where are my eggs?? roo started crowing, and PICS!

[siouxbee]

My girls are 24 weeks and still no eggs. I have the nest boxes covered up again, because when I'd uncovered them a couple of weeks ago, the girls ended up going in there and pooping in them. Since there were no eggs, I covered them up again. Should I uncover again?

I'm leaving Saturday for more than a week - argh! - and I know the first egg is going to come while we're away of course. My girls are out in the yard as long as we're home, but since we lost one a couple of weeks ago, I've been reluctant to let them out while we're not here.

They don't do the squatting thing when I approach them -- my kids have chased them so they're a little flighty when approached. They do come to see me when I walk out of the house bearing yummy yums. Their wattles have been bigger and redder for a couple of weeks now (which is why I opened the nest boxes back then).

Also, one of our silkies started crowing last week! We thought they were both girls, but now watching them fight, I'm thinking they're actually both roos. The second one is a little younger than the first, so I guess we'll see. My BLRW roo hasn't started crowing yet, but he's about 3 weeks younger than the one that is anyway. I had thought roosters crowed earlier, but I guess I have a bunch of late bloomers on my hands.

Anyway, here are some recent pics of some of my crew -- it was a busy day evidently, so lots of my pics came out wiht blurry heads, so i don't have everyone.

Peepers, 21 week old blue laced red wyandotte

izzy and luna, 21wk blrw girls

rosie, 24wk gold laced wyandotte

speck, 24wk gold laced wyandotte

silkie roo, 24 weeks

bandit, 24 week speckled sussex

thanks!
sioux

 

[Itsme]

What gorgeous birds!!

 

[JenniferJoIN]

They are beautiful!!!

 

[LynnGrigg]

I have 5 Buff Orps, 2 BLRWs, 2 Red Stars, 1 Partridge Rock and 4 EEs. All 22.5 weeks. Only one Red Star is laying. I have two roos same age, both crowing, one breeding some of the girls. Feel like you're feeding freeloaders? You aren't alone. lol! Southern28chick threatened hers with eggs or chicken stew... claims it may have worked. About 1/2 of hers(same age as mine) are laying.

 

[siouxbee]

Well, I cleaned the coop and took the cover off the nest boxes. They've got to be in the coop tomorrow as I run errands to get ready for our trip, so I'm hoping they've just been laying in the woods somewhere and will be forced to lay tomorrow so the kids can be here for the first egg.

If not, I hope they hold out til we get back, but I guess the "first egg" is a relative term. If they start while we're gone, we can have a "first egg that we got ourselves" instead. ;-)

Thanks,
Sioux

 

[speckledhen]

Your Speckled Sussex is the same age as my SS girl, Nelda. No eggs from her, either. Both the Ameraucana girls in that pen with her have started laying already and I really thought she'd be first. Nope, here I sit waiting for her and one other Barred Rock girl to get going.