Wing It Ranch

[WingItRanch]

Very pretty egg....

Hopefully this was a glitch and it gets overall darker but I'll take what they give me without complaint!

 

[wrathsfarm]

Hopefully this was a glitch and it gets overall darker but I'll take what they give me without complaint!

She's just getting the toner jets online, we watch the 1st 20-30 eggs for egg color average. With mine it's usually after the first week and then the color gets pretty consistent.

Angels first 18. All dated left to right, back row is the first 6.

 

[WingItRanch]

I *think* one of my marans laid their first egg. I found this egg in the middle of the coop (my hens all lay in the nest boxes). It's smaller than my usual eggs and it looks like it has darker "spray paint" on it.
View attachment 4153570
Here's an updated pic of the marans. My other pullets all still have smaller, paler combs.
View attachment 4153573
View attachment 4153575

I lied. I must have misattributed the egg because I haven't received any other new ones this weekend and I've gone out to the coop every 30 min to stalk them. The darker Blue Marans is definitely showing signs. She's eating oyster shell for the first time and checked out the nest boxes at least 3 times today.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I lied. I must have misattributed the egg because I haven't received any other new ones this weekend and I've gone out to the coop every 30 min to stalk them. The darker Blue Marans is definitely showing signs. She's eating oyster shell for the first time and checked out the nest boxes at least 3 times today.

It happens, but from the looks of them it'll be happening soon! Chickens are sneaky like that

 

[WingItRanch]

It happens, but from the looks of them it'll be happening soon! Chickens are sneaky like that

They love to tease! Here Iwas thinking I'd be more patient this year now that the newness has worn off but I'm just as excited to see a new egg.

 

[WingItRanch]

Good girls! Both my Marans laid their first eggs today!!! The beautiful dark one was in a nesting box. The lighter one was in the regular coop bedding. Both are very small, weighing 36g.

I was hoping both would be dark. I suppose the lighter brown one COULD be one of my Olive Eggers but the Marans are bright red and my OEs still look pale and not POL yet.

Edited to add: they are exactly 19 weeks old today

 

[WingItRanch]

Someone please talk me in or out of this idea... there's a person in my area that wants to get rid of 2 Ermine Ameraucana cockerels. 12 weeks old. They're really handsome so far as I can tell from the short video and I believe they're true bred.

Is this a good/bad idea? I've been wanting a rooster and a blue egg gene might be a good idea if I want to keep getting a variety of egg colors in the future.

Obviously if I get one, I would quarantine it for a month away from my flock but I'm wondering if this is too risky? I want a non human aggressive rooster and know its hit or miss. I suppose I could get both? Am I crazy?

Pictures are kind of blurry because I took stills from a video posted.

 

[WingItRanch]

@Auntiejessi3 @wrathsfarm @BlueTheBrahma what do y'all think?..

 

[WingItRanch]

 

[Auntiejessi3]

They love to tease! Here Iwas thinking I'd be more patient this year now that the newness has worn off but I'm just as excited to see a new egg.

The newness never wears off