Unsecure chicken perches

[Mandy]

We came home yesterday afternoon and I immediately went to the window to check my chickens only to see an egg in the doorway of the Eglu! How exciting - I had tears in my eyes! Very light brown with a few speckles and 37g. The only thing is - I don't know who laid it - Doris () or Flossie ()? Is there any way I can tell? Flossie has been sitting on the nest quite a lot since we got her but Doris was watching me when I took the egg out? I had it fried on toast this morning - my very first fresh egg! Yum! I've kept the shell so that when I get another one I can compare the colour. Do the Pepperpots lay darker eggs than the Gingernut Rangers?

[Sandychick]

Congratulations on the first egg! It's difficult to figure out who lyed what until you catch them at it. Once you get used to the eggs, you know who's is who's.

 

You might be able to tell who laying, by looking at their combs - if there is much difference, it's probably the one with the bigger comb that is laying first. Also if only one of them crouches when you approach them, that would also indicate the one laying.

 

My Pepperpot lays quite light brown eggs with a rough texture and a few speckles. My Gingernut lays darker brown, perfectly smooth eggs with no speckles. It could be your Pepperpot?!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Congratulations . That first egg is something special, isn't it . It should become clear either if the other girl starts laying a different colour or you spot someone hanging around the nestbox .

[Mandy]

Just went out to see them and only Flossie the Mrs Pepperpot crouched so that must mean it was her egg? Flossie has been spending a lot of time on the nesting box since she arrived - then she laid the egg in the doorway!

 

Doris the Gingernut Ranger has a bigger comb but Flossie has a redder wattle.

[Chicktastic]

I have 2 and 2 only 1 of them is laying and its a Her eggs are light brown and sometimes has a couple of speckles.

[Mandy]

Just got a second egg - 50g and brown! How exciting!

 

So the two eggs I've had are very different - the first light beige with some speckles and the second brown with no speckles! So which is the Pepperpots and which is the Gingernuts?!

[Chick-a-doodle-doo]

We found our pepperpot lays bigger eggs than the ginger nuts,

 

Not sure if that helps, could be just down to size of the hen!

 

Great to have your first eggs though.

[CheliiR]

Congratualations!

We recently got our first 3 chickens and the started to lay end of January and we were getting one a day with out 1st egg being only 3g - yep smaller than a chocolate mini egg!!! Then they started to pick up to 2 a day and we are now on 3 a day but can now tell which chick lays which egg.

[Mandy]

3g - that is so sweet! Did you cook them? Were they ok inside? Have they got bigger? I'd love to know who lays what but I suppose I will have to watch and wait! The gingernut was on the nest this morning so I will check when I go home for lunch! Exciting stuff eh?!

[polly41]

Hi i,ve not long had my lovely wee chicks. I have a french moran that adopted us and she lays but is broody at the moment! I,m very new to all of this chicken thing so would welcome any advice or tips. When will my chickens start to lay. My older one, the moran lays, the others (4) are about 10 weeks old. Thanks. xx

[Mandy]

I am new to chicken keeping too! I got my 2 chickens 2 weeks ago today and I was told they were 20 weeks old and would lay in around a month. I had 1 small beige egg on Sunday and 1 large brown egg on Wednesday and 1 large brown egg on Thursday so I don't know if they all came from the same chicken or if one of them laid the beige coloured egg and the other laid the 2 brown eggs?! Think it's a case of watch and wait...!

[Lewis]

Great news about the

 

[polly41]

Hi Mandy, maybe we can keep each other right then!

My older chick Gertie usually has her own shed and doesnt venture in the others house but last night there she was roosting on the bar in their house. dont know who was most shocked me or the other chickens. Anyways this morning they all looked fine so maybe they are all friends again now! Gertie does tend to bully them so will watch and see.

We had our first egg from Gertie a few weeks ago. It was like magic, nothing there one minute and a nice egg the next, was great.

Does anyone know what treats the chickens will eat, have tried some apple and cabbage but they are not impressed!

Enjoy your days.

[Mandy]

I tried apples, tomatoes, lettuce, sultanas, wholemeal bread, brussel sprouts (outside leaves) and even boiled up peelings. The chickens liked the bread and the tomato but weren't keen on the rest. I had read they liked pasta so we cooked some extra and well - they loved it! Plain, boiled spaghetti! We used it to get them back into their run too!! They also liked sweetcorn (on the cob) very much too and dry corn from the pet shop. We are worming them at the moment so no treats for a week . I only give them their treats in the afternoon too as otherwise they will not eat their proper feed that contains all the nutrients! Oh and I am saving their egg shells as apparently you bake then crush them and they like that? Hope this gives you some ideas for their menu

[polly41]

Hi, we,ve got an egg, wahoo. Its not from Gertie bcos hers are big brown ones. This is just a little thing, probably from Betty. Going to try them with some grated carrot today.

Seem to have taken Gerties mind off brooding by not letting her in her house. so i hope thats sorted. The others werent best pleased that she went in theirs but hey theyve got to learn to share!

Where do you get all your info Mandy. Ive looked at loads of websites but could do with just one good one. Some give conflicting information and its easy to confuse me!

Well am off to egg hunt again now and see how the carrot goes down.

polly

[Mandy]

Hi Polly

I get lots of info from posts on this forum but I also have lots of chicken books including the Haynes Manual! I have found though that chicken keeping is one big learning curve and a bit of trial and error! My two chickens must be happy enough though as I'm now getting 2 eggs per day! Just wish I knew which one was laying which egg though! On Saturday we watched them but when one went in to lay the egg - they both went in - so I was still none the wiser! One is laying slightly larger, browner eggs than the other.

[Mollie333]

Hi Mandy,

 

 

Congratulations on your first egg, keeping the shell is a very good idea, and if you carry on getting speccled eggs i persume its from your pepperpott, i always thought Lay shop coloured eggs?- all mine do.

 

Goodluck of finding the owner of this egg

 

 

x

[Mandy]

Mollie

I don't think I'm ever going to find out as they follow each other around like siamese twins! Also, the eggs are coming thick and fast ie one in the morning and one at lunchtime sometimes they are a bit bigger or smaller and sometimes a bit lighter or darker but they are all slightly different from each other if you see what I mean?!! The very first egg was completely different for some reason - much smaller and much lighter so I guess a chicken can lay different coloured and sized eggs!