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1. 10-17
   3:04
   am

   Good luck getting your hens to sit on your eggs. When we had chickens we found a lot of the egg laying type of hens seemed to have the broodiness breed out of them. If you don’t have any luck you might want to add a Silkie or two to your flock. They are so cute and they will sit a hatch anything. They would also hatch duck eggs for us. They make really pretty crosses with other chickens. Here is a wikipedia link.

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silkie

   Alison

   Alison - Reply
2. 10-17
   6:21
   am

   I am FINALLY getting eggs again. I had tried everything and someone told me to put a light on them for a few hours every morning or night. They just needed more “daylight”. Guess that person was right, cause every since I have been doing that…I have had eggs again after going over a month with none.

   The Jillybean - Reply
3. 10-17
   7:13
   am

   Yeah! Suzanne’s finally getting eggs. I may be getting some chickens soon! Yippee!!

   Becky - Reply
4. 10-17
   7:15
   am

   Hurray! You are finally getting eggs and they are even getting bigger and the color they were supposed to be…you are hopefully on the right track now and many more eggs will be arriving in your future.

   Shari C - Reply
5. 10-17
   7:22
   am

   Those are such lovely eggs. I’m still waiting for my first home-grown fried egg sandwich.

   Heidi533 - Reply
6. 10-17
   7:56
   am

   Perhaps the Ducks are counter-agents..thus why the chickens shun them..at night they no doubt have epic battles of witts and brawn until the wee hours of the morning.

   Blaze - Reply
7. 10-17
   8:05
   am

   You don’t want anybody “sittin” this time of year! Wait until spring. One of our hatchery-raised Aracuanas sat the second summer. She wouldn’t stop sitting, so we finally bought some fertile banty eggs over the internet. They came in bubble wrap in an egg carton by Priority Mail. We put all 12 under her and she sat three more weeks! Sure enough, we got 4 little babies. She was the BEST mom and has never offered to sit again! But one of the banty hens she hatched tries to sit about 4 times a summer. Make your nesting boxes out of 5 gal buckets, on their side, on the floor.

   Netherfieldmom - Reply
8. 10-17
   8:08
   am

   I just love those first eggs – it is so exciting everyday to see what the “girls” have done. For some mysterious reason my Araucana has given up on the whole egg laying business and is content enough to boss the other hens around and eat for free. I keep threatening her with a swift departure from this earth but my 8 year old steps in between us every time! He says, and I quote: “Mom she is one of God’s creatures and just because she is retired now does not mean we should get rid of her – we did not send Grandma away when SHE retired did we???” Who can argue with 8 year old logic?!?

   Kris - Reply
9. 10-17
   8:22
   am

   Maybe you can catch these secret agents in the act…. of laying, that is. Then you will have the mystery solved. Love the look the rooster is giving you. :bananadance:

   The Tile Lady-Marie - Reply
10. 10-17
    8:59
    am

    I know some folks that swear a “game hen” will set anything for you. I’m a bit suspicious of their game hens, I think they might be talking about fighting roosters/hens, but I’m going to get one from then and see.

    I second the silkies. They are darlings and love to set, but not at this time of year.

    Remudamom - Reply
11. 10-17
    9:35
    am

    You know, I bet they ARE secret agents! How smart of you to figure it out! Not so secret anymore, are they?

    Kacey - Reply
12. 10-17
    9:42
    am

    Your chickens are doing great considering they are young and you are the only mom they have known. They will catch on. My chickens are young and sometimes they lay very big eggs in strange places. As they get older, they are getting better. You are a good chicken mom!! :flying:

    Susan - Reply
13. 10-17
    9:43
    am

    Don’t eggs usually hatch in the spring? Bear in mind, I get the entirety of my egg knowledge from picture books for toddlers.

    Robin G. - Reply
14. 10-17
    9:50
    am

    yay for you.
    I reccomend for nest boxs a mixture of saw dust and hay (oat, grass or breadless wheat) my nest boxes are about a foot off the ground. But I want to make new ones soon. Some chickens are not good mothers at all. If you want good mama hens i seriously recomend Coachins and buff orphingtons. My 7 month old just hatched last week 4 lil babies(cross breeds)my Coachin hens are broody mamas alot and will sit on anything(currently 2 sitting on geese and ducks eggs)

    Erika - Reply
15. 10-17
    9:52
    am

    I LOVE chickens! Can’t wait till I can one day have them again. Enjoy your eggs! I hope you get more chicks.

    The FringeGirl - Reply
16. 10-17
    10:03
    am

    I used to collect eggs from our bantams (when I was a kid). Dangerous work with our crazy homicidal rooster Your eggs look fabulous!!

    Toni Anderson - Reply
17. 10-17
    10:13
    am

    We didn’t start out with chicks because our neighbor offered us some of their layers. We got a rooster to help protect them when and if we let them out. Right now they have a nice coop area in the barn where we can open a door for fresh air. All of us keep going out there to give them treats and watch them. So far out of 8 hens we have gotten 7 eggs per day but remember they were laying already. Three of them are promised to go to someone else though. We do have a light in there for extra hours too. The grandkids have been catching grasshoppers to give them and boy, do they love them. I gave them some worms too. This is so much fun and the eggs are delicious. In the spring we want to branch out with chicks, maybe araucanas. Blessings.

    Abiga/karen - Reply
18. 10-17
    10:19
    am

    Have you tried putting some eggs in a different nest box? Maybe the one laying doesn’t like that one. Just a thought.

    TeresaH - Reply
19. 10-17
    10:36
    am

    They are the most beautiful eggs ever! I love reading the comments – I can say that almost all I know about chickens I’ve learned from your readers! I remember Mom and Dad having chicks, but I don’t remember fresh eggs. And as I’ve mentioned before, I did hatch chicks in the nursery school room where I worked years ago. Bought fertile eggs from a farm (CA), kept a light, turned them, etc. What fun for the kids AND me! :catmeow:

    Nancy in Atlanta - Reply
20. 10-17
    10:42
    am

    It’s amazing that those chickens were once little, yellow, fluffs and now they’re all grown up and laying eggs. Time just flies!

    ML - Reply
21. 10-17
    10:53
    am

    WOW! That rooster is gorgeous!

    Blessings from Ohio…

    Kim W - Reply
22. 10-17
    10:53
    am

    Try putting a thick layer (about 3-4 inches) of pine shavings in the nest boxes. They like to have something to
    burrow their back ends in when laying. It’s easy to keep the nest boxes clean by just removing soiled shavings and
    makes for cleaner eggs. I just use a little hand shovel to remove the soiled pieces of shavings when needed. That stopped ours from leaving eggs on the floor.

    Gail - Reply
23. 10-17
    12:47
    pm

    You might want to wait until spring. You won’t be able to keep them off a nest then.

    Christine - Reply
24. 10-17
    1:06
    pm

    I am amazed that it isn’t just instinct to lay on those eggs. So glad you’re getting them though.

    catslady - Reply
25. 10-17
    2:22
    pm

    Double Agent or reject from the “Red Hat” ladies……also cruel and tireless double agents……

    cgReno - Reply
26. 10-17
    2:25
    pm

    The chickens are all growed up, laying them some eggs….I bet breakfast is an EVENT at your house now.

    Amy - Reply
27. 10-17
    2:36
    pm

    I have the song “Secret Agent Man” going through my head…

    You should put a hidden camera, an “Egg Cam” if you will, in the hen house. In fact, you could have a “live” link on your blog.

    Tressa Nelson - Reply
28. 10-17
    3:24
    pm

    I like your mystery eggs.

    Maureen - Reply
29. 10-17
    4:06
    pm

    I had the same idea as Tressa. Put a nanny cam in the henhouse.

    Tori Lennox - Reply
30. 10-17
    5:39
    pm

    Gorgeous rooster!
    It usually takes a while after a hen starts laying for them to want to set.

    Estella - Reply
31. 10-17
    5:51
    pm

    You could get Coco to sit on them, after all a dog’s work is never done!

    Susan - Reply
32. 10-17
    5:57
    pm

    :mrgreen: I remember getting to gather eggs with my aunt, on her Ranch in Texas, once, when I was young. She had a little chicken coup. It’s not REAL clear, but I seem to remember two rows of nesting boxes – one about my chest level and one lower…I was a young girl…so they couldn’t have been real tall….but I remember how FUN that was!! I sooo need to live on a farm. LOL

    Hey and the French would NEVER use a cold egg to bake…so there you are – fresh warm eggs!

    Donna - Reply
33. 10-18
    12:06
    am

    I can’t believe none of them will take credit for the eggs. *G* Maybe if you offer them a cookie? *G*

    Brandy - Reply
34. 10-19
    8:19
    am

    We used to have some ducks and geese. They weren’t any more interested in in sitting on their eggs than your chicken, but their eggs sure were big.

    Minna - Reply
35. 12-16
    8:21
    pm

    I finally had to pen up the chickens & ducks, cuz the ducks always stayed at our front door & would look in, hubby would say they are asking for dog food, he’d give to them; so they would surely stay. SO NICE TO GET THEM BACK IN THE COOP. Messy little critters! We love to eat duck eggs along w/ our chicken eggs.
    You know what I learned? How to tell the sex of a hen & a rooster when they are young…A hen her feathers are all the same length & the rooster his is uneven. This is best to know when you have lots of roosters of which you don’t want to keep till they are full grown; there’s lots of fighting, and at 18-20 months is best to butcher them for the stew pot, any later they are tough.
    Eddiegirl

    eddiegirl - Reply

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