Bruce's Journal

[Bruce]

Today I was replacing a gas vapor sensor in DW's car. Neighbor across the road came over all apologetic because he had opened an envelope that should have been put in our mailbox. Just ripped the end off before noticing it was addressed to us (from the C.U., it is the mortgage bill, I wouldn't mind if he HAD paid it ). No biggie, really.

As it happens he is building a 2 lift garage with containers on either side. Had 4 piles of stone in front of it that needed to be spread, especially over the bolts in the front of the concrete pad so the guy bringing the containers wouldn't puncture a tire. Said he had more than he needed and he knew I was planning to get some stone to fill in front of the barn where the tractor and garden tractor live as well as at one of the entrances to the parking area. I guess some would call it a circular drive but that sounds kinda fancy for a stone and weed drive around space. So I'm good with getting some stone and told him "I have a tractor, why beat up your plow moving that stone?" We struck a deal, I got some stone and moved the rest up against and over the bolts at the edge of the pad.

While placing the stone in front of the bay the tractor goes in, I tapped the unstable pile of straw bales and scrap metal (sure would be nice to have depth perception) just inside the door opening. Yeah I REALLY do need to get that scrap metal gone! In any case, the pile shifted a fair bit and likely I'd not be able to get the tractor in without knocking it over completely. So I took all the scrap metal and put it in the outside scrap metal pile and started moving the straw bales. I discovered where Little Lana the Golden Campine (who was taken by a fox in early May ) had been laying. There were TWENTY FIVE eggs in a nest on a straw bale. She had to have gotten there from the back side and it was under another bale. She's the one that had been laying on top of one of the round bales in the stall by the alpacas earlier in the year. Guess I should have let her keep doing that. Silly bird, cute as could be, excellent forager but not smart enough to stay in the fenced area. Of course that didn't save Yuki since she was taken in early June inside the fenced area.

 

[Bruce]

Got one egg from Angel about 8:30 this morning .... and 17 from the 3 Easter Eggers at close up time.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Got one egg from Angel about 8:30 this morning .... and 17 from the 3 Easter Eggers at close up time.

Are ya saying those 3 hens "spit out" 17eggs in 1 day by 5pm?.......that's gotta be a record for something.....

 

[Bruce]

Well, either that or they have been at it awhile!

Yue wasn't up in the community box where she has been sleeping. She's 7 and I don't think her eyesight is so good any more. Perhaps she's afraid to jump up on the 2' roost and use the ramp to the 4's or maybe she just doesn't feel safe on a roost at all. In any case, she had taken to sleeping in the corner of the feed room under the ladder but that isn't predator proof so I made a cardboard box and put it in the corner of the coop. I'd move her there nightly but for some reason she decided to get up into the community box. I moved her from there nightly for a while but decided to let her use it after a week or so. She wasn't there nor under the ladder so I started looking around and moved a piece of plywood that was leaning against the outside wall of the alley and there was a nest of 17 green, clean but for the dust, eggs. I finally found her in the corner where I had put that cardboard box (taken out last week since she wasn't using it). I wouldn't have found that nest if I hadn't been searching for Yue.

 

[Bruce]

Found 2 more EE eggs this morning, one near the nest of 17 and one buried in the hay next to the cat litter pan nest that Yuki had used. Other girls have used that nest but this buring the eggs thing is new. Both passed the float test and along with one I found last night made French toast breakfast for 3.

 

[Baymule]

I have 5 barn chickens that lay where ever. They like the round bale. When I clean out the leftovers in preparation for a new bale, I often find eggs they have burrowed into the hay to lay. I even speared one on the tine of a pitchfork one day. Oops. I break them one at a time into a cup before using, just to look them over. LOL

 

[Bruce]

I wish I knew WHY they decided to change where they lay! Given all the moulting going on, I'm not surprised the egg count has been down but now there is another reason.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Mr. @Bruce, sir!

I meant to post this earlier, but family visits prevented me.

I am really glad that your neighbor and you were able to work out a deal for the gravel, as you both benefited. And it is good you found one of the secret laying spots for the chickens. How many chickens total do you have?

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Bruce]

24 girls. 4 are 7 Y/O, 4 are 5 Y/O, 5 are 2.5 Y/O, 3 are 1.5 Y/O, 8 were hatched (at Meyer in Ohio) 17 weeks ago tomorrow. I THINK one of them laid last week but hasn't since. I don't usually expect eggs until they are 22-28 weeks on average.

 

[farmerjan]

One of the reasons I have found that hens change where they lay is because the don't feel safe where they were laying. For whatever reason. And I had to keep fake eggs/golf balls in nests or they felt like they weren't accomplishing anything.... as in wanting to stockpile eggs to set on.... plus you may want to put drop cloths on the front of the nest boxes halfway down, as many hens prefer to go into a semi-lighted place to lay... it's a security/hiding thing. Then there is always the " who knows why I just wanted to go lay somewhere that you can't find them" reason.