Saturday, February 6, 2016

Sneaky Buff's

Well it seems like the hens have beaten us to the nesting boxes. The sneaky Buff Orpington Pullets have started to lay at 4.5  months old!

A brand new, still warm, Pullet egg.

I was doing  laundry and one of the little buff's was hanging around snooping in odd places. I asked Ralph if she could be thinking of laying an egg and he said NAH....she is just looking for bits to eat.
Well I continued to do laundry and the pullet continued to rummage around between crates and feed bags and boxes. Finally after hanging up a load of laundry I had to see what she was doing. Ah Hah! I caught her as she was climbing up from a neat nest she had made behind the extra box spring in some plastic bags. There lay the sweetest little egg ever! [I am sure anyone who ever finds their first pullet egg thinks this!] So we took inventory and checked out several places the buff pullets had been hanging around today. Pay dirt, we totaled three lovely little eggs.

The thing is we had figured 5 and a half to six months of age and the nesting boxes are planned but just not built. The wind damage to the Tobacco barn roof from the last storm has us working on other things. 

Still it is very cool to get our own eggs. Especially since we just bought 3 dozen from our Amish neighbor.

 The Amish Eggs on the left and our new eggs on the right. The Amish eggs are lovely and come from a flock that run all over a wooded horse pasture. The would grade large.

The egg production race has been won by the sweet little yellow chickens that still climb on everything! Now the race is really on to get the roof fixed and the chicken nest boxes in place.

 Humn herb flavored eggs?

Happy homesteading everyone.... 


 

8 comments:

  1. Gotta love those Buffs. Ours are sweet and curious and always talk to us. Anxious to see which of yours will lay next.

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    1. We found a larger darker colored egg with a rather sweet Australorp walking away from the hay Hollow it lay in so my guess would be it was hers. There are two darker brown eggs in the mix about the size of the Buff's. I would say they are all starting. The Buff's are the youngest and first though!

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  2. Congratulations! Such a fun moment. I recall that my Buffs started laying early too. They are definitely good layers and good mamas.

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  3. I love finding those first little eggs! That is early, all right - good girls!

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  4. What a delight to find an egg! You make me want to get a hen or two.

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    1. They don't take up much space and they are a joy....is there zoning for backyard poultry where you are? It would be a great step for you.

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  5. I miss having our own eggs. We may be buying 4 or 5 hens this spring.
    Enjoy the eggs :)

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    1. We are enjoying them. I would recommend Buff Orpington's for both their sweet nature and their adorable eggs!

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