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#1 11-04-2009 02:13:01
- HippieChickens
- Member
- From: Arizona
- Registered: 10-30-2009
- Posts: 59
New milestones for my little flock
When I went out to check my girls this morning, my wheaten EE Joni was in the nest box and her partridge sister Pearl was in the coop with her. Joni has been laying since October 24th, but Pearl, despite starting to do the mating crouch just a couple of days after Joni, has shown no interest in nesting until today. At about 11 a.m. Joni presented me with her 10th egg, and about noon I found Pearl in the nest box with her first egg still warm under her - a lovely mint blue like Joni's but slightly broader on the round end. While I was sitting in the run on "egg watch," I reached down to pet Bonnie, the alpha pullet who's usually very skittish, and for the first time she hunkered down instead of flinching away. It shouldn't be too long before we're getting three eggs a day!
My problem now is that these eggs are just too beautiful to break. My DH had a big laugh when he caught me staring at the carton trying to choose an egg for a recipe. (When I finally picked one, I was amazed at how sturdy the shell was. Guess they're getting enough calcium!)
Birds are my life.
Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. - Frank Lloyd Wright
You know what they call 'alternative medicine' that’s been proved to work? Medicine. - Tim Minchin
My family: 4 Easter Eggers, 1 African Grey Parrot, 1 Border Collie, one formerly stray indoor-only cat, a tank of tropical fish, hundreds of freeloading wild birds, and a patient husband with a great sense of humor.
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#2 11-04-2009 03:58:42
- BantyChickMom
- The Hooker Coordinator
- From: Henderson, NC
- Registered: 02-23-2008
- Posts: 7670
Re: New milestones for my little flock
Enjoy those milestones while they last!
I remember being so proud when I got my first egg, and I won't even talk about getting my first green egg! 
It's better to have loved and lost than live with the psycho the rest of your life
Tammy
www.mrsnesbitsdiner.com
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#3 11-04-2009 04:16:17
- HippieChickens
- Member
- From: Arizona
- Registered: 10-30-2009
- Posts: 59
Re: New milestones for my little flock
Yeah, I know - I'll get jaded in a decade or so. 
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Joni, who has red earlobes, didn't lay a greener egg. Of the two remaining pullets, one has definitely red earlobes, the other has earlobes that just started turning from chartreuse to red. 
It'll be interesting to see what they lay.
Birds are my life.
Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. - Frank Lloyd Wright
You know what they call 'alternative medicine' that’s been proved to work? Medicine. - Tim Minchin
My family: 4 Easter Eggers, 1 African Grey Parrot, 1 Border Collie, one formerly stray indoor-only cat, a tank of tropical fish, hundreds of freeloading wild birds, and a patient husband with a great sense of humor.
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#4 11-05-2009 03:26:44
- HippieChickens
- Member
- From: Arizona
- Registered: 10-30-2009
- Posts: 59
Re: New milestones for my little flock
I brought egg #12 in this afternoon (from Joni) - our first dozen is complete! All but one have been what the USDA would call "peewee," though (<43 grams). I'm weighing each egg and keeping individual logs to document each girl's progress. I'll post some results once all four are laying.
Birds are my life.
Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. - Frank Lloyd Wright
You know what they call 'alternative medicine' that’s been proved to work? Medicine. - Tim Minchin
My family: 4 Easter Eggers, 1 African Grey Parrot, 1 Border Collie, one formerly stray indoor-only cat, a tank of tropical fish, hundreds of freeloading wild birds, and a patient husband with a great sense of humor.
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#5 11-06-2009 12:53:56
- Darlasmum
- Silver Member
- From: LaCrescenta, CA
- Registered: 07-17-2009
- Posts: 102
Re: New milestones for my little flock
Congrats on your eggcellent dozen. It must be fun to finally see home grown eggs in your hands. I can hardly wait (due in Dec.).
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#6 11-06-2009 03:54:13
- HippieChickens
- Member
- From: Arizona
- Registered: 10-30-2009
- Posts: 59
Re: New milestones for my little flock
Yes, and I was pretty smug walking past the eggs in the grocery store this afternoon, too. 
Sounds like you should have some in time for cookie season!
Birds are my life.
Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. - Frank Lloyd Wright
You know what they call 'alternative medicine' that’s been proved to work? Medicine. - Tim Minchin
My family: 4 Easter Eggers, 1 African Grey Parrot, 1 Border Collie, one formerly stray indoor-only cat, a tank of tropical fish, hundreds of freeloading wild birds, and a patient husband with a great sense of humor.
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#7 11-06-2009 08:49:57
- BantyChickMom
- The Hooker Coordinator
- From: Henderson, NC
- Registered: 02-23-2008
- Posts: 7670
Re: New milestones for my little flock
I remember when I finally hit 40 chickens and none were laying, DH said "This is something, we have 40 chickens at home and are buying eggs!!!" 
I haven't bought eggs in almost 2 years now! But sometimes I do stop and peek in the cartons just to compare their egg size to mine 
It's better to have loved and lost than live with the psycho the rest of your life
Tammy
www.mrsnesbitsdiner.com
Online
#8 11-06-2009 09:45:44
- HippieChickens
- Member
- From: Arizona
- Registered: 10-30-2009
- Posts: 59
Re: New milestones for my little flock
BantyChickMom wrote:
I remember when I finally hit 40 chickens and none were laying, DH said "This is something, we have 40 chickens at home and are buying eggs!!!"
I haven't bought eggs in almost 2 years now!
Birds are my life.
Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. - Frank Lloyd Wright
You know what they call 'alternative medicine' that’s been proved to work? Medicine. - Tim Minchin
My family: 4 Easter Eggers, 1 African Grey Parrot, 1 Border Collie, one formerly stray indoor-only cat, a tank of tropical fish, hundreds of freeloading wild birds, and a patient husband with a great sense of humor.
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#9 11-06-2009 10:02:15
- TurtleChick
- Platinum Member
- From: Tacoma, WA
- Registered: 03-27-2009
- Posts: 1709
Re: New milestones for my little flock
eggs eggs eggs!!!!
we rehomed our old "flock" (all 2 of them that were left after one was rehomed due to feather picking and one died from illness) this year early summer. i had to wait and wait and WAIT until just recently one of my new flock finally started laying!!!! i love to eat their eggs, they taste delicious!!!!!! but i also get great joy just from egg gathering every day. i love to hold them and don't think i'll ever get over the wonder of pets who give back in a tangible way!!!!
Love my DH, 3 kidlets, 3 doglets, 2 kitties (one of whom thinks he's dog #4...), 6 orpington girls: 2 blue, 2 black, 2 white If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. ~Will Rogers~
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#10 11-12-2009 03:22:40
- HippieChickens
- Member
- From: Arizona
- Registered: 10-30-2009
- Posts: 59
Re: New milestones for my little flock
Today was our first three-egg day! There were two lovely blue eggs in the box this morning, one shaped like Joni's and one shaped like Pearl's but both very small. I thought "Gee, Pearl's slacking off a bit." When I went out later to take them some oatmeal, Pearl was in the box and in about an hour presented me with an egg in her normal size range. Bonnie started crouching 8 days ago and Grace only 4 days ago, so I'm guessing it's Bonnie's.
When I put the three eggs together to take a photo, I noticed that the new egg had a dense pattern of fine whitish dots over the blue background - very attractive.
Birds are my life.
Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. - Frank Lloyd Wright
You know what they call 'alternative medicine' that’s been proved to work? Medicine. - Tim Minchin
My family: 4 Easter Eggers, 1 African Grey Parrot, 1 Border Collie, one formerly stray indoor-only cat, a tank of tropical fish, hundreds of freeloading wild birds, and a patient husband with a great sense of humor.
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