Who else is waiting for that first egg?

[microchick]

We are getting two eggs every day from our Buff O hens that are 22 weeks old. I'm not sure which ones are laying at this point but 4 of 5 have beet red faces and have been singing for the past two weeks. our Welsummers have been singing longer than the Buff O's but nary a chocolate brown, specked egg to be found as of yet.

I can remember the flock I had in my younger days, when one hen would lay, they would all celebrate the occasion, roosters and hens alike would sing and exclaim. Our flock now is completely different. The hens don't say much, but the roosters all start crowing and keep crowing for a good 15 minutes, like the hens do all the work and they take all the credit!

We had our first breakfast brought to us by our girls. It took two eggs each to make one grade A large but we didn't complain. They were delicious and 3 of the 4 were fertile so we know that the boys are not firing blanks and are getting their job done, although I have to admit that to watch them at work you would never guess that they actually knew what they are doing.

 

[desertrocks]

Just cbecked out the egg song. With potentially 23 hens, things could get a bit noisy around here come fall.

 

[chickenewbee]

Very hot here in Southeast TX as well. I read that you can freeze a milk jug of water and put it out there and they will huddle around it to stay cool. I just emptied a milk jug and have it freezing... Our coop is raised and our hens get underneath it to be shaded. I was thinking of putting it under there and see if it helps. Ours don't seem to be suffering or show signs of overheating but I wouldn't be surprised if they put off starting to lay until this heat let'up.

Well, I tried this today with a large soda bottle, since I don't have any milk jugs.
I laid it in the run where they were hanging out. They didn't seem to know what to think....pecked at the bottle and jumped back and forth across it.
It's back in the freezer tonight, and I'll put it out again tomorrow. Hopefully they will figure out that it keeps them cooler.

 

[Diney]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/01/how-hen-makes-egg-egg-oddities.html This is very interesting, I had no idea about some of this. Think it is good I info. I know I learned a lot.

 

[nickdlny]

So, we have 19 week old BO's and GLW's, 18 week old SLW's and BO's, 17 week old Isa's, and 16 week old BR's. We found our first two eggs on Monday. Two more on Tuesday and Wednesday. Three on Thursday and Friday. They are all pretty small eggs except for two double-yolkers

Our wait is over!!!!! In typical fashion, my 5 and 6 year old daughters were carrying the egg around inside a foam carton with 4 hands on the carton to make sure the egg stayed safe. They woke their three year old brother up from his nap to show him the egg. The two girls, the boy, and the foam carton with the egg in it moved to the kitchen where the boy decided he had to pick it up. Of course, Dad alloweed it and he dropped our very first egg on the floor.

DW and I laughed while the girls might have thought the world was going to end--in about 5 seconds the boy wasted a ton of the girls' efforts to keep the egg safe. I finished breaking the egg open on the floor and called the dog into the room. In one slurp our first egg was gone. I was thankful when we found that second egg and then more in the days to come.

 

[nickdlny]

There it is...our very first egg.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

There it is...our very first egg.

Did you drop it in you kitchen or do you have the cleanest chicken coop ever lol congrats

 

[dragonmomma]

I am too anxiously awaiting my first egg. No squatting yet it's a bit early still I hope they are almost 15 weeks now. Have 2 barred rock pullets 2 buff orphington 3 patridge rocks 3 blue laced red wyandottes and 5 ee. Some have had reddening combs for a week or so now. The ones I don't believe to be Roosters.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Of the two brown eggs are they both barred rock or one barred rock and one Rhode Island red? Or is it even possible to tell? I'm trying to figure out who is laying the darker egg because she keeps laying on the floor. I know I've seen every last one of them in the boxes so idk what the deal is

 

[laford501]

We got out first egg! My GSL started singing yesterday but I found no egg.. Today I heard her sing at about 11 AM but didn't go right away to look. I went out just now and found a small brown egg!