How are the chicks?

We have two hens from the chicks we hatched in the spring: Ginger and Amy. Both are at the point of lay -- we're expecting eggs any day now. Up close is Ginger -- looking fine.

Next there are the two that have been out in the coop since they hatched in early September. The one on the left with the curled up feathers is a Cochin Frizzle, on the right a Cochin that didn't get a dominant Frizzle gene apparently. Both will be quite small -- not sure if they're male or female yet.









Finally there is the silkie who lives in the house for now. We do take him out when we're working in the yard or greenhouse. The other day I had him in the coop with me, but the other chickens attacked him. Maybe he'll be able to assimilate when he's bigger? (But we're guessing he's a male, so what's the point?) Anyhow for now he's working out fine inside and still likes to sleep under his feather duster. Silkies are strange chickens and sometimes the males don't crow much. I really hope we'll be able to keep this guy.

Crisis in the coop -- we've got an egg eater

This morning I found a half-eaten egg in the coop -- the second this week. It has been several days since anyone has found one to bring in. I even had to buy a carton at the store this week.

Egg eating is a very bad habit for a chicken to get into -- and difficult to break from what I've heard. We still don't know who the culprit is, so we're taking drastic measures to stop this before it is too late. I took out the nest box they've been using and moved the fake eggs (golf balls) back up into the top of the coop where they were laying eggs last winter. Maybe it will be out of sight, out of mind? And we're checking often for eggs to hopefully take them before they get eaten. Also for the past couple of days I've been putting out more "treats" -- produce, chicken scratch, leftovers.

If none of this helps, I guess we'll have to set up a chicken-cam or something.

Update: Moving the nest box up into the coop seems to have helped -- I haven't found any more broken egg shells.