Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Bens-Hens]

Quote:
"Oh...what now?" lol, I still have not had a chance to talk about my plans hahahaha Riley loves Amy and Ryder the most too.

 

[EmSteele]

Guess what!?!?!?!!??!!?!?








No. Eggs.
Can someone trade hens with me? I'll trade any, except Lemon-Pepper, and Dawn, and Sparkles,and any of the original girls...or Cheesecake...or the EE's my nieces love so much. So, basically, who wants to trade my roosters for your laying hens? I hear roosters lay double yolk eggs (wink wink).

 

[Bens-Hens]

hahahaha Em!

Can you give us an update on age? or better yet share a few pics? Must be getting close by now. We still have four that are 23 weeks old and not laying yet, Rosie held off until 27 weeks.

I was tempted to take the scratch down n the big plucking pot lol

 

[EmSteele]

I use mobile and can't get pics to upload. I do have some posted on instagram under MoleySteele though. The oldest are 24 weeks, RIR, BPR, BSL. The youngest are 17 or so weeks, EEs, another RIR and BPR, Speckled Sussex, Buff Orpington...and some other impulse buys mixed in there...all are hatchery quality.

 

[EmSteele]

Oops, double post.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I don't have an instragram account so I can't view those pics. But that age should be a case of 'any day now'

I hated that time lol, but it passes and then slowly you get more eggs! Once our first one came, the second two layers were not far behind.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Woohoo! I have an olive egger . Not sure it's "olive" but close. We got our first egg from Begonia (EE/NH cross from April hatch) yesterday, wasn't sure it was from her so I stalked the coop today and caught her laying her second. It's a nice avocado/olive color, much darker green than my ee girl's, but not as dark as some I've seen online. Maybe when I cross with one of my marans. Here's a pic of some of today's eggs - the girls from the April hatch a mostly all laying now (the smaller eggs). I'm loving the new shades I'm getting now.

I can't wait to see the colors you get from your next generation with daddy Smudge!

 

[NovaAman]

I miss having green eggs... Need to get a green roo... LOL

Blue Boy is working on his one minute long crow. I think he's up to about 20 seconds. Doesn't seem that long, but man... I thought he was a phoenix, not a long crower...

 

[Bens-Hens]

Woohoo! I have an olive egger

. Not sure it's "olive" but close. We got our first egg from Begonia (EE/NH cross from April hatch) yesterday, wasn't sure it was from her so I stalked the coop today and caught her laying her second. It's a nice avocado/olive color, much darker green than my ee girl's, but not as dark as some I've seen online. Maybe when I cross with one of my marans. Here's a pic of some of today's eggs - the girls from the April hatch a mostly all laying now (the smaller eggs). I'm loving the new shades I'm getting now.

I can't wait to see the colors you get from your next generation with daddy Smudge!

That is a pretty cool egg tray Pam! We were hoping to get an Olive Egger from Curly our BV crossed with Smudge. She is almost there but not yet laying. I hope she starts before our next hatch as it will be quite sometime before we hatch again after that.

We have 4 to go from the April hatch to start laying, three look very close but one of the Wyandottes is still a way off I think.

I miss having green eggs... Need to get a green roo... LOL

Blue Boy is working on his one minute long crow. I think he's up to about 20 seconds. Doesn't seem that long, but man... I thought he was a phoenix, not a long crower...

I like it, wish our's were a little bigger though. I use the blues for things like sandwiches and salads, our browns are a great size.

I have been counting Smudge's crows, he has reduced how often he crows, but when he does he likes a 8-10 crow pattern (yes, I need to get out more!)

 

[Bens-Hens]

I was out for a run late this afternoon and got home right on dusk.

Cooper and Riley were busting to give me some news.

"Dad! DAD!! We saw Curly (BV) in the nest box, looks like she was trying to lay an egg!" When they calmed down a little I heard that they were in the run 'just checking one last time' for any more eggs, even though we had already got our usual 6 today when they saw her.

I thought it would be too late to be actually laying, the other girls were already up on the perches, looked in a box and sure enough, there she was, looking rather stunned, between me with a torch and what she had just gone through I am not surprised.

She had indeed laid her first egg at bed time, it was however broken. The yolk and white were pooled where the egg should be, I moved Curly to the perch and noticed a soft shell / egg sack hanging from her vent. I gently removed it and left her while I cleaned up the egg contents in the nest box (don't want anyone getting any idea's)

After only posting this morning how I hope she is laying before we set (in 2 weeks) Maybe tomorrow or the day after she will have another attempt and we can see just how brown our girls will be!