Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[Lapeerian]

Very good to know!
Wow....63 eggs.....no disrespect intended but I'd have been a bit put off by those bad girls.

Bad chickies....bad chickies!

I went through several emotions when I found that pile. So excited that they were laying, very upset with myself for not paying more attention, confused why I hadn't heard egg song (because they are supposed to do that, right?), disappointed that I had to toss them all. I was getting 2-3 eggs a day once they started in the box, so the time to make 63 eggs..... I am now getting 3-4 brown eggs daily, plus a cute little light turqoise egg.

 

[Carolyn252]

I'm going to toss my little experience out here. I have a 10 pullets of various breeds, all March chicks. I was watching for squatting and listening for egg song. Didn't even have the next boxes ready since I seen no signs at all. They have a large steep bank next to the garage fenced in that they have access to all day. One day I walked past the pen after fixing a section of horse fence and noticed a pile of funny looking rocks, as the weeds are dying back. It was a clutch of 63 eggs. Not knowing the age, we were going to cook them up and feed them back. But after cracking two and getting a smell, they were all tossed. I immediately put a large litter box with a deep layer of shavings in the coop. I marked 3 of the eggs from the top of the pile and put in the box. After removing the rest of the eggs, I made sure the nest area was destroyed and any weeds near it pulled out or knocked down, to discourage laying in that area again. Mine were good girls and took to laying in the box right away without having to lock them in the coop. I still do a very close inspection of the pen now at least once a week for any new hiding spots. Two NH lay first thing in the morning, the one GLW in late morning and the one EE (white/black exactly like Toxic Chicks') has started just laying this week in the afternoon. And to this day, I don't see any signs of squatting (other than when the rooster jumps on them, not always by choice) and have never heard an egg song from them. Think the Australorp has just started laying, the 2 Orp girls and other EE should be starting soon. 2 Anconas will be a little longer, as they are the youngest by a week or two.

OMG!! Amazing information. What a story! I've got my two pullets locked in the little wood and wire henhouse. One of them sang the egg song today, but still no eggs as yet. Not gonna let them out until I find some eggs in that henhouse's nest box. I gave them some fresh kale from the garden to make up for no free range eating grass all day that they're used to doing.

 

[magsrags]

I went through several emotions when I found that pile. So excited that they were laying, very upset with myself for not paying more attention, confused why I hadn't heard egg song (because they are supposed to do that, right?), disappointed that I had to toss them all. I was getting 2-3 eggs a day once they started in the box, so the time to make 63 eggs..... I am now getting 3-4 brown eggs daily, plus a cute little light turqoise egg.

Well say goodbye to bygones and just love what is happening now right? it's all good.

 

[magsrags]

Eggsongs......honestly I have had birds I had to re-home cause of their terribly noisy and LONG winded eggs songs in a suburban neighborhood....and then again some don't utter a peep when they lay but a wah....wah.....call the wah wah police please.. Go figure!

 

[littlecritters]

Our first egg was laid on Wednesday. Is there usually a delay after the first egg is produced? How long before we might see another one?

 

[smkchick]

Eggsongs......honestly I have had birds I had to re-home cause of their terribly noisy and LONG winded eggs songs in a suburban neighborhood....and then again some don't utter a peep when they lay but a wah....wah.....call the wah wah police please.. Go figure!

Agatha, my RIR, lays the smallest eggs of the bunch, but goes on and on and on at the top of her voice (?) about it every time. What a brat!

Still no crowing from Leon. I haven't seen the woman who said she'd take him. I think she's having second thoughts. I guess I'll have to post them (Leon and the hen to be named later) on craigslist or something.

 

[queenchick16]

More crowing this morning from the last of the Massachusetts bunch.hell have to go next week. 6 out of 6 chicks were roosters. Talk about a waste of valuable fed. My landscapers assistant said he would take all my roosters and bring me back half of them butchered. I feel sad but at least I will know what I am eating. I just can't keep them for any length of time because of my "shirty"neighbors. I really love hatching my own chicks but it hurts when I have to get rid of the boys.

 

[smkchick]

More crowing this morning from the last of the Massachusetts bunch.hell have to go next week. 6 out of 6 chicks were roosters. Talk about a waste of valuable fed. My landscapers assistant said he would take all my roosters and bring me back half of them butchered. I feel sad but at least I will know what I am eating. I just can't keep them for any length of time because of my "shirty"neighbors. I really love hatching my own chicks but it hurts when I have to get rid of the boys.

Wow. 6 out of 6 sucks. I consider myself blessed to only have 1 rooster. And a silent one (so far) at that. Payback from the universe for all the shirty job nonsense, maybe?

 

[smkchick]

On a happy note, I finally convinced my husband that we should keep bees-so in the spring we'll be getting a hive and some honey bees! I adore honey, and it's so hard to find raw, local honey for allergies-this will be great!

My brother keeps bees in Buffalo. Had a terrible summer this year because of the drought. He's been feeding them tons of sugar water to keep them alive. Quite a contrast from last year when they produced 105 lbs. of honey. I love honey but can't tolerate it because of my gastric bypass surgery. I use it in baking bread, though. Not that I'd use honey from my "nieces" for that!

 

[magsrags]

Good morning!
And a nice cool one it is.

Carol:
what a bummer....6 roos. I am gaining on you unfortunately. Out of 6 peeps hatched here so far 4 are roos. 3 are gone with a beautiful cuckoo marans boy the door next.
I lastly have 4 tinies 3 weeks old now. If my 2 silkies are both roos I give up.

My girlfriend felt so bad for me that she gave me 2 supposedly girls she picked up at Agway.....got my fingers crossed on that.

So far no pink combs but they are from agway so we all know what can happen with their promise of "all pullets" in their bins of peeps. No good deed goes un-punished.

Susanne:
I looked into having hives but decided my neighbors would likely complain. People are so afraid of what they don't understand.
I love fresh honey and the wax is very useful as well.


And my huge blue cochin acts as if she lays golden eggs and has to let the entire neighborhood know it for a good 10 minutes when she does. Makes me crazy!

Tina:
Mine seem to always take a break after the first egg is laid. Never know when the next one will come. But once it does they then seem to go into their own pattern pretty quick.