Some new lay-dies

[JoshW]

Being down to 2 chooks and a growing need for more eggs we welcomed some new pullets this morning. Well I did, one of my existing chooks is currently doing the rounds ensuring she stays on top of the pecking order.

2 each of Barter Brown/Black/White

 

[JoshW]

One of the new pullets laid her first egg today

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

That's amazing!

 

[JoshW]

Eggs are flying thick and fast now. Another dozen between the first egg and the weekend. 11 just over the weekend, 4 today.

Eggs-cellent!

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Eggs are flying thick and fast now. Another dozen between the first egg and the weekend. 11 just over the weekend, 4 today.

Eggs-cellent!

Haha amazing! I remember back when we had chickens we had more than we needed! And you'll never get them any fresher.

 

[Rachel]

Nice. I'm currently getting about 4 eggs a day from my 7 layers, unless they are laying somewhere else! What do you have in the nesting boxes? I assume that's pine shavings on the floor?

 

[JoshW]

Nice. I'm currently getting about 4 eggs a day from my 7 layers, unless they are laying somewhere else! What do you have in the nesting boxes? I assume that's pine shavings on the floor?

Yeah I just use dust extracted wood shavings (Superior Shavings specifically). Had a bad run with mites a few years back and swapped over from straw to the shavings. Little bit more expensive, last longer, less smell, great for the compost. I use it in the nesting box as well. I want to try rice hulls but the gap between the concrete and steel c section is a bit wide to keep them from spreadsheet everywhere

 

[Rachel]

Looks good.

 

[Mark]

Our hens are also laying well, surprisingly! It's winter here and they usually slow down considerably and coming into winter they did slow down a lot but now they've gone bum nut crazy again - scrambled eggs for dinner tonight

 

[JoshW]

Bet the hen felt this one!

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Ouch, I bet! They are some clean eggs though, do you wash them?

 

[JoshW]

Ouch, I bet! They are some clean eggs though, do you wash them?

Not at all, that is as is from the source. Just make sure nesting boxes are clean.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

When I was young our chickens had a habit of poopin on the eggs, no matter what we did. That looks great!

 

[DragonLady]

I want to try rice hulls but the gap between the concrete and steel c section is a bit wide to keep them from spreadsheet everywhere

We have tried rice hulls for our quails and find that as soon as they get wet they just stick together and go gluggy and gross, they don't dry back out, just turn to mush. They might be ok for the nesting boxes or if your chooks are in a spot that doesn't get rain or water run off.

 

[Grandmother Goose]

When I was young our chickens had a habit of poopin on the eggs, no matter what we did. That looks great!

If you look at most commercial nesting boxes, they seem too short for the chickens to move around in there comfortably. That's because they're designed so that the chicken can't stand up fully when in there. This helps prevent them from pooping on the eggs. If the chicken can fully stand up, you need either shorter nesting boxes or larger chickens.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

If you look at most commercial nesting boxes, they seem too short for the chickens to move around in there comfortably. That's because they're designed so that the chicken can't stand up fully when in there. This helps prevent them from pooping on the eggs. If the chicken can fully stand up, you need either shorter nesting boxes or larger chickens.

I think it was a home-made nesting box. Pretty sure my dad made his own. It later got repurposed after we got rid of the chicken because they were very mean to the other animals.

 

[Jason890]

I introduced four new chooks to the pen
They where old battery hens
My chooks killed one 😳and here I was trying to give them a good life

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I introduced four new chooks to the pen
They where old battery hens
My chooks killed one 😳and here I was trying to give them a good life

Maybe they felt threatened? Battery chooks don't always know how to socialise properly.

 

[JoshW]

Chooks can be quite violent, they are related to Tyrannosaurus Rex after all. I have seen my own murder small birds that were too slow

 

[Jason890]

Maybe they felt threatened? Battery chooks don't always know how to socialise properly.

It’s buried in the garden now