The chickens live in their coop overnight, and then I let them out each morning around 10:00. The idea is to let the hens lay in the nest boxes and not somewhere out in the yard. And most of them do. But one morning, as I was collecting the eggs, I heard heavy footsteps running by. Looking out the door I saw a hen running past the coop. Heavy footsteps. An 8lb hen. Really? Too funny! I watched her go into the neighbor’s woods and figured that she was laying there. Very determined heavy footsteps! After collecting the rest of the eggs I looked for her, but didn’t find her.
Two days later when I was collecting eggs, I again heard the determined, heavy footsteps running by. This time I followed her to the nest. That’s a picture of it above. And with three different colors of eggs in the nest, apparently the she is not the only one laying there! There were about 15 eggs. Some of the eggs had leaf stains on them. Kind of cool. In the kitchen, I checked the eggs to avoid any very old stinky ones, and they were all relatively fresh. I used the Do-the-Eggs-Sink-in-the-Water test. Here’s how: Gently place an egg in a bowl filled with at least three inches of water. If the egg sinks, it is a good one. If it floats, it is bad. Throw it away very carefully! The in between eggs, ones that tip up, are stale. I have not noticed a different taste in these, but I usually boil them for hard boiled eggs because stale eggs peel MUCH easier than fresh ones. It has to do with the air that gets in between the egg and the shell. (It’s the same reason that some eggs float or tip. The shell is permeable and the air has had time seep in. The more air, the more time the egg has been sitting around getting old.)
I mentioned the different color eggs in the nest. Different breeds lay different colored eggs. Just the shell is different, not the inside. I think it’s fun putting eggs in a carton and seeing all the different colors. The greenish ones are laid by ‘Americana’ or ‘Easter Egger’ hens. Many different breeds lay the brown eggs. Actually, the one hen I have that lays light brown eggs is supposed to be an Americana hen, which are bred only for color of eggs. I have one Barnvelder who lays very brown eggs. They are my favorite. I got her through Leann’s Adopt Me Bargain at Meyer’s Hatchery. They sell any little chicks who have hatched late in a bundle for a discount. Barnvelders are expensive and beautiful, so I got a treat in that Bargain! I also have several White Leghorns who are prolific layers. My neighbor was selling some for a friend, and I got five. They are the ones who started a cool new roosting trend.
Here are the very nice roosts we provided for our hens.
Here is where the hens actually roost. The rafters of the coop.
Leghorns are light birds, bred only for egg laying. The others we have are dual purpose breeds. They are relatively heavy. They used the roosts until we got the leghorns, who promptly flew to the highest point they could. I am still surprised that the heavier breeds can make it up there. Our nice roosts do get used as a stepping stone to the rafters, so they’re not a complete loss!
The chicks outside in the smaller coop.
The picture below: Our little pond, the smaller coop, our little barn
