Straub’s search for colored eggs

[Tstraub]

I went inside for a minute and when I came back to check she was outside and I found this pullet egg in the box that she was in when I left her so I’m like 99%sure she laid it. It’s not green like I was hoping but it is an appropriate color for a girl named maple I guess. I have an Olive that lays brown and a Blue that lays green eggs.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I went inside for a minute and when I came back to check she was outside and I found this pullet egg in the box that she was in when I left her so I’m like 99%sure she laid it. It’s not green like I was hoping but it is an appropriate color for a girl named maple I guess. I have an Olive that lays brown and a Blue that lays green eggs.

That's a very pretty egg and a beautiful color variety.

 

[TwoCrows]

I went inside for a minute and when I came back to check she was outside and I found this pullet egg in the box that she was in when I left her so I’m like 99%sure she laid it. It’s not green like I was hoping but it is an appropriate color for a girl named maple I guess. I have an Olive that lays brown and a Blue that lays green eggs.

Gorgeous eggs!

 

[Tstraub]

Feathers everywhere, everyone over a year old I in some stage of molt. My light Brahama, Snow White dropped her tail and is walking around doing her best to fluff up the feathers she still has to beat the wind. Axl dropped his tail several weeks ago now it’s growing back in with a whole lot of white. He is also getting some white in his heckle feathers. The Easter Eggers that have been bare backed most of the summer are finally getting new pin feathers to fill in their bald spots.

 

[Tstraub]

Yesterday when I went out to collect eggs my Jersey, Gena was in a nesting box with that all too familiar look in her eye. When I reached under her to get the eggs she let out the loudest scariest broody shriek I have ever heard. So I checked on around 3 am when I got home from work and confirmed she is sleeping in the nest box.

I have no need for more layers at the moment but I did cook all of the chicken I had in the freezer to make a soup for an annual Halloween party this past Saturday. If I were to let her start sitting tonight she would hatch the chicks while I’m out of town on vacation so that’s not an option. Let her start sitting next week the hatch date would be after I return.

I guess I have a week to think about this. I’m unsure how the chicks would do being so young in the cold of the winter. Get first batch of chicks were born on Easter Sunday she kept the eggs warm enough in single digit temperatures then raised the chicks in temperatures just below freezing without loosing any chicks so I feel like she has a pretty good chance at successfully hatching and raising a clutch of eggs

I guess I have a week to think about it and see just how committed she is

 

[wrathsfarm]

Yesterday when I went out to collect eggs my Jersey, Gena was in a nesting box with that all too familiar look in her eye. When I reached under her to get the eggs she let out the loudest scariest broody shriek I have ever heard. So I checked on around 3 am when I got home from work and confirmed she is sleeping in the nest box.

I have no need for more layers at the moment but I did cook all of the chicken I had in the freezer to make a soup for an annual Halloween party this past Saturday. If I were to let her start sitting tonight she would hatch the chicks while I’m out of town on vacation so that’s not an option. Let her start sitting next week the hatch date would be after I return.

I guess I have a week to think about this. I’m unsure how the chicks would do being so young in the cold of the winter. Get first batch of chicks were born on Easter Sunday she kept the eggs warm enough in single digit temperatures then raised the chicks in temperatures just below freezing without loosing any chicks so I feel like she has a pretty good chance at successfully hatching and raising a clutch of eggs

I guess I have a week to think about it and see just how committed she is

I would much rather have a broody in the coming cold temps than relying on the brooder heater that I'm using now for the ones that I just hatched.
I'm going to find it difficult getting them outside if the temps drop drastically for any other than short periods in the sun.
This is the main reason I'm seriously reconsidering doing another hatch this year.

#mobileheater

 

[Tstraub]

I would much rather have a broody in the coming cold temps than relying on the brooder heater that I'm using now for the ones that I just hatched.
I'm going to find it difficult getting them outside if the temps drop drastically for any other than short periods in the sun.
This is the main reason I'm seriously reconsidering doing another hatch this year.

#mobileheater

Both of my Marans and most of my olive Eggers are off lay for molt. Egg choice would be Barred Rock, a couple Wyandottes, a red sex link that just started laying full size eggs, my gril Blue, and 2 very small body Easter Eggers. But I guess if the plan is to cull hard and only keep anything that looks really special I should probably be choosing large body hens of any breed and not worrying about any other traits. The Wyandottes and barred rock are well into the duel purpose size

 

[wrathsfarm]

Both of my Marans and most of my olive Eggers are off lay for molt. Egg choice would be Barred Rock, a couple Wyandottes, a red sex link that just started laying full size eggs, my gril Blue, and 2 very small body Easter Eggers. But I guess if the plan is to cull hard and only keep anything that looks really special I should probably be choosing large body hens of any breed and not worrying about any other traits. The Wyandottes and barred rock are well into the duel purpose size

Ah, that's a bummer your Marans aren't laying. Would like to see you hatch more of them.

I'm biased of course..

More from Blue though is awesome..

 

[Tstraub]

Ah, that's a bummer your Marans aren't laying. Would like to see you hatch more of them.

I'm biased of course..

More from Blue though is awesome..

Yea I do like Blue and would like to see more chicks from her. The fact that she is still laying while most of the others are off lay is probably a sign that she is the one I need to breed if I want good layers.

 

[Tstraub]

Today was coop clean out day and I thought I would share some pictures of what coop clean out looks like here. I use the deep litter method and clean this coop twice a year spring and fall.

While the coop was empty and I reconfigured the roosting bars before I had a low roost that went the length of the coop and 4 high roost that went from side to side. None of my birds were using the low roost so I removed it. The I lowered the high roost by about 5 inches to try to keep the birds out of any draft during the cold winter we get here. My roosters did get a little frost damage to their combs last winter. Hopefully this will help with that

I use the mower to back mt trailer up to the door of the coop

The board that holds in the deep litter from spilling out the door is removed and wedged between the coop and the trailer to serve as a ramp to bridge the gap between the coop and trailer so I can rake all the litter into the trailer

The floors of the nest box rooms lift out for easy cleaning

I don’t get too overly worried about sweeping every last bit out of the coop whatever comes out with the rake is good enough any left over dirty litter contains good bacteria and will kick start the composting process with the new clean litter

Fresh litter added but I don’t get real fussy about spreading it out perfectly the chickens will move it around as they see fit.

Full trailer load of chicken manure and mulch to spread out on the garden so it can further break down over the winter.

The whole process including reconfiguring the roosting bars took about an hour and a half and a good bit of that was walking around looking for the tool I just set down 10 seconds ago