2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[miffy]

am I the only forum member having to buy eggs at the moment?? I have 1 broody, 1 who always lays softies and eats them and 1 who lays occasionally

[midori]

You need more hens...

 

We had five, 2 laying almost every day and three not laying yet. We decided even when all five are laying we probably still won't have enough eggs, so we have added two more who are already laying. (although one is a cochin so probably won't lay too many eggs... however, that excuse worked with my husband... )

[migsy]

I agree with Midori - just get some more! That will solve your problem.

[TheChookKeeper]

I had 3 original Omlet Gingernuts, and all 3 went off lay - in my wisdom, I decided they had reached that age... and I'd only get the odd egg out of them... so decided to get a few more.

 

I brought the "flock" up to 7... then boom! They all start laying solidly again - I now have 7 eggs a day, with one having a day off only very rarely!

 

I'm almost at the point where I'm thinking of throwing eggs away - I'm selling them to family, people at work (and at sisters work), give the odd box to the neighbours, and bake cakes furiously... but just can't get through that many eggs!!!

 

Be careful what you wish for!!!!

[miffy]

mmm sounds like a good idea, I think I need to sort out more safe space for them to roam without supervision before I can add more ladies to the collective

[Millihelen]

Slightly off on a tangent, but -

How do I get my mother in law to stop buying eggs and to get them off us?

Husband thinks its a generation thing - something to do with growing up during war rationing, so buying food in shops is somehow superior. Certainly our grandparents would have kept chickens for eggs.

Has anyone else had this problem - or is she just odd?

[MissMac]

We're buying eggs too. Mrs Bennet laid for a week, then stopped. Miss Bartlett hasn't quite come into lay yet. So we're eggless for now Two more chooks due in the autumn, so hopefully we'll get a bit of egg production happening soon.

 

Not sure about the mother-in-law thing. Your hubby could well be right, although my mother must be a similar sort of age and she's very keen to get her mitts on some of our eggs... if we had any

[cooker]

We have just had almost the same situation, had a broody hen, an ex batt laying the occasional softy and eating it when she fancies and just one hen laying! I actually ran out of eggs for the first time in nearly a year!....So, we bought 4 more hens,its the only solution....do it!

 

Rachel

[Bertrum]

My Mother in law has already stated "I'm fine with eggs from the shop thank you".

I think she is worried that we might feed our hens 'unapproved' food and this will lead to dangerous eggs. Maybe she will change her mind when she sees them.

[migsy]

My mother has no interest in having eggs from us (my Dad took some though). When offered our eggs (for free of course) she said she has enough free range eggs from the local farm. She proceded to make scrambled eggs with the farm eggs and complained that the farm eggs were not large enough (they looked big to me), having already commented that our eggs were only "pullets" eggs. Some people are just miserable! Let these people buy old eggs from the shop and save your own, fresher hens' eggs for those people who appreciate them. I've got friends and neighbours queing up for mine and my kids sell them at £1 for 4 to make extra pocket money. Mother won't get any more!

[Millihelen]

I'm so pleased its not just my mother in law!

She will accept them if I actually take them to her, but always looks a bit suspicious. Maybe I should put them in a Waitrose egg box..

[Snoxy]

My MIL will happily take eggs if I offer them...but she will never offer to buy half a dozen from me and would rather pay more for supermarket eggs I know my FIL eats them virtually every day although he shouldn't! My SIL wouldn't buy from me either but would happily take freebies...

 

Enough said

 

I love my friends

[dannablue]

Mine seem to have had their systems knocked for six with the hot weather. I had a fortnight were I would get 1 egg out of 4, or no eggs, or 2 eggs. Two went broody, one for 2 days, and one for 9 days! Now seem back on track with 3 eggs per day (the broody is crouching but not laid yet).

 

I tend to sell mine mainly to neighbours and friends - £1 per time, I put the £1 for each sale into a tub for the "girls" and I use this to buy more supplies...pellets, corn etc. or if they need any vet treatment (fingers crossed they wont) it could go towards that. They certainly cost nothing in food these days, they pay for themselves.

[Chickybocker Glory]

I do the same. I had to get more hens too, as so many people started wanting their delicious eggs. Worked with my husband too I now have 4 Italian quails to add to the egg production, though the eggs are very small! One of them started laying within 4 hours of arrival and hasn't stopped. What a star! Extending my WIR this week hopefully, to give them more range.

 

Having said all that about eggs, only two of my hens are layers as yet. The others are in varying growing states. Ethel is only laying every other day at the moment, so she's going to get Flubenvetised when it arrives, just in case.