First Eggs!
On the 29th January we got our three hens. We decided on three different breeds - a Splash Orpington, Crested Legbar and a Cemani. They would give us three different coloured eggs (blue, brown and white) and the Cemani is good winter layer (so I am told).
Having been beaten by the weather, they spent the first week in the greenhouse while I finished building their house. That was actually quite good thing in the end as they gave the ground in the greenhouse a thorough weed, rake and fertilise ready for sowing.
Having got them at 6 weeks of age, they were not yet ready to lay (usually 18-24 weeks old is when they start) but each day we still checked for eggs. I closed off the nest boxes at first so as to not get them into the habit of sleeping in there. This is a really easy habit for the chickens to get into, but a hard one to break. We don't want them soiling the nest boxes and eggs!
Knowing that the day was getting close, last week, I opened up the nest boxes and filled them with hay. Et voila, this week they have started to lay - admittedly not yet in the nest box! But I am sure we will get there.
Having been beaten by the weather, they spent the first week in the greenhouse while I finished building their house. That was actually quite good thing in the end as they gave the ground in the greenhouse a thorough weed, rake and fertilise ready for sowing.
Having got them at 6 weeks of age, they were not yet ready to lay (usually 18-24 weeks old is when they start) but each day we still checked for eggs. I closed off the nest boxes at first so as to not get them into the habit of sleeping in there. This is a really easy habit for the chickens to get into, but a hard one to break. We don't want them soiling the nest boxes and eggs!
Knowing that the day was getting close, last week, I opened up the nest boxes and filled them with hay. Et voila, this week they have started to lay - admittedly not yet in the nest box! But I am sure we will get there.
So far we have two eggs, both about the size of a 50p and both from the same hen - we can tell by the colour! They should be getting bigger by the day, and the other two should be coming into lay imminently.
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