STUPID question on egglaying?

[cap1717]

I am so eager to hear the "egg song". . . the girls are 18 weeks, so I keep thining, "anytime now", but they are also moulting, so I suspect it will have to wait . . . it is so good for the wierdly "chicken obsessed" to have a place to come and chat!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have not done it so I can't say it works, but I've read on here that if you put food coloring on/in the vent, you can tell which chicken laid which egg. I would not use red as they like to peck at red things and supposedly you have to renew it every day. If you are mainly interesed in your Salmon Favorolles, it might work for you.

 

[lildinkem]

Not that I am that picky over who lays what. Cause I try to keep similar bloodlined birds together in the same pen/coop. But, OCCASIONALLY I see one of my hens on a nest. I go back to see the egg. Each bird has, in some cases, definite identifiable characteristics that can be seen with her eggs. Maybe color, or shape. I have a Black Orp who's eggs are bigger and have a different shape egg then my other two in that pen/coop. I know her eggs. And really don't care. But, I know when it is her egg. Alot of the Show breeders, will simply put out their best hens into a small breeder pen, then after the deed is done. They have that bird to itself for several weeks for eggs collection from her. That way they assure that their getting their best Roo on their best Pullet. I am not that far yet. I keep all my Blacks eggs, and hatch every single one out. But someday........

 

[lindabean]

By accident, I bought 3 Big Girls of different breeds, that each lay a different color egg. I got the Big Girls so that I would have something to do while waiting for the "tennis balls" to grow up & start to lay. But now even the Big Girls are slowing down. (The Cochin, Liz, quit completely about 10 days ago & hubby is getting very depressed!) I may have to resort to store bought eggs again if things don't pick up soon. At least the mornings are starting to be cool. It was 71 when I went to drive the morning School Bus, but by the afternoon route, it will be almost 100. I just think its odd that the Girls made it through 53 + days in excess of 100, and are just NOW slowing down the egg production. Just hope the babies (now 14 weeks or so) will start filling in soon.

 

[cackler]

We have 13 18-week old pullets. Today we found a small, oblong egg in the nest box.

Of course, who knows who it came from but it really is an odd shape. It's a bit shorter than the hen's eggs but essentially oblong in shape - really narrow. Is this normal? They do free range with the hens so they are eating a combination of layer feed and growth feed as well as whatever they're getting running around. Hopefully I'm not doing something wrong.

It's really a strange shape.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Oblong eggs happen sometimes. We call them pullet bullets at our house.
If your youngest pullets are 18 weeks old, no reason why they can't be eating layer feed.

 

[cackler]

We call them pullet bullets at our house.

That makes sense! That's what they look like. No bullets today yet.....​

 

[thegreypony]

Pullet Bullets....LOL The GLWs all started laying before the rest of the ladies and we were very fortunate to be able to correlate The Squat with the newest different egg.

Our 2 EEs lay a blue-green and olive green egg. They started laying about 3 weeks apart so that was a no-brainer. The BR has been laying for a while now and although she's a full figured gal (not a Bantam), she lays the tiniest, most uniform and perfect eggs...they are just tiny, though.

Our Australorp turned out to be a late blooming rooster (Hattie becamse Harris Teeter - christened by our 8 year old daughter) so we get no eggs from him or the other roo - Rocky the BR.

I'd love to have some Marans.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

That makes sense! That's what they look like. No bullets today yet.....

And that's not unusual either. When they first start laying they may lay two days in a row, then a day off or mix it up any ol' way.