Weekly Chick Growth - Marans, Olive Eggers, Cream Legbar, Buff Orphington, Wyandotte

[Nats Chickens]

Looks like ur girls are starting to fill out properly, especially Peep.

 

[heidibee]

6 Months Old!

Three out of four are laying. We're just waiting on Peep! She's looking much more mature. Since they began laying on July 6th, we've collected 57 eggs! It's only me and my husband here, so we can't keep up with them! We've been giving some away to family and friends. Once all four are laying I'll probably get 20 a week!

We've been collecting the eggshells to dry and powder for a balanced homemade raw cat food recipe from Planet Paws. I had about 35 eggshells saved in a bowl in the fridge (estimating because I've given away about 22 of our 57 eggs). I didn't wash them out, just crushed a little on a baking sheet and baked at 300 degrees F for 7 minutes, then crushed by hand. I got 117 grams from 35 eggshells! I'll have to powder them down better once it's time to use them. I need 30 grams for one recipe that feeds four cats for 8 days. It's so cool to me that I can "harvest" this ingredient from my yard! I've read that this is storable for 2 months.

And the cats!

 

[Chickem707]

Feel like my French BCM is a real anomaly with that huge red comb!
(He’s only 5 weeks!)

 

[heidibee]

Feel like my French BCM is a real anomaly with that huge red comb!
(He’s only 5 weeks!)
View attachment 1507213

He is definitely a he!!

 

[Nats Chickens]

For sure a boy.

 

[heidibee]

6.5 Months

Peep is finally laying! It's been about a week since her first egg, and we've had several 4 egg days.

Today I found a soft egg with no shell. Everyone laid a normal egg except Peep, so I'm guessing it was hers. She's so new to laying that I'm not worried about it. Just a weird first week egg!

I made cookies with a same day laid very fresh egg. It's yolk was much darker than a yolk from an older egg. I though it was interesting. Aside from treats being different day to day, their feed hasn't changed. Maybe Blanche is a better forager and ate more bugs?

In other exciting news - I sold my first eggs! They're for a friend and her mom. I've given a lot of eggs away to friends/coworkers, but she insisted that she starts paying for them when I have eggs to spare.

 

[Nats Chickens]

I really like ur Splash Wyandotte, so pretty!

 

[jolenesdad]

Awesome thread, thanks for all the hard work.

 

[heidibee]

Uhhhhhh I accidentally brought a chicken home today. Someone I know reached out to me about a chicken loose at an apartment complex, knowing that I have chickens. Another chicken friend helped me catch it.

Once we got there it only took 20 minutes! We didn't see it anywhere at first. We walked through a wooded area and looked all around. Then we saw it across the street foraging through some ivy. We approached from different sides and it didn't hear us. She grabbed it by the tail and we carried it to my car. It sounds way too simple, but it really was easy.

Not sure if it's male or female. I'm ok keeping a pullet, but I'm not allowed to have any roosters due to zoning ordinances (and close neighbors!). Looks to be a white leghorn. It feels thin and was very hungry!

Obviously I wasn't planning on having a chicken in quarantine, so supplies are pretty non-existent. I had this cage and a spare waterer. I'm just throwing the feed in. Tried a little bucket, but the chicken keeps knocking it over.

 

[jolenesdad]

How’s the newbie???