# First Egg!



## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

Finally! My little free-loading chickens have finally started contributing to the homestead!
One perfectly formed egg with a solid firm shell. One of my girls met me at the Nesting Boxes and fluttered a little more than usual so I'm thinking it was hers!

Anyway, I went ahead and scrambled that egg and it tasted divine! It paired nicely with a glass of bourbon, neet of course!


----------



## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

Congratulations! You can’t get a fresher egg than that.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You were getting worried, weren't you? Afraid they didn't appreciate the special palace you provided for them. 

I would have had a mimosa. Just so you know.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That's great!


----------



## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

2 more Eggs today, different Nesting Box which is interesting! Life is good!!!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Now you can relax. The girls are getting with your program.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Someone should write an algorithm on the logic of which nesting boxes to pick!


----------



## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Excellent! Congrats! I love first eggs, so fun.

Our little D'Uccle finally started laying last week, at 29 weeks. Tasty eggs for sure, altho it does take 2 to be more than a bite!


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Congratulations for the first egg. It feels like an achievement in itself.
I got 3 hens and 2 roos , however I get one egg alternatively. Which I blame for the shorter day now. We get from 7 in morning to 5:30 in evening. 
Is there a way I can find out if the egg is fertilized or not with out incubation of a week ??


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

There is only one other way, that's to break the egg open and look for a "bullseye" on the yolk. It's a difficult thing to spot and takes practice.


----------



## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> Someone should write an algorithm on the logic of which nesting boxes to pick!


We have 4 Nesting Boxes and 4 Hens. (I guess I can call them Hens now since they are laying?)

Anyway the Nesting Boxes are 1, 2, 3, 4 with 1 being on the far left side and 4 being on the far right side. First Egg was in Box 2. Every day now we are getting 1-2 Eggs and they have all been in Box 4. Algorithm for sure!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Soon they'll have their favorite all picked out. Maybe.

Didn't we tell you you probably wouldn't need for nests? Usually we tell everyone that.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Box number four is prime real estate.


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

I have four nesting boxes for 3 hens I have. The nesting box in which the hens started laying has given up that box. Now 2 hens share one nesting box and one the other one. Two are always empty. 

I need help I will be receiving few ducks as well tomorrow. 
Can I keep the ducks with my chicken or will keep them seperate ??


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ducks are messy, very messy. You should probably keep them in a separate pen. 

I'd let the girls use whatever nest boxes they want. They're going to do it anyway, it's just the way they are.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

My species all get along pretty well but unless you have a lot of room, the ducks are going to trash the place.


----------



## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

Up to 3 eggs per day now! This is awesome! All in Box #4.


----------



## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

What type of ducks are you getting?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Slippy said:


> Up to 3 eggs per day now! This is awesome! All in Box #4.


The magic happened when you asked when they would lay.


----------



## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

robin416 said:


> The magic happened when you asked when they would lay.


Yes!

And the ones that are laying are much more friendly. Not that they weren't friendly before, now just more friendly! And they do that "submissive squat" when I check for eggs.

I eat about 8 eggs a week and when my 4th girl starts laying, I'm thinking I'll have a 20 egg surplus per week. Of course I'll give some away but the Extra Eggs will be cool especially when I try to Water Glass the Eggs for long term storage. Looking forward to trying that.

Thanks all!!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Slippy said:


> Yes!
> 
> And the ones that are laying are much more friendly. Not that they weren't friendly before, now just more friendly! And they do that "submissive squat" when I check for eggs.
> 
> ...


Thank you for including us in the journey. All the way from the coop coming into being and the girls maturing to laying. It's always enjoyable to see.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That will be interesting to try, there are some very interesting very antique ways of preserving eggs. Keep us posted!


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Yw


robin416 said:


> Ducks are messy, very messy. You should probably keep them in a separate pen.
> 
> I'd let the girls use whatever nest boxes they want. They're going to do it anyway, it's just the way they are.


Yes ducks are messing. But we all are messing at some point of time. However seeing them enjoy in water make me smile.


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)




----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Love the markings on some of them.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Thanks for the pics!


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Che


Biring said:


> What type of ducks are you getting?


Co the picture posted


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Firstman said:


> Che
> 
> Co the picture posted


----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)




----------



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> Thanks for the pics!


Your are welcome


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The black and white and the red and white are mine.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'll send you some of mine, enough for a duck gang!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Not a good idea unless I can protect them from the Guinea gang.

Right now they hate each other. This is over the top on their behavior towards each other.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Why are they being so bad?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I have no idea. Right now it's be mean to the girls but follow them to the neighboring property. Had to call them back four times today. It took an hour and half to get them all in tonight. 

The girls refused, well the girls and one boy and baby. Once I corralled the males in the one half of the pen they decided it was safe to trickle in.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Wow four times? You are more patient than me. If it gets dark, do they roost in the neighbor's trees?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, they'd roost in the trees right outside of their coop or my bedroom. 

I almost think they want the neighbor's chickens to join their flock. That's the only reason I can see for them going over there all of the time. At least I didn't have to drive to collect them, they came when I called.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Interesting, they're recruiting at the neighbors. Sounds like gang activity.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

My original group, before the keets hatched this year, had a game rooster that hung with them. He went to live with other game birds.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Somebody else's game birds? or game birds that went wild?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The rooster was the only bird left from another neighbor's flock. He came over here to hang with the Guineas. Someone said he had game bird hens and would take good care of him so the neighbor and I both said OK, he can go.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Do you have a picture of that bird?, just curious.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No. He was an American Game. Pretty bird. 

He wouldn't roost with the Guineas in the pen so he took to the trees at night. Whenever he was late to the morning treats I would worry that something got him during the night. I miss having him around but at least he's in secure digs and has a bunch of hens all to himself.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

American Modern Game, like extremely tall and leggy or American Game Cross, more normal chicken shaped? What colors?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Probably a cross. There wasn't extreme leggieness. I don't see that down here much.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yeah, you don't see it much anywhere. I've seen a very few in Ohio, never any in Kentucky when I lived there. They were popular in the early 1900s when everything was nutsy cuckoo with the show birds. The Europeans made fun of what we did with American Games. The birds were no longer functional or useful for anything.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've seen a few full on games shown in Lawrenceburg so they are out there.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That was one of the main issues between the Oxford and Carlisle club disagreements. The Carlisle were starting to look like American Modern show Games.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I've seen a few full on games shown in Lawrenceburg so they are out there.


Yes many Games but not American Modern Games, way different birds.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't know what happened to my reply but I said I've seen a few full on games shown at the Lawrenceburg show.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Somebody kick the forum for me.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Did you used to hear "Plain" and "Fancy" growing up? That is deeply rooted in the American show experience.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, there are several Game Fowl associations in Kentucky.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> Did you used to hear "Plain" and "Fancy" growing up? That is deeply rooted in the American show experience.


No, because I didn't get into the birds until I was already an adult. I grew up in the burbs of Macomb Co, Mi.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Look up Modern American Games at some point, they're the leggy ones you don't like.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I might try hatching a few next year.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Remember, I said I've seen some at the Lawrenceburg Show?


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'll hatch some for you!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

As long as you agree to keep them for me. I have one 9 year old Hamburg hen left, when she's gone I'll finally be out of chickens.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Robin needs chickens!!! Chickens will assist the Guineas to eat all the bugs from the Oak leaves. Problem solved.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, she doesn't. She sold out nine years ago with the impression there would be no chickens by now. She was wrong.

She might even sell her Guinea flock.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

She can't, they're at the neighbor's.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, like every well trained bird, they are sleeping in their coop.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Ah...the work of the Guinea Whisperer! I have heard pray tell of this Guinea Whisperer!


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

How is the Baby?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Getting big but still shunned by the flock.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Well if anyone will figure out how to get her integrated and accepted, it will be you.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

This one is beyond my capabilities, this is all them. There are always low birds in the flock and they're treated like dirt. All I can do is try to give it every opportunity to eat in peace.


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

You are right, you do the best you can and that's all you can do.


----------



## BigPoppaJuarez (Oct 26, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Ducks are messy, very messy. You should probably keep them in a separate pen.
> 
> I'd let the girls use whatever nest boxes they want. They're going to do it anyway, it's just the way they are.


----------



## Siobhan (Nov 22, 2020)

Slippy said:


> Finally! My little free-loading chickens have finally started contributing to the homestead!
> One perfectly formed egg with a solid firm shell. One of my girls met me at the Nesting Boxes and fluttered a little more than usual so I'm thinking it was hers!
> 
> Anyway, I went ahead and scrambled that egg and it tasted divine! It paired nicely with a glass of bourbon, neet of course!
> View attachment 36354


Congratulations!


----------



## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Bourbon and eggs!


----------

