woohoo... eggs!

stevo

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I was beginning to think the chicken union had visited while i was work one day and convinced my bantams not to lay any eggs, i've had them about five months, i wasn't sure how old they were when i got them but they have grown a bit so i assume they were pretty young. So that might be over six months old before they laid an egg.

Today i went to clean the coop out and there were three eggs waiting for me! I had a fried egg toasted roll for brekkie :eat:

I took a photo to compare them to normal size eggs.

shackers.net_images_photos_eggs_10082013.jpg
 

Steve

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That's awesome Stevo.
They don't look too small. I thought they might be smaller.

I'm not sure how many bantams you have but are you saying that 3 of them started laying on the same day???
Does that seem weird to you? all 3 on the same day! wow.

Or is it like the phenomenon where females (human type) will normally align their 'cycle' if they spend a fair amount of time together. (it just happens, don't ask why)
 

Mark

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Awesome :cheer:

How good are fresh home laid eggs!! I agree with Steve about it being weird they started laying at once but what a nice surprise. :)

The egg size looks good and will likely get larger in the next 12 months. We'll done. :thumbsup:
 

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I have six bantams, a few different kinds. I'm not sure which ones laids the eggs or when, i haven't looked in there for a week, i just clean the coop out on the weekends. I'll check more regularly now.

I think i saw a photo somehwere of ping pong balls or fake eggs in a nest, was that on here? is that so they do't get upset when you steal their eggs?
 

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I have six bantams, a few different kinds. I'm not sure which ones laids the eggs or when, i haven't looked in there for a week, i just clean the coop out on the weekends. I'll check more regularly now.

I think i saw a photo somehwere of ping pong balls or fake eggs in a nest, was that on here? is that so they do't get upset when you steal their eggs?
The fake eggs (ping pong or golf balls) are used to teach hens where to lay. This technique is usually only required if the hens are laying somewhere other than the nesting area (like in a garden bed etc) to train them back to laying where they should.

Most of the time hens will lay in the nesting area provided and they will also try and keep the eggs away from any poop or dirt - they are very good mothers generally and smart!

That's a great image BTW!
 

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That's cool... All white too - I only have one layer of white shelled eggs. Not that there's any difference of course but I do like the white colour.
 

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yeah it's pretty cool to see something produced in your own back yard.

I met some people the other day that have 6 chickens that were about 5 years old and didn't lay eggs anymore, is that about right? Apparently Bantams lay less eggs but for a longer period.
 

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yeah it's pretty cool to see something produced in your own back yard.

I met some people the other day that have 6 chickens that were about 5 years old and didn't lay eggs anymore, is that about right? Apparently Bantams lay less eggs but for a longer period.

It can definitely be the case. The most productive time for a hen is the first few years. After that, not only does the egg production drop considerably but egg quality deteriorates also with thinner shells and easy to break yolks.

The heavy laying breeds may lay more but for a shorter period and the breeds like your bantams might lay less but for longer. If you look at it "matter of fact" a new laying bird only costs $16.50 anyway so boosting the flock when some old chooks stop laying with new stock isn't too hard. A staggered flock of different aged birds is a good idea for a backyard chicken keeper.

We always have one or two oldies plodding around getting a free feed without producing eggs - I reckon they've done their time and deserve a good retirement :D This is the liberty home produces have by not being subjected to commercial pressures. For us, backyard eggs isn't all about saving money - it's about compassion, the humane treatment of animals, and understanding where our food comes from.

Occasionally, I need to "knock on the head" an older bird coming to the end of life but more often than not I just find them the next morning sitting dead in their nesting box as they quietly died through the night. (then I bury them underneath our banana trees as fertiliser ;))
 

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I've got two chooks sitting on a few eggs each and they seem pretty keen not to move. "clucky" ?

The eggs aren't fertilised, so what happens next? do they get bored and give up? or should i steal their eggs away from them?

@Mark , i do plan to add a few breads to your "Breed thread", i just have to get the info together.
 
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Mark

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I've got two chooks sitting on a few eggs each and they seem pretty keen not to move. "clucky" ?

The eggs aren't fertilised, so what happens next? do they get bored and give up? or should i steal their eggs away from them?

@Mark , i do plan to add a few breads to your "Bread thread", i just have to get the info together.
Yeah I reckon they'd be clucky alright with the weather warming up and being spring it's the ideal time to start a chicken family :D

As soon as you reach under their bum and take the eggs they'll forget about it - alright, they may cluck a bit for about 5 minutes but they'll soon get over it.

I forgot about the breed thread sheesh I better add a few to it also... Cheers :)
 

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Sounds about right, their attention span is pretty limi.... oh wait I see some food....
Although, they do remember what the chicken catching net is for... as soon as they see me holding it they scatter :)
 

Greyyowl

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I was beginning to think the chicken union had visited while i was work one day and convinced my bantams not to lay any eggs, i've had them about five months, i wasn't sure how old they were when i got them but they have grown a bit so i assume they were pretty young. So that might be over six months old before they laid an egg.

Today i went to clean the coop out and there were three eggs waiting for me! I had a fried egg toasted roll for brekkie :eat:

I took a photo to compare them to normal size eggs.

shackers.net_images_photos_eggs_10082013.jpg
 

Greyyowl

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yeah it's pretty cool to see something produced in your own back yard.

I met some people the other day that have 6 chickens that were about 5 years old and didn't lay eggs anymore, is that about right? Apparently Bantams lay less eggs but for a longer period.
3 years will usually pull up good layers. Bantams may be slightly different but 5 yrs is getting on in chook years as far as punching out ovum goes.
And the white shells are usual for a breed named Minorcas, they say they lay large eggs but I would call them medium. Your bantam eggs look fine, and I hope you get that good all over feeling when you hand them over to the neighbours.
The Owl.
 

stevo

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That reminds me, there's now three chickens sitting on eggs. They take a 5 minute lunch break some days and I go and remove all the eggs, they don't complain, but they just keep sitting there, like a kid on his xbox, or maybe in the chicken world it's an Eggsbox :ROFL:
 
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