The ladies are making me nuts!!!

[RubelliteRose]

I heard a bunch of egg song (from 2-3 hens) this morning but no eggs in the nest box

So we have learned that the egg song doesn't necessarily mean someone has laid an egg. It has various meanings: I have laid an egg, I am going to lay an egg. Someone else has laid an egg... And my favorite - I need to lay an egg, but you are in my favorite nest box so hurry up and get out

And then I think this is the speckled Sussex

I have a Speckled Sussex and her eggs are a very light tan color. I don't think that one is hers. It is a beautiful egg though!

The sapphire gem was in there all morning. No egg. Did she eat it?

Breaking an egg open is pretty messy. I don't think she could be eating eggs in the nest box with out leaving evidence.

 

[RubelliteRose]

One day you'll find that, suddenly, they only use that nest.

Chickens are weird that way.

Mine favor the boxes on the left. Then the boxes on the right. Then the middle. It's beyond my comprehension why a given hen chooses a given box.

This!

We currently have 7 nest boxes for 13 laying hens - 3 in each coop + 1 extra added when 2 broodys insisted on hatching in the regular nest boxes. Where do they lay eggs? All of them use one box and a depression in the shavings on the floor next to that box

 

[Aunt Angus]

Mine aren't laying much lately. The only 3 of my 10 actively laying hens who lay regularly are the Leghorn (of course), the Naked Neck, and the Spitzhauben. My Silkies are broody (of course). My Cochin has never been a regular layer. My Orpingtons and my Brahma are molting. My Rock lays less frequently now that she's older (that's expected).

And before the broodiness and the molting, they were laying less frequently because of the HEAT. All 3 of those birds (my Leghorn, Naked Neck, and Spitz) do very well in the heat.

There are a few weeks in spring when I'm up to my eyeballs in eggs, but most of the time, there's something interfering. I just shrug it off. They can't be 100% layers 100% of the time.

Except the Leghorn. She's a machine.

 

[3KillerBs]

Breaking an egg open is pretty messy. I don't think she could be eating eggs in the nest box with out leaving evidence.

Yes, this.

I had a girl dropping softies as she went into molt and there was always a telltale wet spot in the shavings even after the birds had cleaned up the mess.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

Well they're about to spend their mornings penned up! The have an 8x16 run, plus 7.5x5.5 area under the coop and the same floor space again in the coop, plus the nest boxes. Should be enough space. They just aren't used to it. Kids will let them out at 4 when they get home from school!!

 

[Kidwantschickens]

So we have learned that the egg song doesn't necessarily mean someone has laid an egg. It has various meanings: I have laid an egg, I am going to lay an egg. Someone else has laid an egg... And my favorite - I need to lay an egg, but you are in my favorite nest box so hurry up and get out

I have a Speckled Sussex and her eggs are a very light tan color. I don't think that one is hers. It is a beautiful egg though!

Breaking an egg open is pretty messy. I don't think she could be eating eggs in the nest box with out leaving evidence.

I looked up eggs of speckled Sussex earlier and they showed them being speckled... Now a search says they're light brown.

Maybe the speckled egg belongs to the Bielefelder?

Also, I didn't think heat would impact newly laying hens, but maybe it has. They're all just at 5 months maybe a bit later. The were hatched last week in March I think.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I looked up eggs of speckled Sussex earlier and they showed them being speckled... Now a search says they're light brown.

Maybe the speckled egg belongs to the Bielefelder?

Also, I didn't think heat would impact newly laying hens, but maybe it has. They're all just at 5 months maybe a bit later. The were hatched last week in March I think.

Have all of the 5 mo started laying already? I'm still waiting on mine that hatched around the same time.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

Have all of the 5 mo started laying already? I'm still waiting on mine that hatched around the same time.

I don't know. All but one or two are reported to be squatting by my daughter. The buff Orpington and the Polish don't squat. I thought the BO did though so might revisit tomorrow.

I seem to have suddenly realized they're definitely at that "just starting to lay" stage. The ones who are laying have been laying for about a month or so now, also our heat did peak here last week. It was 98 and 101 but compared to other areas that isn't that hot. I guess time will tell and tomorrow will be a good test.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I don't know. All but one or two are reported to be squatting by my daughter. The buff Orpington and the Polish don't squat. I thought the BO did though so might revisit tomorrow.

I seem to have suddenly realized they're definitely at that "just starting to lay" stage. The ones who are laying have been laying for about a month or so now, also our heat did peak here last week. It was 98 and 101 but compared to other areas that isn't that hot. I guess time will tell and tomorrow will be a good test.

Some may not be laying yet, then. Idk... Let us know what happens!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I heard a bunch of egg song (from 2-3 hens) this morning

So we have learned that the egg song doesn't necessarily mean someone has laid an egg.

It can also be an alarm call, as alarm calls can sound extremely similar to an egg song to the human ear.