Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[Kizmet]

I have chickies! They’re so cute!! I counted 9 so far but it’s hard to see for sure.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Maybe I ought to offer scrambled eggs? I check the boxes as often as I can. Unfortunately, I was only able to check once yesterday because my toddler has a cough and needed some mommy cuddles. I'm wondering if it's calcium they're after as well. I feed them crushed egg shell but ran out of oyster shell a couple weeks ago. I don't feed layer feed because I worry about the roosters' kidneys. Looks like a trip to TSC for oyster shell and ceramic eggs is in order.

ETA: I know it sounds wonky to offer egg to stop egg eating but I'm not sure what else to offer. I actually have heard of one woman offering her flock as many raw eggs as they could eat for a few days, and when it was over she never had another egg eater. Weird. Maybe I should get some mealworms, too.

Anytime I get dirty eggs I cook them and give them back to the chickens. I also crush up shells and give those to them as well. Sometimes an eggs just gets broken accidentally and they eat it because it's there. So hopefully it doesn't start happening more consistently!

 

[baby-blue]

We went to RK. RK had goslings.


I now have goslings.

 

[jolenesdad]

I can’t help it I candled mid day day 3 and I’ve got shadows if larger yolks. I think I’m gonna be excited tomorrow night.

Maybe I ought to offer scrambled eggs? I check the boxes as often as I can. Unfortunately, I was only able to check once yesterday because my toddler has a cough and needed some mommy cuddles. I'm wondering if it's calcium they're after as well. I feed them crushed egg shell but ran out of oyster shell a couple weeks ago. I don't feed layer feed because I worry about the roosters' kidneys. Looks like a trip to TSC for oyster shell and ceramic eggs is in order.

ETA: I know it sounds wonky to offer egg to stop egg eating but I'm not sure what else to offer. I actually have heard of one woman offering her flock as many raw eggs as they could eat for a few days, and when it was over she never had another egg eater. Weird. Maybe I should get some mealworms, too.

I find more often than not it’s opportunistic rather than a long term problem where a hen cracks open eggs right and left.

absolutely crush the egg shells and cook them with the scrambled eggs. I find this is the single best way to firm up egg shells in the flock. Sometimes on layer feed even someone will be free ranging too much and not getting enough calcium. Some hens need more calcium for their eggs than others and they don’t get enough from just oyster shell.

I have a chicken that lays a wonky egg more often than not and it is always eaten in the box. Always. I don’t have any regular egg eaters Though they’ll all go after weak eggs to the point they’ll wait in a circle for the one to lay that they know they can get. As soon as I get more calcium into the mix the problem stops and everyone goes about their regular laying business.

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

So might be rejoining you all here in the March hatch-a-long . Have kind of a big birthday coming up and as a gift my dear man just gave full blessings to make the two hour drive down to Cork City on Sunday where I will be personally picking up a dozen Barnevelder eggs. If all goes as hoped I will be hatching babies the day after my big day !!

BTW, my two babies are thriving and I will post pictures tomorrow.

 

[gmjarvi]

I can’t help it I candled mid day day 3 and I’ve got shadows if larger yolks. I think I’m gonna be excited tomorrow night.



I find more often than not it’s opportunistic rather than a long term problem where a hen cracks open eggs right and left.

absolutely crush the egg shells and cook them with the scrambled eggs. I find this is the single best way to firm up egg shells in the flock. Sometimes on layer feed even someone will be free ranging too much and not getting enough calcium. Some hens need more calcium for their eggs than others and they don’t get enough from just oyster shell.

I have a chicken that lays a wonky egg more often than not and it is always eaten in the box. Always. I don’t have any regular egg eaters Though they’ll all go after weak eggs to the point they’ll wait in a circle for the one to lay that they know they can get. As soon as I get more calcium into the mix the problem stops and everyone goes about their regular laying business.

Very valuable insights, thank you! We have several feet of snow on the ground right now. They are allowed out of the run, but there's nothing to forage! I'm going to scramble the dirty eggs for them with shells and hopefully that helps.

 

[FortCluck]

We went to RK. RK had goslings.


I now have goslings.

Congrats we are crazies

 

[gimmie birdies]

Cute babies!

I went to a feed store that had 80 breeds, and there were silkies in one box, that were a little older than baby silkies not to much just a couple weeks. One white one had poo on it's back or a stain, and I thought, no one will choose her. So I did. I named her "Marilyn." She lived to be 10 then a skunk ate her.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Cute babies!

I went to a feed store that had 80 breeds, and there were silkies in one box, that were a little older than baby silkies not to much just a couple weeks. One white one had poo on it's back or a stain, and I thought, no one will choose her. So I did. I named her "Marilyn." She lived to be 10 then a skunk ate her.

10 years is a great long life for a chicken though! ❤

 

[FortCluck]

Here are a gold sebright and a porcelain d'uccle can't believe I got these breeds!!!!