My First Week of Eggs

Hi all. I just wanted to share my first week of eggs. We have been getting eggs from our hybrid meat hen for 7 days now, and I'm pretty excited about the outcome. First I just want to say that I am surprised that our hybrid meat hens are the first ones laying. I thought for sure it would've been one of our other breeds of chicken. At any rate, we are pleased!

Our first week started the evening of June 17 when we got our first egg, and ends today June 24. I can't wait to get more eggs from all the girls! In our first week we have been graced by a half-dozen eggs! Woohoo!

Thanks for reading!

My First Egg

Hi all! I am over the moon to announce the arrival of my first egg! It is a cute little brown egg about the size of a ping-pong ball. I *believe* it was laid by a red meat pullet, but as I didn't see her lay it, I'm not positive. Here it is in all its cuteness next to a regular large egg from the store.

We have an old workbench in the chicken coop, and they all roost on the bottom shelf. I went out to do my nightly ritual of  making sure they have food and water, counting heads, making sure the overhead light is off, and checking nest boxes. I call this putting the girls to bed. Anywho, as I was putting the girls to bed, I spied a little meaty hen rolling a little Brown egg across the shelf towards me. It was like she was saying "Look what I did mom!" I was so excited! I ran into the house and told everyone! You would've thought I layed it myself.

I can't wait to find more eggs soon. I will be expecting the rest of the ladies to start earning their keep. Hehe.

Thanks for reading!

Getting Egg-cited

Hi all! I just want everyone to know that I am impatiently waiting for my first ever egg. Our older chickens are 15.5 weeks old and I can't wait to see that first egg. (And for these guys to start earning their keep. Hehe!)

For those who do not know, chickens can begin laying eggs as early as 16 weeks old or as late as 36 weeks old. (Oh geez! Don't let that last one be our chickens!) They will do it whenever they are ready and mature. It can depend on the breed, but it also depends on if you're getting enough sunlight. Chickens will only lay if they're getting about 14 hours of sunlight daily. We are getting ample sunshine here, our girls are just not ready

There are a few things people use to try to judge when their chickens are going to start to lay. Some people say if the combs and wattles are getting really mature and red they will lay soon. Some people say that if you reach for a hen and she squats and spreads her wings in a mating position they will lay soon. Others think that if a hen seems to be showing a lot of interest in the nesting areas then they will be using them soon.  My favorite is that if you hear a hen singing the egg song they will be or have already layed an egg. What is the egg song? Follow the link for the egg song. It's a short 30 second video on YouTube.

Our lonely nest box full of golf balls instead of eggs. :(

My hens have been through breeding attempts from our roosters, and we've heard the egg song once. We're keeping our fingers crossed and I will keep you updated! You can follow my egg countdown and others here at backyard chickens.

Thanks for reading.


Update: You can watch this video on YouTube of my own chickens singing the egg song.

April Farm Updates

Hi all! We're staying busy here at Edgington Farm this month. We've been planting and grooming our yard furiously, and we're not even finshed yet! I've found a little farm sure can keep you occupied in the spring.

In our garden beds and areas we have planted:

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Kale
2 types of lettuce
Swiss Chard
Peas
2 types of onions
Parsnips
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries

We still have to plant radishes, spinach, and arugula this weekend!

Our animals are all doing very well. Our first batch of chickens are almost 10 weeks old already! They should be laying eggs in approximately 10 more weeks (Eeek! How exciting!) We will be processing our last 8 "real" meat chickens in about 2 more weeks. But, we do have about 6 "packing peanut" freebie male chickens we will be processing in about 10 weeks. Our newer batch of chicks are doing well and feathering out nicely. We should be combining everyone in a couple more weeks.

Bacon is very content bunking in with the chickens, but unfortunately he is stil very hesitant about people. I am trying though!

Our ducks are coexisting very nicely with the goats. I'm very happy that I don't have to clean up so much after those little stinkers! We just wormed our goats and treated them with probiotics to boost their digestion. They're doing well. We are keeping our fingers crossed for some goaty romance so we can have a goat baby!

We have a lot of tomatoes and peppers started, along with a few other "mystery" plants I will be talking about eventually!

Come back soon as we are always up to something here at the farm!

Thanks for reading!

Cute Spring Happenings

Hi all! I just wanted to share a few snapshots of some cute little spring happenings here at Edgington Farm.

Nothing says spring like daffodils blooming.

Our 8 wounded and picked birds were doing well enough that I decided to combine all of our new chicks (except the still tiny little bantams) in our handy brooder box. 

We've been letting Bacon bunk in with our older chicken flock, and judging by this picture, everyone is adjusting well. This was bedtime, and everyone seems comfy and cozy!

These were some of our Easter colored eggs. We had lots of fun doing them.

Toby had a nice upsetting faceplant in a puddle. 

These little bantam chicks are like feathery little ping pong balls. They love being held too. So cute!

Thanks for reading!

Spring/Easter Wreath

Hi all. I just wanted to share my latest project. I made a wreath! I gotta say, I impressed myself on this one. Hehe. I'm sure, like me, you've seen all those wreaths and nests people make on pinterest. I looked at them drooling and finally decided "Hey, I can do that too."

So, I did.I started by gathering some vines and young saplings from our woods. (In the rain, during a flood warning-yeah sometimes my eagerness outweighs my common sense.) If you plan on replicating this, I suggest using wet saplings and vines. Mine had been rained on for a couple of days, but if you're not getting rain you can soak them in the tub or a bucket. It sounds crazy but they're much easier to work with this way.  Making this wreath (it's about 12" across) used an armload of twigs. That is no lie. It takes a surprisingly large amount of wood to make this thing, so be prepared. Once you get your stuff together, you can start weaving everything together. Start with the most flexible twigs first.

I made the flowers with my Cricut paper cutter. As for the eggs, we poked a hole in the bottoms with a pin and just sort of scrambled the contents as best as we could. The key is to poke a hole in both ends for free flowing egg goop. Carefully wash them out and allow to dry for 24 hours. Now just glue it all together!

Happy crafting!

Thanks for reading!

The Dairy Aisle

Hi all! For me, the only thing better than recycling and gardening, is recycling in the garden. I've stated many ways in previous posts how this can be done, but this post is a special highlight of a certain section in the grocery store. The Dairy Aisle. It's not just for making strong bones or breakfast anymore! 

When incorporating recycling into your garden, look no further than the dairy aisle. It is chock full of great items you can reuse.

My Projects:

1.   Drain contents from an egg through a small pinhole, carefully rinse, and allow to dry. Now use for decorations. They can be painted, speckled, and more!

2.   Cut a milk jug into a scoop. Use your new scoop for potting soil, feed, etc.

3.   Compost your spent egg shells. They are great for putting calcium into the soil.

4.   Use empty egg cartons for starting seeds. 

5.   Using a large gauge needle heated by a flame (don't burn yourself) carefully poke holes into a milk jug lid. Now you have a watering can!

Projects to Try:

1.   Use broken egg shells to start seeds in.

2.   Cut a milk jug not quite completely in half, fill with soil, and use as a mini greenhouse.

3.   Cut the bottom off of a jug and use as a cloche to keep your seedlings and transplants protected from the elements.

Be creative! What have you tried? 

Thanks for reading!

Nothing Beats a Bouquet...

Hi all! I just had to share my beautiful bouquet of...eggs!! Mitch went out this afternoon and brought me back a lovely carton full of pretty chicken eggs from a co-worker in varying shades like my own will be. He knows how to make me smile. :) Yes, I know. I'm a total geek, but aren't these eggs awesome? The timing is right too. We're having this yucky weather here in Ohio and I'm pining for warmer weather and lots of greenery. Hopefully this perks you up too. Maybe put some "spring" in your step.

Feast your eyes on these beauties.

*DISCLAIMER: These are NOT from my chickens. I've got a while to go. These were a gift.*

If you need more spring lovin' hop over to my friend Mary's blog. She has some lovely pictures of their 2012 garden. Just click on the link under the picture (also from her blog).

Homegrown on the Hill

Thanks for reading! Come back soon for tips on thinning out!