Category: chickens

Moving golf balls

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, eggs

Last year I had a reader reach out with a conundrum: she had three nest boxes with a golf ball each, and somehow the hens moved all three balls into one nest box. I suggested that they nudged or rolled them and to look for a ledge.

Fast forward to this week, and I found my two golf balls in my two nest boxes both in the same box.

Photo description: two golf balls in a nest of straw

There is no rolling or nudging possible between my nest metal boxes.

Photo description: the metal nest boxes in question

So I did a little more digging with the search phrase “can chickens move eggs”. We are not the only people to experience this phenomenon, but it is not common. One person even captured a picture of a hen carrying two eggs! The hen tucked the eggs between her legs and body and stabilized them with her wings. That particular internet chicken forged while carrying eggs, so moving eggs from one nest box to another is certainly possible. Or golf balls.

Of course these two nest boxes are not viewable with my web cam, so I don’t have photographic evidence of my hen moving her treasures.

Throwback Thursday: egg aprons

On By CarynIn chickens, Craft

In February of 2017 I did an egg apron experiment for a friend with chickens. I made three kinds of egg apron from simple white cotton fabric that I had in my stash.

Photo description: white egg apron with woven rope tie and two rows of pleated pockets
Photo description: round bottom apron with braided rope tie, large pocket with two hand access ports and division seams along the bottom edge to keep eggs from knocking together
Photo description: harvest style white apron with buttoned up large “pockets” to hold eggs or produce
Photo description: same harvest style white apron unbuttoned

The experiment was interesting. The round bottom apron was hard to get the eggs out, the pleated pockets were nice, but if you leaned over too fast the eggs rolled out, and the harvest apron didn’t keep the eggs separated.

Now, with three of my own chickens and one or two eggs, I just use my pants pockets. Even when we had more chickens the aprons were more of a pain than helpful. Egg baskets are a more practical solution.

Eggs!

On By CarynIn chickens, eggs

The egg hiatus has ended and I am finding eggs in the coop again.

Photo description: two eggs held in my hand in front of the nesting box where I found them

One egg is suspiciously smaller and lighter than the other, and makes me think that it is perhaps a Faverolle egg. It has been one month since our Black Star hen laid eggs, but it has been 10 months since I’ve found a 54g egg. Wing Ding the Black Star chicken usually lays eggs right around 60g.

Still three

On By CarynIn chickens

Chicken update: I still have three chickens. I had a scare the other day, one of the hens tucked herself under the supplementary coop and didn’t move when I came to give treats. When I touched her tail feathers she woke up and was rather offended at being touched.

Photo description: black star hen and two Faverolle hens in the run outside the coop

Egg

On By CarynIn chickens, eggs

I was rather startled when I found an egg in the coop. The last time Wingding the Black Star hen laid an egg was in August. My two Faverolle hens haven’t laid any eggs since April. All three hens are about six years old and well past prime laying age.

Photo description: light brown egg in my hand in the foreground and a Black Star hen and a Faverolle hen in the background