Just before it got cold this winter - I mean the first stretch that was real, single digit and not all of them positive cold - the eggs pretty much dried up and almost the whole flock went into a molt. The timing was exquisite and couldn't have been worse. Feathers were everywhere, eggs were nowhere, for more than a month they rarely left the coop and on the coldest days we left it closed up. It was a pitiful sight to see.
Everyone gets a pass on egg laying during a molt. They pretty much get a pass when its really cold or miserably hot. For the molt we stocked up on "Feather Fixer" and let it run its course. And, as you all knew would come, first there were pin feathers then there were full feathers then there were warmer temps and chickens out happily scratching in the run. And still no eggs.
That's when it started. For a week we talked about how we would replace the lot of them. The following week we got more irked everytime we went to the laying boxes. We were getting one or two eggs every other day, and were not pleased. Being chickens and all, they were all pretty much oblivious to our frustration with their shoddy performance, which which did nothing to enhance their position. They had just about sealed their grizzly (but nonetheless tasty) fate when, on a lark, De checked the little 'nursery' annex we added to the coop.
Oops... Sorry, girls... Nevermind all that talk about you getting up close and personal in the crock pot with sweet onions and baby carrots...
For now...
Col. 1:9-12,
Mark
Haha, we had the same thing happen here recently. We found a nest on the chicken house floor, carefully covered up with shavings, where those sneaky hens had been depositing their eggs instead of in the nest boxes. After gathering the eggs, I tested them in a bowl of cold water to see if they were still good and hooray! They all were fine. I guess the chicken house floor was cool enough in this cold weather to keep the eggs refrigerator fresh!
ReplyDeleteHi Mama Pea. We discovered all our eggs were good also using the same test. Guess we're going to have to be more diligent about checking ALL the hiding places.
DeleteRascals! Made for a great read though.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Goatldi! Yeah, we were a little embarrassed. Not sure why the nursery was better than the nest boxes, but we should have known to check sooner.
DeleteIt’s really a great and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us.
ReplyDeleteดูหนัง