On January 30th, I went out to the garage to give the chickens some treats and check on their water and they were making quite a fuss about something. I thought it was the impending black oil sunflower seeds, but their squawking was excessive for just treats. I thought maybe they were out of food in their bucket feeder and when I leaned down to look in the bucket, something in the corner of the tractor caught my eye. EGGS!!!! 2 beautiful, although dirty, eggs!
I'm pretty sure those are from the Golden Comet and the Rhode Island Red. We got 1 egg a day for the next 16 days. We've been getting 4 eggs a day for about a week now and I think the Golden Laced Wyandotte is the only one who has yet to lay. The Barred Rock has laid 2, but she broke the tip of her beak and I'll forgive her for taking a break from laying while she recovers. (It's nothing serious. Apparently chickens are TERRIFIED of plastic shopping bags, even when they are filled with ash for them to take a dust bath in. She's recovering splendidly.)
I'm very surprised that the eggs have been fairly large from the beginning and we've had no shell issues whatsoever even though the girls were still on grower/broiler when they began laying and didn't have calcium available to them. I was expecting little pullet eggs and even some without shells but the girls have been turning out beauties non-stop, even during 2 ice storms. I think that really speaks to the quality of Countryside Organics soy-free, non-We've gotten several double yolkers, which are always exciting. The Golden Comet has been the most reliable layer and I have gotten one from her every day since the first day she started laying. The Buff Orpington's first egg was a double yolker (poor thing!) but her subsequent eggs have been on the small side, as is typical for pullets. The Rhode Island Red frequently lays double yolkers, as does the Easter Egger, which is extra exciting because....
I'm very surprised that the eggs have been fairly large from the beginning and we've had no shell issues whatsoever even though the girls were still on grower/broiler when they began laying and didn't have calcium available to them. I was expecting little pullet eggs and even some without shells but the girls have been turning out beauties non-stop, even during 2 ice storms. I think that really speaks to the quality of Countryside Organics soy-free, non-We've gotten several double yolkers, which are always exciting. The Golden Comet has been the most reliable layer and I have gotten one from her every day since the first day she started laying. The Buff Orpington's first egg was a double yolker (poor thing!) but her subsequent eggs have been on the small side, as is typical for pullets. The Rhode Island Red frequently lays double yolkers, as does the Easter Egger, which is extra exciting because....
They're blue!
Ok, they're a mint-green, but it always makes me happy to collect her daily egg. I WILL have a flock of blue-egg laying chickens one day. I'm hooked! I think I'll take one of her eggs to the hardware store and have them color-match some paint for me. My kitchen needs to be Easter Egger Mint.
Ok, they're a mint-green, but it always makes me happy to collect her daily egg. I WILL have a flock of blue-egg laying chickens one day. I'm hooked! I think I'll take one of her eggs to the hardware store and have them color-match some paint for me. My kitchen needs to be Easter Egger Mint.
Pardon my moose pajamas; I had the flu that day. I love hearing Bug yell "Moof!" at my pants.
The variation between each hen's egg makes for a lovely carton on the counter
The variation between each hen's egg makes for a lovely carton on the counter
For those of you wondering what the heck a double yolker is, it's just as it sounds; an egg with two yolks.
The white egg on the right is an egg from the grocery store. The egg on the left is the typical size I've been getting since day 1 of laying from the Golden Comet and Rhode Island Red. The egg in the middle is a double yolker.
Can't buy those at the store!