Hello feathered friends at Hive!
Our chicken laid her first eggs!
Unfortunately, we are unaware that she is already laying her eggs in the grassy portion at the back of our house.
Our Basilan Chicken that looks like a fat crow 馃槄
How did we found out that she's laying eggs?
My husband noticed that every morning when he feeds them, she is nowhere to be found. But she is present in the afternoon's feeding time as well as she's in her cage in the dusk where she settles or roosts.
So one morning, he looked for her and accidentally found 9 tiny eggs in the grass below the banana tree. The week has been too hot in the morning and rainy in the evening so we're afraid the eggs were exposed to the harsh weather, unprotected.
We decided to relocate the eggs to her roosting area. My husband built her a nest made of box and some old clothes. I recommended to put some dry hay or grass to mimic the nest she made but my husband just won't listen. 馃檮
He put it inside her cage and place her in it. She didn't like it! . The following morning, she's back in the same grassy spot to lay her 10th egg.
Why did we decided to get the eggs instead of waiting for her to sit on them and produce little chicks?
Our hen decided to abandon her eggs after pooping on them. She didn't settle with them in the evening and instead slept in a different area. I also think that the exposure to the harsh weather before relocating the eggs will stale them.
The eggs laid in the grasses, full of poop and dirt
When my husband gave me the eggs, I immediately wash them.
It's when that I noticed one egg that is slightly broken probably made by a beak. Maybe she accidentally pecked it as she is a first time layer or maybe some other reason?
Reasons why chickens peck their eggs
One reason why chickens peck their egg is to eat it. Yes! Some chicken eat their eggs to supplement lack of calcium.
To correct this, we need to give them calcium supplement like oyster shells. We can also pulverized some egg shells and mix it with their feeds.
Another reason is boredom. When they are locked in the cage with eggs, and they have nothing to do, they peck their eggs. Unlike when they are roaming outside and can bit anything that they see.
A tale from the past
When I was young, we have chickens that did the same. My mother will tell us that they did peck and break their eggs to inform you that they did not like it when humans touched their eggs. It is a behaviour that means "nagtatampo" or like losing affection or interest in their eggs. Well, seems possible as they have feelings too!
Since the eggs will never become chicks, o decided to take good photographs to celebrate it as well as to have a good memoirs of our first chicken's first eggs!
The other chicken, a brown one is probably laying eggs soon. She is also 6 months, the time when they start laying. So as early as now, we already prepared a nesting box for her. She is locked in the cage with the nest for her to get used to it. They said that putting a toy egg will stimulate her to lay egg in that nest.
Well, when that happens, I'll let you know!
Thanks for reading and happy birding! 馃惀馃悢馃悾
