| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| chick-chick |
Posted - Feb 18 2010 : 2:42:39 PM
Hi fellow chicken fans.
I am a new farm gal here and a newish chicken keeper. Does anybody know why my chicken have suddenly started hiding their eggs? We go in to feed them and gather eggs and the eggs are under the hay! (It's like Easter morning every day)
Also the chickens nails are getting long, should I be trimming them?
Thanks for any advice.
Liz |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| simplecomfort |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 12:47:18 PM
I cant wait for spring to have baby chicks. I am going to an animal sale in march that has all kinds of birds, froms swans to quail and duck and geese. will be fun.. but i like going to orschelns and buying the day old chicks and raising them. love the bantams. i have 3 little mille fleurs, mom and babies. so cute.. they dont get any bigger than a quail. such good mothers too. my mom has guineas but i dont like them.. too noisy. love my peacocks tho. Didnt know that chickens have a predetermined amount of eggs they will lay in a lifetime. once they lay that amount, that is it.. strange huh?
"Thank God I'm a country girl" |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 05:30:07 AM
Thanks, Liz. I don't think I want to raise any more ducks. Although I really loved my 4. But they sure were messy! And they ate some of my just hatched baby guineas. I was shocked. They are so cute floating on a pond. I gave the 2 that survived to a friend on the way to town that has a beautiful pond. Everytime I go by I see them floating around so happy. Yesterday they were in the middle with 2 Canada Geese. So I wonder how that will work. The geese usually run the ducks off when they find a pond they like. We'll see. And I have never eaten duck that I fnow of either.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| chick-chick |
Posted - Feb 22 2010 : 4:14:08 PM
Kris,
I hope you have a chance to try duck eggs,we have enjoyed our duck eggs, they are bigger then chicken eggs and taste a little different but after a couple you don't notice the difference. They haven't given any eggs all winter I don't know if it's the cold or there age, this is our second winter with them and they were not ducklings when we got them, we kinda rescued them before they went to a friends dinner table(heehee)
I hope your chicken shows up. We lost a couple during the summer and I was devastated.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 22 2010 : 3:19:07 PM
Christine, I FINALLY got rid of all my stinkin' crazy guineas. I was so happy to see them go. They were so mean to all the chickens and they were all over the place. I really liked them until last fall when they got so crazy mean. So they are all gone. I will probably never get any more again. It's been very peaceful here ever since.
I am still hoping #13 is still around. It should be within a week if she had set on eggs somewhere that they would hatch. We'll see. I have never had a duck egg. I hear they arevery good.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| farm~maid |
Posted - Feb 22 2010 : 06:11:40 AM
quote:
Originally posted by kristin sherrill
I am missing one of my Buff hens. She's been gone a few weeks now. I am hoping she is on a nest somewhere. But I'm thinking something may have gotten her. There are several places she could be that I haven't looked yet. So I'm still hoping.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
Kris, I would keep the hope. We've had a couple of very sneaky hens.
I've never eaten a Guinea egg. My Dad keeps wanting to give us Guineas, but we have our hands full with what we have. We got a trio of Muscovie ducks last Spring to help with fly control. Their eggs are very hard. We had a cake baker ask if we had any to sell as they make very moist baked goods.
Christine |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 22 2010 : 05:20:40 AM
Christine, I think you may be right. The same with Guineas. Mine would only lay really good spring and summer. Then they'd want to hatch them all. Stinkers. I love Guinea eggs. Hard as rocks, though. I had ducks for a few years but never got a single egg. I would catch them in the nests like they were getting ready to lay an egg and I'd go check later and nothing.
I am missing one of my Buff hens. She's been gone a few weeks now. I am hoping she is on a nest somewhere. But I'm thinking something may have gotten her. There are several places she could be that I haven't looked yet. So I'm still hoping.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| farm~maid |
Posted - Feb 22 2010 : 03:34:09 AM
They just like to mix things up a bit.LOL I think it's just how they are and if they are free range it makes it more exciting.
Actually, ours are good. They lay in the chicken coop or the barn. Only if one decides to go broody and wants to get away do they start laying in a self made nest somewhere.
We've only had ducks for about a year. But, from what I've learned, they have a shorter laying period. Don't know if that's a proven fact, but it's been true for ours. |
| KellyWall |
Posted - Feb 20 2010 : 3:47:28 PM
I think mine are hiding their eggs because they want to sit on them, I found 9 eggs in a flower pot that I was storing in my barn. Silly hen was sitting on cold eggs. Now that we have the rooster I am going to let them lay in a few weeks, as soon as the frost ends. |
| cajungal |
Posted - Feb 19 2010 : 5:51:49 PM
I don't know why either....perhaps a survival/protection instinct. I've got mine on a "schedule" now. I got tired of looking all over under bushes and then not finding some for a few days, thus, losing some eggs. So, I lock them up for their morning feeding and don't let them out until mid-morning. They all lay their eggs by that time and then I don't have to look all over the yard.
nail trimming... If they've got access to scratching at the dirt then that should be enough to keep them trim.
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
| chick-chick |
Posted - Feb 18 2010 : 5:22:40 PM
Hi Kris,
I started out with two little leghorns, they were my true loves, then one went missing and a couple of days later the raccoons got the other one, my hubby saw them in the coop, it was absolutely horrific!
(I found the remains of the first one in my son's fort a couple of days later.)
My hubby and I reinforced the coop and then he brought home three more birds
Right now I have a tan orpington her name is cinnamon and a shiny black australorp named raven (also had a brahma something got too) They are now about 8 months old and we have been getting a few eggs here and there.
We also have three ducks too not sure how old they are they were kinda rescued from a friends dinner table they were giving us eggs too but seemed to have stopped for the winter.
I guess i'll just have to enjoy my egg hunt and consider finding the eggs as my prize.
Liz |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 18 2010 : 3:16:58 PM
Welcome to the forum, Liz! And I go on egg hunts every day around here. I never know where I'll find eggs. I think I have most of their hiding places found now. But alot of times when they have a new place and I take all the eggs, the next day they will not lay their anymore. They may be trying to go broody, too.
But I think generally chickens just think they are the Easter Bunny! Or at least that he needs their help. Just have fun and keep looking.
What kind do you have and how old are they?
Also I get plenty of excercise walking all over my place hunting. Keeps me busy!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
