Straub’s search for colored eggs

[wrathsfarm]

Today was coop clean out day and I thought I would share some pictures of what coop clean out looks like here. I use the deep litter method and clean this coop twice a year spring and fall.

While the coop was empty and I reconfigured the roosting bars before I had a low roost that went the length of the coop and 4 high roost that went from side to side. None of my birds were using the low roost so I removed it. The I lowered the high roost by about 5 inches to try to keep the birds out of any draft during the cold winter we get here. My roosters did get a little frost damage to their combs last winter. Hopefully this will help with that

I use the mower to back mt trailer up to the door of the coop
View attachment 3970609


The board that holds in the deep litter from spilling out the door is removed and wedged between the coop and the trailer to serve as a ramp to bridge the gap between the coop and trailer so I can rake all the litter into the trailer
View attachment 3970610

View attachment 3970611


The floors of the nest box rooms lift out for easy cleaning
View attachment 3970613


I don’t get too overly worried about sweeping every last bit out of the coop whatever comes out with the rake is good enough any left over dirty litter contains good bacteria and will kick start the composting process with the new clean litter

View attachment 3970614
Fresh litter added but I don’t get real fussy about spreading it out perfectly the chickens will move it around as they see fit.
View attachment 3970616
Full trailer load of chicken manure and mulch to spread out on the garden so it can further break down over the winter.
View attachment 3970615


The whole process including reconfiguring the roosting bars took about an hour and a half and a good bit of that was walking around looking for the tool I just set down 10 seconds ago

Awesome job and you've got it configured just right to make the most of your time and labor to a minimum....

Other than needing a beeper on every tool like I need when I set it down also...

 

[Tstraub]

Just a quick update and a couple random thoughts. My Jersey Gena has broken broody and returned to the roost so I guess I won’t be setting any eggs this week. I don’t know if it’s the weather, the fact that I changed the roosting bars, new bedding, or simply spite. Maybe she heard me say I was collecting eggs for her and she decided that if she doesn’t get to choose the eggs she wasn’t going to help out. These girls be crazy sometimes.

My 6 month old cinnamon queen did start laying last week she laid a couple in random places but seems to be finding the nest boxes now. I’m still waiting on 2 more new pullets to lay, the 6 month old buff Orpington and one last Olive Egger from the Easter hatch.

With the molt egg production has been pretty slow. Usually 4-6 eggs a day or of 21 laying age girls. I have been getting very few green eggs but I did get 2 really long torpedo shaped eggs this week. I have never had long green eggs before. So I’m not really sure if it’s one of the year and a half olds getting back into rhythm after molt or maybe the olive egger pullet getting started. I had almost given up hope for her to lay this year with the shorter days. But she has been showing some interest in the nest boxes so maybe it’s her

 

[TwoCrows]

Just a quick update and a couple random thoughts. My Jersey Gena has broken broody and returned to the roost so I guess I won’t be setting any eggs this week. I don’t know if it’s the weather, the fact that I changed the roosting bars, new bedding, or simply spite. Maybe she heard me say I was collecting eggs for her and she decided that if she doesn’t get to choose the eggs she wasn’t going to help out. These girls be crazy sometimes.

My 6 month old cinnamon queen did start laying last week she laid a couple in random places but seems to be finding the nest boxes now. I’m still waiting on 2 more new pullets to lay, the 6 month old buff Orpington and one last Olive Egger from the Easter hatch.

With the molt egg production has been pretty slow. Usually 4-6 eggs a day or of 21 laying age girls. I have been getting very few green eggs but I did get 2 really long torpedo shaped eggs this week. I have never had long green eggs before. So I’m not really sure if it’s one of the year and a half olds getting back into rhythm after molt or maybe the olive egger pullet getting started. I had almost given up hope for her to lay this year with the shorter days. But she has been showing some interest in the nest boxes so maybe it’s her

View attachment 3976630

Torpedo or not, they are a pretty green color!

 

[wrathsfarm]

Just a quick update and a couple random thoughts. My Jersey Gena has broken broody and returned to the roost so I guess I won’t be setting any eggs this week. I don’t know if it’s the weather, the fact that I changed the roosting bars, new bedding, or simply spite. Maybe she heard me say I was collecting eggs for her and she decided that if she doesn’t get to choose the eggs she wasn’t going to help out. These girls be crazy sometimes.

My 6 month old cinnamon queen did start laying last week she laid a couple in random places but seems to be finding the nest boxes now. I’m still waiting on 2 more new pullets to lay, the 6 month old buff Orpington and one last Olive Egger from the Easter hatch.

With the molt egg production has been pretty slow. Usually 4-6 eggs a day or of 21 laying age girls. I have been getting very few green eggs but I did get 2 really long torpedo shaped eggs this week. I have never had long green eggs before. So I’m not really sure if it’s one of the year and a half olds getting back into rhythm after molt or maybe the olive egger pullet getting started. I had almost given up hope for her to lay this year with the shorter days. But she has been showing some interest in the nest boxes so maybe it’s her

View attachment 3976630

Very pretty. They look mint color....

 

[Tstraub]

It got down to 10F last night and is currently 22F and windy. My rooster Axl looks like he might have gotten just a touch of frost bite on his comb. It doesn’t look serious just a bit off color at the very tip so I’ll keep an eye on that.

We’re past the worst of the molt. A few of the girls have resumed laying. I was only getting 1-3 eggs a day for the past few weeks. Yesterday I collected 4 and today I got 8. I never ran out of eggs but with all of the holiday baking going on I did have to close down the egg stand and hoard all to the eggs for our use. Attached is a picture of today’s eggs

 

[TwoCrows]

It got down to 10F last night and is currently 22F and windy. My rooster Axl looks like he might have gotten just a touch of frost bite on his comb. It doesn’t look serious just a bit off color at the very tip so I’ll keep an eye on that.

Bagbalm works excellent on frost bitten combs, helps heal and soothe the flesh. I've had great luck with it on big combs.

 

[Tstraub]

Bagbalm works excellent on frost bitten combs, helps heal and soothe the flesh. I've had great luck with it on big combs.

Thank you I’ll keep that in mind. The weather has warmed up a bit and I don’t think he has any damage at the moment so I’ll just monitor it for now.

 

[Tstraub]

My buff Orpington laid her first egg today and Betty laid her first egg of the season. Betty’s egg looks darker than I remember. She always laid pretty light colored eggs for a Marans. I don’t know if it’s because the color is spread across such a small egg or if her color is getting better.

 

[TwoCrows]

My buff Orpington laid her first egg today and Betty laid her first egg of the season. Betty’s egg looks darker than I remember. She always laid pretty light colored eggs for a Marans. I don’t know if it’s because the color is spread across such a small egg or if her color is getting better. View attachment 4006799

Congrats on the eggs, very pretty!

 

[Tstraub]

I think the last of my Easter hatched chicks finally laid her first egg. Her sisters both started laying in August but this girl has been freeloading. She is home breed olive egger back cross and it looks like she got the blue egg gene! Her Name is Wednesday and she is the black one in the picture