Well, Farmer Nyel was right. The two amazingly tubular eggs were both double-yolkers. Granted, the yolks were quite small, but there they were yesterday when I cracked open each egg and slipped the contents into the frying pan. He thinks we have at least one more double, though it’s more of a normal egg shape – just bigger than the others we are getting,
These are all brown eggs and we continue to get one or two a day. We are pretty sure they are from the Wyandottes. For one thing, our other two girls are Ameracaunas who are supposed to lay eggs in shades of blue. But even more than that, we often hear one or another of the Wyandottes cackling and carrying on about mid-morning. If we take time to check, sure enough! There’ll be an egg neatly placed in one of the nest boxes.
The Farmer and I have both been talking to those Ameracaunas – laying down the Laying Law you might say. They hatched out on April 4th. Tomorrow they will be exactly six months old. Or, if you go by weeks, 27 and 1 day! The rule of thumb for beginning to lay is four-to-six months, but usually by 24 weeks.
I did read that, depending upon the time of year or the temperature, hens may wait until the following spring to begin laying. Hmmm. That would be almost a year of free room and board – perhaps more acceptable in the great scheme of things than turning out to be a mean rooster… but only barely.
As for the double-yolkers – not unusual for hens to produce when they are new to the work force. We’ve had other pullets lay double-yolked (though not so tube-shaped) eggs. It occurs to me that maybe that’s nature’s way of making up for the free-loaders like our Ameracaunas. Probably not, but it’s the only charitable thought I can come up with regarding the current discrepancies in our henhouse.
Once they do begin laying (and I remain ever hopeful that today will be the day), perhaps they will be more productive than the Wyandottes. They are all classified as “good” layers but the Wyandottes have the added plus factor of being “good winter layers.” Good to know, but with this current spate of Indian Summer, all those girls should be producing and cackling like anything.
As I say… hope springs eternal.
0 Comments