First egg....two of them!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yolky · « **on:** July 26, 2008, 15:56 »

I went out to see the girls at about 11am (the husband had let them out this morning) peered in to the nesting box, nothing, then saw something in the poo tray that I didn't recognise, opened it up and there were 2!!! thin shelled broken eggs in there. I dont know if they were layed there or if they had been kicked out of the nest box or badly aimed in the nest box as it was in the tray right next to the box. I am also not sure if they are from the same hen or not...I had only cleaned the poo tray yesterday afternoon so if it was the same hen she would of had to have layed both within 17/18 hours.

Anyway I was soooooooooo excited (even though I couldn't eat any of them lol)

I am guessing I need do nothing about the thin shells and that it is just because they are new to laying?

Roughlee Handled · « **Reply #1 on:** July 26, 2008, 17:10 »

Oyster Shell as a separate always available option and just cuz they may not eat it mix some limestone flour with there feed. I also microwave old shells for 5 mins to kill off all nasties and grind them up and give them to the chucks in there feed. Just to let you know chickens can get a taste for there own eggs.

mickwood · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2008, 17:45 »

Yolky, how old is your new laying chuck? I'm patiently waiting for mine to start....19 week old pekin..... :?

and did they behave any differently in the day(s) leading up to their first lay??

Foxy · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2008, 17:55 »

Quote from: "mickwood"

Yolky, how old is your new laying chuck? I'm patiently waiting for mine to start....19 week old pekin..... :?

and did they behave any differently in the day(s) leading up to their first lay??

your little pekin may be few weeks away yet -when her comb and face get nice and red she will about to lay. Whereas hybrids are more predictably around 18weeks pure breeds can take a bit longer, around 23 weeks sometimes and if she hastn't laid by the end of august she may wait until spring lay one egg and then go broody!!! :shock:

mickwood · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2008, 18:51 »

Quote from: "Foxy"

if she hastn't laid by the end of august she may wait until spring lay one egg and then go broody!!! :shock:

LMAO!

that'd be just my luck!! ah well...they're lovely girls, the eggs are just the icing!

Fri night Violet (the pekin) decided to jump up onto my shoulder, then feeling a bit braver popped up onto my head to sit for a while!

Yolky · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2008, 19:23 »

Hi

I think she is around 20/21 weeks and she is a hybrid. I have 2 other hybrids but they are about 19 weeks now so may have a few more weeks for them to catch up, saying that one is looking decidedly red around the face even though she doesn't have a very big comb.

The signs for the one laying now were...comb getting bigger and wattles getting bigger and both redder. She also started doing that crouching thing too.

She layed again today too and this time in the nesting box so we could collect it, it was a huge 45g

I think we may have to save them up for a few days till we can make an omlette

Hope you get some luck with your little pekins soon, they are cute little things