Washingtonians

[Rainwolf]

I have some hens that have very distinct "voices".
Nymph is my chirper and likes to lay her egg under the porch in the garbage can I use to store clean shavings...
I have some "screamers" when they lay a egg and they want EVERYONE to know and everyone MUST JOIN IN THE EGG SONG NOW!!!
I have some silent hens who rarely make any noise except for a very short egg song after laying
and a few Jurassic type sounds from everyone.... dunno about QUACKing tho... you have weird birds

Every few days I do a full yard sweep to check for hiding nest and etc... I've found eggs in the middle of the path/gate door, under bushes, in flower pots, between 2 cement blocks, under my wood/lumber pile (dang those are hard to reach!) Oh and in the nest boxes They tend to like laying earlier in the day but will lay anywhere at anytime if they feel like it.

we collect eggs all the time through out the day, every time I go outside, when working from home at each break and lunch I check, opening coop time and closing coop time.... so about 5 times at least from me and then mamawolf checks about 5 plus times too.... then we bring them in and place in carton, and carton is in a nice cool spot that does not get over 70F When I'm collecting to hatch I put them in the egg refrigerator which keeps the eggs at 50-60F and I turn em every time I put another batch in so 3-4 times a day easy.

Pullets will "practice" laying before they start laying, so if she is under a bush doing this you might want to check there when she does start laying or you can grab her and tuck her into a nest box with a fake egg. Hoping she gets the idea....

I do have weird birds LOL

Anyone know is 14 weeks way too early for an Australorp to start feeling the urge to lay? I thought I still had a good 6 weeks to go before any eggs, my 7 oldest birds are 14 weeks old yesterday.

I don't know about Australorps but I've had some that "practice" for a few weeks before the first egg and others that just lay the egg no practice needed....
Egg Production breeds tend to start laying earlier.... but most start after 16 weeks.... to when ever they feel like it age...

 

[Rainwolf]

Look what a friend gave me:
It is a little old. 2 of them have holes in the bottom, but I think I can fix with with some plywood or something. Little rust here and there.....but other than that great. I am going to put it somewhere protected for now. I plan on doing up a nice "layer" coop - probably next year - I want to be able to sell eggs.

This is SWEET! I would take some time to sand the rust areas, fix the "holes" and then get some spray enamel paint and spray paint it to seal up the metal as well as help it last longer.

I personally would go with a nice dark blue or green inside (or other dark color) and nice bright color outside


You could let me have it and I could show you....

Oooooohhhh, good ideas (well other than the one of giving it to you...LOL). I will remember to do this. I love it. My mom wants it so she can plant plants in it. LOL.

NO NO NO! must plant HENS in there
Seriously tho... Dark color inside and light color outside and a heavy coat of enamel gloss paint (a paint sprayer and a gallon of high gloss enamel *rust proof? might be much lower cost then spray paint cans... plus no aerosol to muck up the air...)

And that nest box will be the envy or all chicken fanciers

 

[Rainwolf]

Hey Russ, My solid section of fence in the dirt is set and cemented... Big gate goes up tomorrow morning, Holes in cement driveway go in soon after that and the little gate will be set... all the prep work is done! finally getting rolling!

I'll have to come over and see.

Anytime!

*thinks about getting a 3rd 3' panel...

 

[Imp]

Quote: Anytime!

*thinks about getting a 3rd 3' panel...

Gotcha!
OK, my work schedule is in the tough phase for a bit. Maybe the 17th or 18th. I think I'm off those days.

 

[Sunbug4]

HI Everyone!!! WOW I have missed a lot! It has been crazy hectic with my kids and all the critters. But I think I am back. Ha Ha! the girls are all getting big! In the morning I go outside and say "Good Morning Cluck Clucks" and always get a Cluck Cluck back in return. I LOVE it! They could care less about the kids, but they love me coming out to talk to them. Ha Ha! The kitten I rescued and named Luna is doing great and is in full kitten form! Oh my heck! No one's toes, legs or well no one is safe. Ha Ha! Hope everyone is doing well!!

 

[RonB]

Would it work fairly well to begin keeping them in the run all morning and only allowing them to free-range in the afternoons? I've read that most chickens get their cue to lay from the sun coming up so most of the laying *should* happen in the morning right; keeping them confined to coop and run should give them no other choice but to lay in the nest boxes, right? Wonder if that would help train them at all, along with the golf balls in the nest boxes.

I wouldn't count on the idea of them laying mostly in the morning. We gather several times a day and have some that will lay just a bit before they roost for the night!!

It is unusual for me to get an egg before 8:30am Most of my girls lay between 9:00am & 3:00pm occasionally I'll get one as late as 5:00pm

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote: Oooooohhhh, good ideas (well other than the one of giving it to you...LOL). I will remember to do this. I love it. My mom wants it so she can plant plants in it. LOL.

NO NO NO! must plant HENS in there

Seriously tho... Dark color inside and light color outside and a heavy coat of enamel gloss paint (a paint sprayer and a gallon of high gloss enamel *rust proof? might be much lower cost then spray paint cans... plus no aerosol to muck up the air...)

And that nest box will be the envy or all chicken fanciers

thank you for the how tos on it.

 

[Teva]

It is unusual for me to get an egg before 8:30am Most of my girls lay between 9:00am & 3:00pm occasionally I'll get one as late as 5:00pm

X2

 

[hallerlake]

Anyone's chickens ever make quacking/honking noises? Yup, QUACK. Over and over again! *sigh* Not all of them do it, but quite a few! Don't know if it's a typical teenage-voice-change chicken noise, or if it's a respiratory infection. I'm not worried, I just keep hearing these noises and it's weirding me out! My 2 newbies do it, Princess does it, and 1 or 2 others. Oddly enough, so many strange noises have been happening lately. My black australorp sat all by herself making so much noise clucking like no other, for at least 10 mintues before I went to check on her. She was alone under a bush in the shade; maybe calling the other girls? "Where are you all?!" They didn't care enough about her to answer...

My Brabanters sound like tiny geese.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Look what a friend gave me:
It is a little old. 2 of them have holes in the bottom, but I think I can fix with with some plywood or something. Little rust here and there.....but other than that great. I am going to put it somewhere protected for now. I plan on doing up a nice "layer" coop - probably next year - I want to be able to sell eggs.

AWESOME ! ! ! That is like the one I have BUT mine is 3 story so 15 nest. Also it looks like yours is missing the lower roost. Also there should be a rod on each end that connects the 2 roost so when ya lift one it brings both up to close off the nests. Mine also has holes in the bottom a little tin cut to size and all is good !

ETA BTW Do ya know that those nest boxes are about 40 ++ Year old Antiques and would cost about $300 for that size.