shaking the treat can earlier with no response, so didn't think it would work to get them to bed. Thinking about the problem everyone else always had with finding the door to the run, I decided to shake the can by the door. If they just looked up, they might realize I was at the run door. As soon as I shook the can, Reba lifted her wings, and she came running!! The others weren't far behind. Unfortunately, Sturgis got excited, and he came running too. That caused Steven to bring them back towards the bush, but they still wanted in the run. I put Sturgis in the storage room, and they all came back. It took some guiding, but they got into the run. Success!!

 

[karl69]

Karl, it could be she's bottom of the pecking order or maybe she just doesn't like people!  Seeing such individual characters in the flock was one of the biggest surprises. What does she do when you come out with a handful of treats?

well I only noticed it in the last couple weeks, if I have treats she'll come over , shes hessatent but she'll come but then she'll back off 5or 6 feet and squak. Then when I back of she comes over with the others.
She dont like me:-(

 

[cheeka]

Quote: they pee on their own faces cuz they think it smells ultra attractive...

but they are great fun and good guardians.

karl, I can't worry about ridding myself of the predators. I live in the real country. there isn't just 1 fox. behind my house, there is a female, who is trying to feed her kits. across the street, behind my neighbors swamp, there's another den. down the road, another... up the road... at least 4 more that act like they might be litter mates. band of brothers...they'll keep coming. I have a food source, as do all my neighbors within the mile and a half stretch of this road... then there's the coyotes... we've gotten a couple of different predators over the years, but the point is to keep them as safe as possible and free range is always a risk, even on a bright sunny afternoon. when I lost my first 2 to a fox at 3 months and 2 days... I did attempt to trap it. that's when I learned the extent of the population. they got my 2, 4 from down the road and 2 from across the street... all in about 4 hours. my flock will not tolerate being cooped up forever and I won't do that to them either... but we will stay in for about a week and I'll treat them to something fun and wonderful on a daily basis to break the boredom. tomorrow, I'll bring home a few watermelons.

 

[karl69]

I know what real country is had nearly 200 arce to play on growing up, i've shot more then my share of predors of all kinds .but I hope they give ya a break maybe your chicken will get a little wiser with each attempt.
Mine love grapes and cherry's mellons are a fav too!
Good luck!

 

[mommato5chicks]

This is for anyone, what are your preference for bedding in your coop?
Pine chips, straw , hay? What do you like?

I use straw they love it! They scratch at it to make the perfect bed to lay yummy eggs

 

[cheeka]

W4W, I forgot to reply - I am not actually sure what the total number of eggs that I gave to Esther is... she started with 6 large fowl, the other flock members bullied her on the nest and within a day was down to 2, then down to 1, which she still has, and I should have taken away... but she was vicious... when I gave her Louise and Cressa's eggs, it started with about 8 or 10, then I found more. probably 15 or 16 total. they won't all hatch. I already removed a quitter. who knows how long she'll sit tho'... she seems determined to hatch them all.

 

[Debby27]

At seven, I was outside. The sun was shining, the grass is long. I decided the chickens could come out. I rarely let my other flocks out, but these girls just needed it. Besides, they were free ranged at their old place.
Out they came (surprising since they have never even tried to walk out when the door was open) and they made their way around the coop and run perimeter. 45 minutes later, Sturgis decided to woof at them. Steven told them to get away, but Melissa wanted to check out the lilac bush. As the sun sunk further and further, I began to wonder if they would ever go to bed. They are usually in bed very early. I had tried shaking the treat can earlier with no response, so didn't think it would work to get them to bed. Thinking about the problem everyone else always had with finding the door to the run, I decided to shake the can by the door. If they just looked up, they might realize I was at the run door. As soon as I shook the can, Reba lifted her wings, and she came running!! The others weren't far behind. Unfortunately, Sturgis got excited, and he came running too. That caused Steven to bring them back towards the bush, but they still wanted in the run. I put Sturgis in the storage room, and they all came back. It took some guiding, but they got into the run. Success!!

MC Don't you love it when they figure it out! I gave mine hot dog pieces...LOL i know....but they loved it,...left a little trail and voila! they would come running in the afternoon when i walked out to the coop....even if i didn't have anything all i had to do was cup my hand and they thought I had something....which I never did....I always had something for them for being such good little girls...

 

[Debby27]

Hi Everyone, Quick question.....now I know hens will lay sometimes anywhere....but Gladys (the only one left of original 4) who is 1yr/3months....and has ALWAYS gone in the nesting box to lay......just laid an egg in front of me & my BF and the 2 other girls...next to my rose bush/garden area, where they dig holes all the time. She kinda sat up like a dog begging....(it was actually funny looking) and just dropped an egg out!!!

No noise no nothing, one sec, pecking around, next second there's an egg! She's never done that before! any idea why she might have done that and is that an indication that she's not wanting the nest box??? After that she just walked off and started pecking around again...

 

[cheeka]

sounds like the egg just kinda sneaked up on her... probably not expecting it just yet???

 

[Debby27]

Well she usually lays around 2-3:30 in the afternoon/well she did now she's been laying around 10am....yeah no kidding...it was like "it's coming out don't care where I am"....no nestling down for 10-20mins and then laying, just pooped it out and went on about her merry biz