Wannabefree...guess what I got in the mail today!?!?!?!?

[BarredBuff]

Mine are suprisingly laying good, despite the cold and snow.

 

[Henrietta23]

Sounds like it's good timing on them starting to lay!

Yeah, laying hens! What a concept.... could you have them talk to mine???

I tried to time them to start laying by the time the older birds quit for the winter since the old girls would be coming into their first hard molt. It worked. I am well pleased. I do give them added lighting in the afternoons or they likely wouldn't be laying.

It IS good that they started! I plan on selling some hatching eggs soon I need to build back up my fridge stock. We have been very low on our egg reserves as of late. I need at least 4 dozen in there, and we eat them every morning sooo, it's slow going for now Next month I hope to have some for sale again.

That was me last year, but I promised not to get any more chicks last spring because we hadn't lost ANY chickens and 19 was a bit too many here. And I just can't bring myself to cull. So no eggs for us. Phooey! I did get one duck egg this morning. From 5 ducks. never again!!!!
I think I will probably order 3 or 4 chicks with someone else this spring. DH is missing his fresh eggs so it probably won't take too much to talk him into it.
I was thinking of hanging a poster of Mrs. Tweedy from Chicken Run in the coop but I think they know I'm just a big softy.

 

[Wannabefree]

Mine are suprisingly laying good, despite the cold and snow.

Mine are too now that the molt is over. They had it rough for a while...looked like someone ripped up a dozen feather pillows out in my back yard

 

[BarredBuff]

My Barred Rocks I had last looked like they had chewed up and spit out. One never did grow feathers back but I saw it on the nest everyday.

 

[Wannabefree]

My Barred Rocks I had last looked like they had chewed up and spit out. One never did grow feathers back but I saw it on the nest everyday.

Chickens are funny. Mine seem to be a bit more dainty The girls had no problems foraging and laying up until the cold snap set in. I guess a naked butt is pretty cold in 20 degrees though

 

[BarredBuff]

Right now my Australorps seem to be the cold hardiest. I have a Dom trying to moult. And some Doms are small and Ive saw them shiver some while everyone else is fine.

 

[Wannabefree]

7 eggs today...go chickens! Woot!! Looks like evrybody is going to start joining in now!! Maybe tomorrow will be 8 or 10.

 

[BarredBuff]

I just got 4.

 

[lorihadams]

JEALOUS....I didn't get any today.....9 hens and 2 female runner ducks. Nothin. Zip, zero, zilch, nada.

Can your birds come give my birds a pep talk???

 

[freemotion]

One of my farm-raised spring pullets is laying....blue eggs! Yippee! Almost an egg a day in spite of the cold....we are up to 4-5 a day (poultry totals: about 35 birds )