For all the chicken ownwers :)

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Jason
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Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

Post by Jason »

bobhenstra wrote:Sounds like you've got two Black Astrolorps, two Rhode Island Reds and two Buff Orphingtons, all brown egg layers. Since you allow the chickens to roam the yard, hens have a habit of finding secret hiding places to lay their eggs, have you searched your yard for secret hiding places? If you find the place, be sure and test any eggs you find by floating them in cold water, if they float they're bad.

Also, do you have a dog, dogs will sometimes eat eggs as will other animals. You may be feeding some sneaky little critter that just can't believe his fantastic luck! Keep the hens locked up for several days, make sure they have plenty of air and food. Just because you have nests in your coop doesn't mean a thing to a chicken. A couple of golf balls in a nest may help. Every time you mow your lawn feed the clippings to your chickens.

Every time a hen lays an egg she lets the world know, lots of noise, learn to listen for that noise. Last hint, some hens eat their own eggs, rare, but it happens, and it'll eat any other eggs that happens to be available. Discover this by keeping hens separate, may not be convenient, but well worth the time and effort. Lock the hens up at night, in the morning let all but one of the hens out. Hens should be laying at 5 months. If they're actually hens, you should have a pile of eggs---somewhere!

Bob
Well its a fenced off area that ended up donating three of my gardens to their cause (though the corn they leave alone...but ate all my nitrogen inducing beans growing beneath them)....but there's not that many places to hide. I'll do a thorough inspection tonight.

Thank you for the egg floating trick! I'll be sure to use that one!

No dogs...neighbor had dogs trying to jump over & eat through the fence....so I moved them to the other side of the house couple months ago. Had mice and rats coming over from the neighbors to visit my gardens but smashed the rat...dropped a chug of poison on the neighbors side (they'll never know as they haven't mowed the weeds in years - 3 satellite dishes on the roof)....and stopped up the holes (no new sign in weeks). I do have two rabbits now that the chickens like to chase around....but doubt they are into egg eating (though droppings in chicken boxes so the rabbits have been there). I'll try the golf ball trick.

Well they've been very quiet...hardly a peep. Little clucking when show up with bowl of table scraps or feed...but that's about it. Never found any remains, remnant, stains, etc of any eggs....usually have fairly good attention to detail.

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ChelC
The Law
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Location: Utah

Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

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They'll start soon, and they'll tell you all about it. Those are all good breeds... we've had all of those at one time and then had some of them for soup. They were great both ways. :)

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bobhenstra
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Location: Central Utah

Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

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ChelC wrote:They'll start soon, and they'll tell you all about it. Those are all good breeds... we've had all of those at one time and then had some of them for soup. They were great both ways. :)
It's really fun to teach kids "chicken" (how to understand "chicken language) Walk out with scraps clucking like a hen, then picking up your ears when one lays an egg, with just a few chickens you can name them and teach your kids how to recognize their voices. "That's Gertrude!" Your kids will have a ball listening and talking to the chickens. They might be in the house with their friends, when a hen starts cackling, your kid'll yell; Mom, Gertrude just laid an egg, do you want me to get it?

Like ChelC, I think chickens are great fun! You can teach them to eat out of your hand, never let your kids scare the chickens. And they taste good too! Just make sure your kids know they're there for food and not (just) pets.

Chickens and gardens get along better when one of them is fenced!

Bob

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Jason
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Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

Post by Jason »

bobhenstra wrote:
ChelC wrote:They'll start soon, and they'll tell you all about it. Those are all good breeds... we've had all of those at one time and then had some of them for soup. They were great both ways. :)
It's really fun to teach kids "chicken" (how to understand "chicken language) Walk out with scraps clucking like a hen, then picking up your ears when one lays an egg, with just a few chickens you can name them and teach your kids how to recognize their voices. "That's Gertrude!" Your kids will have a ball listening and talking to the chickens. They might be in the house with their friends, when a hen starts cackling, your kid'll yell; Mom, Gertrude just laid an egg, do you want me to get it?

Like ChelC, I think chickens are great fun! You can teach them to eat out of your hand, never let your kids scare the chickens. And they taste good too! Just make sure your kids know they're there for food and not (just) pets.

Chickens and gardens get along better when one of them is fenced!

Bob
LOL....they all had names....but the kids are the only ones that remember despite all the little subtle differences. Kids are mostly afraid of the chickens...they've been handling them like crazy since they were chicks but now that they've gotten bigger, more aggressive, and more hungry....chickens chase the kids around with the kids kicking at them to stay away.

They are digging up and eating my spuds...and they like the purple ones (my favorite) the most. Better get me some eggs or I'm gonna be eating chicken!!!

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Songbird
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Location: South Central Iowa

Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

Post by Songbird »

I love the picture in my mind of Jason searching for eggs all over his yard! Just pretend it is an Easter Egg hunt and get your kids involved... =))

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Jason
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Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

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Songbird wrote:I love the picture in my mind of Jason searching for eggs all over his yard! Just pretend it is an Easter Egg hunt and get your kids involved... =))
LOL...did it....and no luck!

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bobhenstra
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Location: Central Utah

Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

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Hang in there, if they're hens they'll start laying!

Bob

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Jason
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Re: For all the chicken ownwers :)

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bobhenstra wrote:Hang in there, if they're hens they'll start laying!

Bob
Gonna make'm sit on golf balls....LOL. Thank you Bob....appreciate your insights!!!

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