Utah!

[Whittni]

Someone offered me 30 free cochin bantams - 5 roosters, 25 hens...I'm only 65% there on getting them...opinions?

 

[kimmypie]

I think that our exchequer leghorn has started laying, the only issue is that the first two eggs were on the poop board under the roosting bar, the next one was outside on the ground, and the fourth was in the middle of the coop! We have fake wooden eggs in each nesting box, how else can I encourage her to lay in the nesting box? All of the others have gotten it, except the BSL which I will address in a moment. I'm not positive that it's the exchequer but the eggs are pretty light, basically white so I'm not sure who else they would be because the only other chicken not laying is our second EE.

Now for the BSL, she lays in the garden every single time. She's the one who had a clutch of 10 eggs in our tomatoes but as soon as I took those she started going to the squash plant instead. She flies out of the run, lays her egg, scratches around a bit then gets back into the run. Should I clip her wings (or just 1?) shorter making it so she hopefully can't fly over the fence and will stay in to lay her eggs? I'm at a loss because pretty soon the garden boxes will be empty and covered so she won't be able to get to the garden. Other than that there aren't really hiding places for her so in the winter she'll be out of luck.

Our EE is about 27 weeks old and if the exchequer is laying then she is the only hold out not laying. And I don't know for sure that she's not since we have 2 EE's but the eggs we get are always the same tint and we get usually 1 egg a day unless she skips and then we get a double yolker. So I don't think Wink is laying, she doesn't really squat, hasn't seemed to check out the nesting boxes, etc. Is this normal to be this old? I'm sure it is I'm just concerned since all the others are laying. Unless she is laying the light/white eggs and the exchequer isn't laying yet.

Sorry I only pop on to ask questions or post pics of my own stuff, there is so much going on with everyone I just can't keep up! I keep seeing the babies and want some more but I need to hold out until at least next spring. Hopefully then I'll have a broody to hatch some eggs herself so she can handle flock integration.

 

[RedIII]

UrbanCM, I had that happen with one of my chicks before. He wouldn't even stand half the time. I got a paper towel and wetted it down with warm water, then gently kept going over the plugged goo on the vent area until it either came off, or was soft enough that I could pull it off without hurting the chick. I put a little bit of bag balm (antiseptic used for dairy cows) on the vent after I got it clean. Once I got the plug off, he had a lot more poo come out, and I could tell right away that he was feeling better. It makes me so upset when I see them like that at the store. Please let us know what happens with your little one!

 

[RedIII]

Kimmy - That's kind of interesting that you think your Exchquer might be laying. Did you get her from Cynthia? I have noticed that mine is getting a more pronounced pink around the face, and today she squatted when I was handling her. I set her down, she fluffed her feathers back in place, and then looked and me and bawk bawked like, "Well, that was different."

I know it's not nice, but I find the thing about your BSL laying in the garden to be funny - only because I have had two BSL's now, and both of them would hide their eggs. I'm wondering if your BSL will take to the nest boxes when winter hits and there's nowhere else to lay? Either that, or she may be a pill and just lay them right out in the open. Let me know if you figure out how to get her to knock it off - I could use that help, myself!

And I think it's pretty normal for the EE's to take a while before they start laying. The oldest one we have here is 33 weeks old or so, and she's just barely started to get a little more pink around her face. I think it will be a little while before we see eggs from her.

Whittni - That sounds like a nice group for breeding or something. Do you know why they're being re-homed? That's a lot of chickens to take on at once.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Cynthia, thanks for sharing pics!

I. LOVE. THAT. SPLASH. Like I told you, it was love at first sight, I just saw her and that was it, I needed to be her mommy. Cutie pie

 

[Cynthia12]

I sold these today, for just two dollars. Family down the street buys eggs from me every week. I usually have two doz. but a couple of girls have been laying less.

The brown ones are from the NH, the blue/green from my Ameraucana, the whites of course
from my leghorn. I thought they looked pretty all lined up like that in the purple carton.

 

[Cynthia12]

Cynthia, thanks for sharing pics!
I. LOVE. THAT. SPLASH. Like I told you, it was love at first sight, I just saw her and that was it, I needed to be her mommy. Cutie pie

Welcome!

 

[kimmypie]

Kimmy - That's kind of interesting that you think your Exchquer might be laying. Did you get her from Cynthia? I have noticed that mine is getting a more pronounced pink around the face, and today she squatted when I was handling her. I set her down, she fluffed her feathers back in place, and then looked and me and bawk bawked like, "Well, that was different."

I know it's not nice, but I find the thing about your BSL laying in the garden to be funny - only because I have had two BSL's now, and both of them would hide their eggs. I'm wondering if your BSL will take to the nest boxes when winter hits and there's nowhere else to lay? Either that, or she may be a pill and just lay them right out in the open. Let me know if you figure out how to get her to knock it off - I could use that help, myself!

And I think it's pretty normal for the EE's to take a while before they start laying. The oldest one we have here is 33 weeks old or so, and she's just barely started to get a little more pink around her face. I think it will be a little while before we see eggs from her.

Whittni - That sounds like a nice group for breeding or something. Do you know why they're being re-homed? That's a lot of chickens to take on at once.

Well if it's not the exchequer (I did get her from Cynthia) I don't know who else would be laying the white egg. She is at the bottom of the pecking order, not that the others pick on her but she pretty much stays to herself. Maybe because she's smaller? I don't know, she and the non-laying EE kind of stick together and they are both on the bottom. I can't figure out exactly who is at the top, it's either the BO or the Welsummer...I think.

 

[Whittni]

Whittni - That sounds like a nice group for breeding or something. Do you know why they're being re-homed? That's a lot of chickens to take on at once.

Someone owes me a lot of scholarship money but the process is going very slow, like I should have gotten it last May. But he's going to kill of them if he can't rehome them because they are roosting on his horse barn thing and pooping on the roof or something.

 

[Urbanchickenmom]

UrbanCM, I had that happen with one of my chicks before. He wouldn't even stand half the time. I got a paper towel and wetted it down with warm water, then gently kept going over the plugged goo on the vent area until it either came off, or was soft enough that I could pull it off without hurting the chick. I put a little bit of bag balm (antiseptic used for dairy cows) on the vent after I got it clean. Once I got the plug off, he had a lot more poo come out, and I could tell right away that he was feeling better. It makes me so upset when I see them like that at the store. Please let us know what happens with your little one!

So SAD after I posted this I called my pet chicken and talked to them and they said go give her some sugar water in a dropper and see if that helps.......I open the door and she was lying on the floor my heart was soooo sad. She didn't make it! She was sooooo beautiful!!! I did get her cute little vet cleared and put mineral oil on her bum but I just think she was not strong enough.
I am sad but I still have two white silkies one black and one blue but it is more light grey. I'll post some pics of them they are sooooo stinken cute!
Thanks everyone for being soooo sweet! I am soooo excited about my silkies!!!
I also got a blue Orpington a blue amerucana a blue splash Marans so I got some really pretty ones just sad about my little baby blue