Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[Mother of Chaos]

@thistlewick, I hope I can TJ your thread for this as I find myself temporarily threadless/ homeless, but the Littles are laying!!!

We got back from Cali late Sunday night (looking at YOU, American Airlines), and Monday I started trying to prompt egg laying as well as molt recovery, alternating chunks of raw ground beef with crushed calcium/vitamin D in ridiculously fancy Sheba cat food. Until now only the Buff Orp had been laying, maybe 3 eggs a week, and the Barred Rock had stopped laying about 3 weeks ago. Nothing from the daily layer EE for two months now.

Anyway, yesterday we had a new blue-green egg! It was pretty big for a pullet egg. Today we had another smaller, slightly more blue egg (after seeing EE Willow in the nest box) and then a pink egg, after Speckled Sussex Tessa had been in there for almost an hour.

So anyway, either Willow started laying yesterday, or both she and fellow Little started today, with Big EE Lil laying yesterday, but maybe we’re back in the egg business.

Yesterday’s egg left front, today’s eggs center and right front, who knows eggs (mostly or all Buff Orp in back):

Edit: cna’t splel

 

[Mother of Chaos]

- I’ll start my own thread here and stop cluttering up yours.)

 

[thistlewick]

- I’ll start my own thread here and stop cluttering up yours.)

You can always use my thread!! but I'll be happy to put your new thread on the watch list

ALSO YAY EGGGS!!!!! Those are gorgeous!!

So the pink is Speckled Sussex?? I have a pink egg and a Speckled Sussex and didn't put 2 and 2 together hahaha Glad to know!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

You can always use my thread!! but I'll be happy to put your new thread on the watch list

ALSO YAY EGGGS!!!!! Those are gorgeous!!

So the pink is Speckled Sussex?? I have a pink egg and a Speckled Sussex and didn't put 2 and 2 together hahaha Glad to know!

Well, it’s a first egg and a pullet egg, so who knows where it will actually wind up? But it’s definitely her egg.

 

[thistlewick]

Just sold 8 dozen eggs this morning - we sell every week - last week it was 6 and the weeks before I would have to skip to make 4 or 5 to sell it was so slow.

But just the smallest bit of light increase and BOOM, they are coming back online :O

The egg eater hasn't struck again - I go out there much more often, I wonder if it has just been that -- no eggs just sitting around luring a bored chicken. I was getting super lazy over fall and winter, just going out in the afternoon to pick up the eggs and watch chicken TV.

Well I won't be doing that anymore!

Our Border Collie got into a some skunk smell -- and I think she must have loved it and rubbed all in it -- they didn't have a spat, it wasn't that strong, but it was strong enough. She was exiled all day out at the fence lol while I cleaned up her area on the porch and her crate and her bed and then... we shampooed her with some special skunk remover shampoo -- which worked extremely well -- but the water - -

we left puddles of skunk oil foamy water all along the fence as we rinsed and rinsed and rinsed.... and the damn chickens.. went and just got all up in there and DRANK IT. (It's mostly oils actually, the ingredients, and soaps)

Why are they all so dumb. They're FINE.
But lordy they are some gross birds sometimes lol

 

[thistlewick]

I can report that no chicken was harmed by drinking skunky soapy foamy water yesterday


I did not have my phone on me and was too busy to stop and go get it, but I am regretting that decision!

I regret not bringing my phone to catch the doofus behavior of the chickens 9 times out of 10 but I am not attached to it at the hip so alas, it sits on my desk most of the day lol

I have a bag of shavings that I have to freshen up the nests every day (I'm not buying the $30 nest pads until I am certain the egg eater has stopped) and sure enough, 3 times already --- even though I cover up the opening of the bag with an empty feeder, they kick that off and snuggle down into the bag and shavings and have laid eggs in there.


I love them, I really do.

oh yeah, edit to add; my ratio of nests to birds is 1:3 so they are spoiled for choice even...

 

[thistlewick]

Okay another update I am busy this morning it seems;

egg eater hit again!

Dora was on the nest and she's one of my sweet girls so I went and gave her a little pet and she lifted up for me so I could get any eggs under her, and lo and behold, wet, sticky, yolk covered eggs (2 of them). Her chest was covered and sticky lol. She had no clue -- she didn't even try and peck at anything. So it's definitely not Dora lol

Nice to know, as I love her.

So I needed to move those nests as they are not covered by a camera so I did;

To MUCH consternation and curiosity. We will see how it goes.

Egg color is just spectacular right when they start laying;

Proud of a successful Olive Egger on my first try (it's not like its hard hahah)

Cher, a Tractor Supply "Sapphire Olive Egger" lays this GORGEOUS speckled egg. Every time <3 She raptor screams at me, though - when she's on the nest I leave her alone lol

I hope the people who buy my eggs at the Farm Store enjoy the pretty colors!

Very frosty today, sheep don't mind it (husband took the pic)