1 green (1S) 2 brown (1S,1L)

3 day total: 2 green (2S), 7 brown (6S,1L)
7 day total: 4 green (4S), 15 brown (12S,3L)

4 brown (4S)

3 day total: 1 green (1S), 7 brown (7S)
7 day total: 3 green (3S), 13 brown (11S,2L)

Looks like most of the brown egg laying pullets are producing, 5 small brown eggs in 2 days.

1 green (1S) 1 brown (1S)

3 day total: 2 green (2S), 6 brown (5S,1L)
7 day total: 4 green (4S), 12 brown (8S,4L)

2 brown (2S)
3 day total 1 green (1S), 6 brown (5S,1L)
7 day total 3 green (3S), 13 brown (9S,1M,3L)

1 Green (1S), 3 brown (2S,1L)
3 day total 2 green (2S) 6 brown (4S,2L)
7 day total 4 green (4S) 13 brown (8S,1M,4L)

1 brown (1S)
3 day running 1 green (1S), 3 brown (2S,1L)
7 day running 3 green (3S) 10 brown (6S,1M,3L)

Friday 1 green (1S) 2 brown (1S,1L)

Thursday no eggs.

1 green (1S) 3 brown (2S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1M)

1 green (1S), 2 brown (1S,1L)

1 brown (1S)

Saturday 1 green (1S), 3 brown (1L,2S)

1 brown (1S)

I reviewed production from 2008, specifically when the new pullets came into production - looks like they came on about 6 months after hatching. So barring photocycle effects should be 9 pullets laying small eggs - 6 brown, 3 green. Not there yet.

1 green (1S), 1 brown (1L)
Well I called it yesterday, some of the June cohort is laying.

Just about 6 months after chicks hatched they started laying, even with the low photo cycle.

1 brown (1S)

I'm interested to figure out which hen(s) are now laying. This new production is surprising, suspicion is that the young cohort has a hen or two that are laying. If that's the case I expect to find some small green eggs soon as the young americaunas begin laying.

3 brown (1L, 2S)
I think some of the June cohort are laying.

1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1L,1S)

Saturday 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1L,1S)

1 brown (1L)

Wednesday 1 brown (1L)

1 brown (1S)

1 brown (1L)

1 brown (1L)

Saturday no eggs

Friday 1 brown (1L)

Seems pretty clear one older hen is laying an egg about every 2 days, and every other hen is derelict in their laying.

no eggs

Wednesday 1 brown (1L)
Bought 50# lay pellets, 50# scratch, 5# flax seed. About $30 total.

Monday 1 brown (1L)

Sunday no eggs

Saturday no eggs

Friday 1 brown (1L)

1 brown (1L)

Wednesday no eggs.

1 brown (1L)

Monday no eggs

1 brown (1L)

no eggs.

Friday 1 brown (1L)

Out of town Monday-Thursday, limited data - at least 4 brown eggs were collected.

1 brown (1S)

Found a green egg of unknown age... given the temperatures it should be fine.

Saturday 2 brown (1S,1L)

Friday no eggs.

Thursday 1 brown (1L)

Wednesday 1 brown (1S)

2 brown (1S,1L)

1 brown (1S)

Sunday 1 brown (1L)

Saturday no eggs
Friday 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Wednesday 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Monday no eggs

Sunday 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

friday - no eggs.
Bought 50# lay pellets, 5# flax seed $19.93. Several of the older hens are molting, this explains the production drop.

Thursday 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

1 brown (1L)

monday 1 brown (1L)

sunday 2 brown (1S,1L).

1 brown (1L)

Some of the pullets didn't have white zip tie markers, now all of them are tagged as 2009 chicks with white zip ties on their right legs.

The 18 month hens are molting. So small egg production will be off for a bit... and they're getting old enough that they should be laying larger eggs.

Pullets could start laying in the next month or so, not counting on it until next equinox.

For perspective chicks hatched April 20, 2008 began producing eggs September 19, 2008. 5 months. Pullets hatched June 14,2009 - 5 months is November 13. Since egg laying is sensitive to photo cycle production may be delayed. I also expect the ramp up would be slower if any pullets do start laying in 2009.

1 brown (1L)

1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Tuesday 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (2S)

Bought scratch $10.99

1 brown (1L)

1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Tuesday 2 brown (2L)
massive storm Tuesday - 10 inches of rain in under 24 hours.

1 green, 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

no eggs on Saturday.

No swimming, feel like I've had a bit of flu the last few days - aches and pain throughout my body, minor fever.

2 brown (1S,1L)

Older Americauna was out of the chicken yard this morning, I chased her back after she had made quite a bit of noise. I think she's laying some eggs outside of the coop/laying boxes. Which is unfortunate because I have no good way of knowing which eggs are fresh and which are old. Given the rooster, found eggs could have embryonic chicks in them, which is a real bummer to find when you crack an egg into a pan.

2 brown (1S,1L)

The pullets are getting close to the size of the laying hens. They seem to forage, scratch, etc as a separate group from the older birds.

Rooster tends to stay with the older birds. From behavior I'd say he was 3 months old wen he was dropped off in June, making him 7 months now. In the past month he's become aggressive towards unfamiliar humans in the chicken yard, and I attribute that change with age and an associated increase in hormone production. I better be slaughtering him soon.

1 green, 2 brown (2L)

1 brown (1L)

bought 50# pellets, 5# flax seed. $19.93

I was out of town for 10 days. Chickens were properly cared for, no losses due to predation.

2 brown (1S,1L)

15 eggs saved during the 10 day absence, plus probably 8-12 eaten. Caretaker said they had good production, but then he hadn't been tracking it day by day.

2 brown (1S,1L)

1 green, 2 brown (1S,1L)

1 green, 2 brown (1S,1L)

swam usual

Saturday 1 brown (1S)

1 green, 2 brown (1S,1L)
green eggs 2 days in a row. I'm impressed that the ameracauna is producing again.

Thursday 1 green, 1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

swimming in a few minutes.

1 green, 3 brown (1S,2L)

Raccoon got to 5 eggs stored on my porch. Electric fence will be active every night until problem is eliminated.

1 green, 2 brown (1S,1L) first thing in morning. Possibly more later.

Here's another video, I commented on it as I recorded it on my cell phone.

1 brown (1L)

Swam usual.

raining tonight.

Saturday 1 brown (1S) laid in the evening.

Joyful little video.

1 green, 2 brown (1S,1L)

Bought 50# feed, 5# flax seed - $19.93. Filled 12# feeder (it was nearly empty). Will be tracking feed consumption, next couple of weeks.

Thursday 2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L).

1 green, 1 brown (1S) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

3 brown (2L,1S)

Swimming later today. Possibly more eggs too.

1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

1 brown (1s), 2 brown cannibalized (2L)

1 brown (1S)

Sunday 2 brown (1S,1L)

1 brown (1S)

it has been very hot during the day.

Swam usual (actually took a break at lap 23.5 because I was coughing and needed to clear some mucus, after i did so I finished out 35 laps as usual).

2 brown (1S,1L)

1 brown (1L) 1 brown cannibalized (1S).

I have some new video of older and 2 month chicks scratching and playing dominance games to post.

Wow, I've been remiss in posting egg counts the past week.

2 brown (1S,1L)

Tuesday 2 brown (2L)
Monday 2 brown (1S,1L)
Sunday 2 brown (1S,1L)
Saturday 1 green, 2 brown (1S,1L)
Friday 2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Wednesday 1 brown (1L)
swam usual (night swim season)

1 green, 3 brown (1S,2L)

americauna laid egg in cicken yard.

Monday 2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

swam usual. Weekday swim is over, will be trying to make Monday or Wednesday night swim.

Saturday 2 brown (1S,1L)

Friday 2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Wednesday 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

swam usual.

1 brown (1S)

Chicks are running wild - playing dominance games outside the coop, but staying with their age group - they know the older hens are ahead of them in the (literal) pecking order. I bought a second bag of chick starter (different mix of grain meals than hen lay pellets). That's going to be all the chick starter I get this year - it will run out sometime after the chicks are 3 months old and ready for regular lay pellets as their main feed.

I'll get some cell phone video of them posted here in the next couple of days.

2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

1 brown (1L)

swam usual.

Another marauder won't be returning. He ate 2 of Friday's cackleberry harvest before being trapped and dispatched to whence he won't return. Now to determine where the Americauna has been laying. The masked one had been leaving green egg shells prior to his dispatch I have some clues to where she's been laying.

Friday 3 brown (1S,2L)

2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

Chicks are leaving the segregated area routinely now. They get back to the coop pretty frequently, think that the rooster is intimidating them.

2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

1 brown (1S) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

swam usual

2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1S)

Rooster managed to get into the segregated area (to be fair he was trying to escape my efforts to chase him out of the coop). He needs to become stew soon.

Friday 2 brown (1S,1L)

swam usual.

4 brown (1S,3L)

chicks have been free to leave segregated area since yesterday. 4 were in the coop, 5 in segregated area when I collected eggs. There was one older hen in the coop, didn't seem to be abusing the chicks.

2 brown (1S,1L)

I've opened the segregation area so chicks can leave it, they were staying put when I checked them a couple of hours later.

3 brown (1S,2L)
Here's some video of the young chicks.

2 brown (1S,1L)

Sunday 4 brown (2S,2L)

I've let the young chicks out into the full size coop. There's one old hen in there with them, so the chicks should have incentive to learn how to run back to the segregated area when she pecks them to establish dominance.

Saturday 2 brown (2L)

Swam usual.

I've not found any fresh green eggs since the last raccoon predation. The old americauna is still getting out of the chicken yard.... there's bound to be a stash of her eggs somewhere, once I find them I'll remove those of unknown age and then start collecting green shelled eggs again.

3 brown (1S,2L)

Chicks are roosting at night. First night 2 roosted, other 7 huddled together. Now all 9 are roosting on a 2x2 about 16 inches off the ground. I've kept them in the segregated area... one of the americaunas got out today, put her back. I think she may end up being the new chicken that crosses the road.

Thursday 3 brown (1S,2L)

Wednesday 2 brown (2L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

5 week old chicks were put into the chicken coop yesterday. I had built a segregation area that does not allow older hens access, using some 1 inch chicken wire.

About 2 hours after I put the chicks out they had used their new freedom to get in trouble. The chicken yard is fenced with 2x4 inch welded wire. 5 week old chicks can fit through this size fence with some difficulty. 2 chicks were stuck, the other 7 were distressed and harassed by the older hens. Eventually I shepherded all the young chicks back to their area. All were fine in the morning. I may keep them confined to the segregation area for a week, once they're fully acclimated then let them have the run of the yard. By then they should be too big to fit through 2x4 welded wire.

3 brown (1S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L).

swam usual.

Sunday 1 brown (1S)

Brew Day
Solomon's Oatmeat Stout (Imperial Stout)
16# pale ale malt 1# chocolate male, 1# roast barley, 1# steel cut oats
4 gallons 130 degree water. Raise to 150 degrees at 60 minutes. Total mash time 100 minutes.

sparge 8 gallons 170 degree water

boil to 6.5 gallons. hop with 35 gm chinook 12.1% alpha 45 minutes.

boil to ~6.0 gallons
o.g. 1.064 (target f.g 1.014 - 7.4% ABV)
pitch 1056 american ale yeast.

I brewed this on my son Solomon's birthday in 1994, in 1993 I brewed it a couple of days prior. O.G has usually been over 1.074, I've had it as high as 1.095, mostly due to length of boil.

3 brown (1S,2L)

Thursday 1 brown (1L)

Didn't brew Friday, too hot. Brewing Sunday... Beer fridge is waiting on temperature controlled damper/louver to enable multiple temperature zones.

2 brown (1S,1L)

swam usual

Brew plans:

I'm finally going to get the beer refrigeration unit done. Was held up with zone controls - need to have it blow air from freezer section to serving and lagering sections at set temperatures. Will be doing some custom mechanical work to provide inlet dampers and fans under appropriate controls.

Should have it charged with gas before Saturday.

Solomon Imperial Stout on Sunday 7/19
(16# pale, 1# choc, 1# Roast barley, 1# steel cut oats)

Brewing Abbey ale on Wednesday 7/22 (14# pale, 2# Crystal)

The next 4 beers depend on having a lagering area ready to go.

Reverberator bock on Saturday 7/25 (15 # pils, 3 # carapils)

Pils #1 on Tuesday 7/28 (11# pils, pils yeast)

Pils #2 on Friday 7/31 (11# pale, pils yeast)

Pils #3 on Sunday 8/2 (11# pils, Czech yeast)

Party on Saturday 8/15. Will have multiple pale ales, ESB, Zot d'amour, pilsner, bock, stout on tap. Munchies... Possibly celebrate new work as well.

The 3 pilsners are in the way of an experiment, I'll get some idea of yeast and malt interactions. The Bock is also a new recipe, should be ready in October.

3 brown (1S,2L)

Monday 2 brown (1S,1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

Friday 2 brown (1S,1L)
swam usual

Thursday 2 brown (2L)

Wednesday 2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

1 brown (1S) + 1 brown cannibalized (1S)

Brew Day - Kriek
11 pounds Belgian Pale ale malt, 4 pounds Gambrinus Wheat Malt
4 gallons 120 degree water
Bring to 140 degrees mix of initial mash water, 160 degree water.

Sparge 8 gallons 170 degree water

Boil to 6 gallons. Add 6 pounds pitted bing cherries. Boil to 5.5 gallons.

Pitch 1214 Abbey yeast.
o.g. 1.060.

add 6 pounds cherries in cane sugar/water, wit yeast at 10 days. This will change the amount of sugar available, final ABV will be higher.

5 brown (2S,3L)

swam usual

Sunday 2 brown (2L)

1 brown (1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

Friday 3 brown (2S,1L)
swam usual

Thursday 1 brown (1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1S)

1 brown (1S) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

3 brown (1S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1S)
trap caught a cat Friday night, it was released. Caught raccoon Saturday night, it will not return.

swam usual.

2 brown (2L)

Friday 3 brown (1S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1S)

2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

Water heater is installed. Nice to finally get a shower.

4 brown (2S,2L)

9 chicks are thriving. 3 RI Red, 3 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 3 Americauna.

these chicks should be laying sporadically starting in January. By May they should be reaching full production.

2 chickens will be 2 years old then. Their eggs will be getting larger throughout the coming year.

I don't know if any of the 7-8 year old hens will be turned into stew. At this point their production is still quite good. I think possibly cull 2 hens in January... a flock of 15 is manageable in the space available though, and I may see how production continues with 8-9 year old birds next year.

Current Flock
2 SL Wyandotte (7 years)
1 RI Red (7-8) years
1 Americauna (7 years)
1 Barred Rock (1 year)
1 RI Red (1 year)
...
9 chicks.

Summer 2010:
5 SL Wyandotte (3 1 year, 2 8 years)
5 RI Reds (3 1 year, 1 2 years, 1 8-9 years)
4 Americauna (3 1 year, 1 8 years)
1 Barred Rock (2 years)

15 chickens... possible losses to maruading predators, possible roosters among chicks...

Realistically 12-14 chickens in summer 2010. I'd like 4 more Barred Rock hens in a young flock (3-4 year old or less) of about 15 hens in 2011-2012. 12 brown egg layers, 3 green egg layers.

3 brown (1S,2L)

Monday 2 brown (1S,1L)


Sunday 1 brown (1S)

Spent most of the day removing old water heater and cleaning up garage where it leaked.

2 brown.

No raccoon problems since the egg eating incident. Trap is being set nightly.

1 brown (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Raccoon ate some eggs last night - tracks are clear. These eggs were stored about 10 feet from the chicks. trap will be moved and raccoon will have an encounter with destiny.

1 brown (1S)

4 brown (1S,3L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Chicks arrived today. 3 RI Red, 3 Silver laced wyandottes, 3 americauna, 1 exotic.

Swam usual.

Sunday 2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

2 brown (1S,1L) 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

Rooster has been in the yard all day today. Hens seem to be OK with him, he has been attempting to cover them, haven't seen him have any success, they have an aversion due to ducks raping them in the past. I'll know if he has success if I start getting fertile eggs.

3 brown (1S,2L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

Brew day
Beyond the Pale Ale (Belgian Tripel)
17.5 pounds belgian pale ale malt
4 gallons 130 degree water - replace with 150 degree water after 45 minutes from sparge water being heated)
9 gallons 170 degree sparge after another 40 minutes of mash time.

Boil to 5.5 gallons.
22 grams Vanguard hops 7.0% alpha at 45 minutes.
O.G. 1.072

pitch Wyeast 1214 (Belgian abbey)

2 brown (1S,1L).

Rooster was not in coop overnight. Rooster was in chicken yard in morning, I tossed him over the fence and he hasn't been back all day.

3 brown (1S,2L)

Rooster was in the coop last night when I closed it up. He was still roosting when I opened it this morning, I promptly tossed him out of the chicken yard. He's been scratching outside the yard since then, crowing a few times an hour.

I'm going to list him on craigslist as available for free. Someone should want him for stew or because they like roosters. He's not in the coop Sunday night, so he may meet his fate from a marauder.

I may have a few fertile eggs the next couple of weeks. Will try to eat them within a week of laying. Eggs won't be brooded or incubated so there shouldn't be significant embryo development.

I'm half tempted to confine the rooster with the barred rock hen, as I'd like to have more than one barred rock laying hen - incubating 3-4 fertile barred rock eggs wold give me a couple more barred rock layers before spring.

2 brown (2L)

A rooster visited today - not sure where he came from, suspicion is that he is escaping from a neighbor's flock about a quarter mile away. Another neighbor "helpfully" put him in the chicken yard thinking he was an escapee from my flock - they also knocked on my door to ask about it and we both concluded he was probably from the distant flock.

I wonder if I'll have some fertile eggs. I didn't see him covering any of the hens and he was only present for a couple of minutes. Hens were quite unhappy with his presence and were pecking at him. He seemed to be healthy. His breed is barred rock. I will be on guard for his return - he may be excited about additional hens and come for a visit.

3 brown (1S,2L)

Thursday 2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (2S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Monday 3 brown (1S,2L)

2 brown (2L)

swam usual.

3 brown (1S,2L)

2 brown (1S,1L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

Thursday 3 brown (1S,2L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

2 brown (2L)

3 brown (1S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

4 brown (1S,3L)

Swam usual.

Saturday 2 brown (2L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

All three were laid before I opened the coop at 8:30.

The high production days last week were days with a 90+ degree temperature.

1 brown (1S)

4 brown (1S,3L)

Sunday 4 brown (2S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)
Swam - was a bit late so only 33 laps (1650 yards)

3 brown (1S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)
Friday 1 brown (1S)
Thursday 2 brown (1S,1L)
Wednesday 2 brown (1S,1L)
Tuesday 3 brown (1S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Sunday 4 brown (1S,3L)

4 brown (1S,3L)

Friday 2 brown (1S,1L)

3 brown (1S,2L)

Wednesday 3 brown (1S,2L)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Monday 1 brown (1S)

2 brown (1S,1L)

Saturday
3 brown (1S,2L)

americauna is roosting in coop again. Still not finding eggs, I think it is likely she is laying outside the chicken yard, now to figure out where.

1 brown (1S)
It's raining this friday. At some point I may try to correlate weather, diurnal cycle to production. I've got a belief that summer light cycles are highest egg production season. I think the data exists to support this, just not in my flock.

Thursday 1 brown (1S) 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

Wednesday 2 brown (1L,1S)

Americauna has not been roosting in coop. She's in chicken yard in the morning. And she is likely hiding her eggs somewhere. She exhibited similar behavior during the November predation saga.

Chicks will arrive week of June 15.
3 americauna
6 RI red
3 silver laced wyandottes.

Flock will nominally be 18 hens going into next winter. 4 old (7+ year old), 2 year old, and 10 less than a year old. My guess is production should be about 4 per day from the new cohort, 2 per day combined older cohort. Culling stewing hens - the old RI red and wynadottes should happen finally. that would put spring 2010 flock at
4 americauna (1 7+ year old, 3 less than year)
7 RI red (1 year old, 4 less than year)
1 Barred rock (1 year old)
3 silver laced wyandottes (less than year)

13 hens. 2010 get 3 barred rock.

Attrition - losing 12 of 18 hens in one year is not a good attrition rate. securing coop and electric fencing seems to work - I need to have reliable care when I travel or it seems likely that travel will mean losing hens again.

2 brown (1L,1S) one brown cannibalized (1L)

2 brown (1L,1S)

Sunday 3 brown (2L,1S)

swam usual

3 brown (2L,1S)

2 brown (1L,1S)

4 brown (2S,2L)

Running totals will resume on Monday 4/27.
Americauna was not in coop Wednesday night - she was on the roof of coop Thursday morning. It seems likely she is hiding her eggs or is not laying due to the recent predation.

Wednesday 1 brown (1L)
Americauna was not in coop Tuesday night - she was on the roof of coop Wednesday morning.

4 brown (2S,2L)

Americauna was not in the coop when I buttoned it up. I'm mildly concerned, have a feeling she's on the roof, she has a history of GTFO when there's predation.

I was out of town from Thursday through Monday. My neighbors were feeding, watering the hens.

Three hens were killed during the 4 days. I'm not certain if the coop was buttoned up at night - I do know the electric fencing was not used. I had a repair to do on the fence and it was active Monday night. There was evidence of a marauder last night, some eggs were eaten in the chicken yard and they hadn't been when I buttoned up the coop.

Time to take measures again and set the trap.

Interesting. I asked my neighbor about it and they tried to tell me I shouldn't keep chickens because it is drawing skunks. Now this is a fairly rural area in california and I have friends up and down the valley, all of whom have had problems with skunks at times. I really think that they are being defensive - excusing the dead hens on their watch by saying the hens are the problem. given I've been trouble free for 5 months I'm not buying it. I forgive them for the loss, they just weren't competent to button up the coop properly and shit happened.

So flock is currently 6 hens:
Americauna
2 Silver laced wyandottes
1 RI Red (old)
1 RI Red (young)
1 barred rock (young)

1 green egg layer, 3 old brown layers, 2 young brown layers.

3 brown (2S,1L) 1 brown cannibalized (1L)

3 brown (2s,1L)

1 green, 5 brown (3S,2L)
5 green, 33 brown past week (18S,15L)
2 green, 14 brown past 3 days (7S,7L)

1 green, 5 brown (3S,2L)
4 green, 29 brown past week (19S,14L)
2 green, 13 brown past 3 days (7S,6L)
Swam usual.

4 brown (1S,3L)
4 green, 31 brown past week (17S,14L)
1 green, 11 brown past 3 days (6S,5L).

Since I've been tracking size of brown eggs this is the distribution of 3 day production:
(6S,5L) Sa
(8S,5L) F
(8S,7L) Th
(8S,7L) W
(8S,6L) Tu
(8S,4L) M
(8S,4L) Su
(7S,4L) Sa
(5S,4L) F
(5S,4L) Th
(4S,5L) W

Small eggs daily 3 day production totals {4,5,5,7,8,8,8,8,8,8,6}
Large eggs daily 3 day production totals {5,4,4,4,4,4,6,7,7,5,5}

ascending order:
Small eggs {4,5,5,6,7,8,8,8,8,8,8}
Large eggs {4,4,4,4,4,5,5,5,6,7,7}

Small egg production has been increasing over the 11 days for which I have 3 day running totals. Large egg production is noisier, although it does appear to be trending up. Maximum production figures over 3 days suggests that all 4 birds in both cohorts are laying.

1 green, 4 brown (3S,1L)
5 green, 31 brown past week (19S,12L)
2 green, 13 brown past 3 days (8S,5L)

Thursday 3 brown (2S,1L)
4 green, 28 brown past week (18S,12L)
2 green, 15 brown past 3 days (8S,7L)

1 green, 5 brown (3S,2L) + 1 brown cannibalized (1L)
5 green, 31 brown past week (18S,13L)
2 green, 13 brown past 3 days (8S,7L)

1 green, 6 brown (3S,3L)
5 green, 27 brown past week (16S,11L)
2 green, 14 brown past 3 days (8S,6L)

3 brown (2S,1L)
4 green, 24 brown past week (15S,9L)
2 green, 12 brown past 3 days (8S,4L)

1 green, 4 brown (3S,1L) 1 brown cannibalized (1L)
5 green, 25 brown past week (14S,11L)
2 green, 12 brown past 3 days (8S,4L)

swam usual

1 green, 4 brown (3S,1L)
5 green, 23 brown past week
2 green, 11 brown past 3 days (7S,4L)

3 brown (2S,1L)
4 green, 24 brown past week
2 green, 9 brown past 3 days (5S,4L)

1 green, 3 brown (2S,1L), 1 brown cannibalized (L)
5 green, 25 brown past week
2 green, 9 brown past 3 days (5S,4L)


So I decided to track brown eggs by size going forward. I think I'll see that all the old hens are laying, just not at full production.

Earlier I looked at the weekly production data, arbitrarily said the young hens are producing 18 eggs per week (4.5 per hen) so old hen production is 6-10 eggs per week or 1.5-2.5 eggs per hen per week. That would put the older hens laying cycle at 2 days 19 hours to 4 days 16 hours.

1 green, 2 brown (1L,1S)
4 green, 26 brown past week
2 green, 9 brown past 3 days (4S,5L)

Tuesday 3 brown (1L,2S)
4 green, 28 brown past week
2 green, 10 brown past 3 days.

1 green, 4 brown (1 small, 3 large)

4 green, 27 brown past week
2 green, 11 brown past 3 days.

1 green, 3 brown.
4 green, 27 brown past week
2 green, 12 brown past 3 days.

swam usual.

5 brown
3 green, 28 brown past week
1 green, 14 brown past 3 days.

Full production is one hen lays one egg every day and a half. So in 3 days I should expect 2 eggs from half the hens, and 1 egg from the other half. So 12 eggs in a 3 day cycle is close to full production. It looks like all the hens are laying.

1 green, 4 brown.
4 green, 28 brown past week
2 green, 13 brown past 3 days.

Americauna seems to be producing an egg every other day again. She's consistently laying behind the feed bin along with 2 other hens.

28 brown eggs in a week suggests 3.5 eggs per hen each week. Full production should be 4-5 eggs per hen (americauna has laid 4 eggs in the past week every day this week beginning on Monday).

I'm going to assume the young cohort (4 hens) is laying 4+ eggs per week - call it 18 eggs. That means the other 4 old hens are laying 6-10 eggs between them, or 1.5 - 2.5 eggs per week. Given 7 brown eggs on March 5 there must be at least 3 older hens laying.

It will be interesting to watch production as spring turns to summer. I should do a count of my eggs on hand to get a large/medium breakdown. Will post on this later.

5 brown
4 green, 27 brown past week
1 green, 11 brown past 3 days.

1 green, 4 brown
4 green 25 brown past week
2 green, 10 brown past 3 days.

2 brown
4 green, 24 brown past week
1 green, 10 brown past 3 days.

Monday 1 green, 4 brown
4 green, 26 brown past week
2 green, 13 brown past 3 days.

3 brown, 1 brown cannibalized.
3 green, 26 brown past week
2 green, 12 brown past 3 days.

The juvenile rhode island red was out of the yard again. Still no sign of eggs outside of the yard.

1 green, 5 brown.
3 green, 26 brown past week.
2 green, 11 brown past 3 days.

I'm confused with what the one juvenile rhode island red is doing outside of of the run. She had been laying while she was out. Earlier this week she laid an egg which was cannibalized (or eaten by another animal - rodent, stellar jay). She's been outside the run on days that she would be laying, but I've not found any eggs fro the past two days she's been out (Thursday and today). I've done more than a cursory search for a clutch of eggs, so far I've not found any. Monday I'll try to catch her brooding during the day.

1 green, 3 brown
3 green, 26 brown past week
2 green, 9 brown past 3 days.

Thursday 2 brown, 1 brown cannibalized
2 green, 26 brown past week.
1 green, 10 brown past 3 days.
(suspect 1 brown missing - hen that has been laying out of the chicken run was out, no eggs found)

1 green, 1 brown + 2 brown cannibalized
2 green, 27 brown past week.
1 green, 11 brown past 3 days.

Tuesday
2 brown + 2 brown cannibalized.

2 green, 26 brown past week
12 brown past 3 days.

3 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.
2 green, 27 brown past week.
1 green, 12 brown past 3 days.

4 brown.
2 green, 27 brown past week.
1 green, 12 brown past 3 days.

past few days have been pretty consistent on number of brown eggs in a 3 day period - 12 brown eggs.

Swam usual.

1 green cannibalized, 4 brown
3 green, 26 brown past week
1 green 12 brown past 3 days.

Friday 4 brown
2 green, 25 brown past week
1 green, 12 brown past 3 days.

4 brown
2 green, 26 brown past week
1 green, 11 brown past 3 days.

Wednesday 1 green, 4 brown
2 green 29 brown past week
1 green, 11 brown past 3 days.

3 brown
1 green 28 brown past week
1 green 10 brown past 3 days.

Monday 4 brown
1 green, 31 brown past week
1 green 10 brown past 3 days.

1 green 3 brown.

1 green 30 brown past week.
1 green 11 brown past 3 days.

Swam usual.

3 brown
33 brown past week
15 brown past 3 days.

Found 3 hidden green eggs - americauna has been escaping the chicken yard, laying eggs under a roof in screened in porch area. Sneaky little hen!

Friday 5 brown
31 brown past week
15 brown past 3 days.

7 brown
30 brown past week
19 brown past 3 days.

no eggs from Americauna since Feb 11. That's over 3 weeks since she's laid an egg that I've found, and while she has laid outside the chicken yard before I've not been seeing her outside the yard recently. She probably will be laying again this year, don't know if she'll have regular production again.

Wednesday 2 brown + 1 brown cannibalized
25 brown past week
12 brown past 3 days.

5 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.

27 brown past week
15 brown past 3 days.

3 brown (updated - one egg was laid outside the coop - and subsequently cannabilized)
22 brown past week.
10 brown past 3 days.

Sunday 6 brown
22 brown past week
11 brown past 3 days.

1 brown

20 brown past week
8 brown past 3 days

swam usual.

4 brown.

23 brown past week
11 brown past 3 days.

3 brown.

20 brown past week
8 brown past 3 days.

Interesting coincidence in daily egg counts - this Tuesday - Thursday had the same saliy production as the same days the previous week.

4 brown

20 brown past week
8 brown past 3 days

Tuesday 1 brown
20 brown past week
8 brown past 3 days

another cell video of scratching hens. There's a little pecking order ruckus in this one - about 11 seconds in a silver laced wyandotte lets a juvie barred rock know she should get away from her. A different barred rock gets scolded by a rhode island red in the background a bit later.



3 brown
20 brown past week
10 brown past 3 days.

Last green egg was on feb 11. it's been 12 days since the americauna has laid an egg.

Cell phone video of chickens eating scratch.

4 brown

21 brown past week
9 brown past 3 days

No swim due to rain.

3 brown
20 brown past week (Sunday - Saturday, I'm going to change nomenclature)
8 brown past three days (Thursday - Saturday)

swam usual.

Friday 2 brown
20 brown Saturday - Friday
9 brown Wednesday - Friday

Thursday 3 brown.
22 brown Friday - Thursday
8 brown Tuesday - Thursday

It is pretty clear that several hens have had production fall off. Egg counts are consistent with all young hens laying and possibly an older hen or two in sporadic production. The drop in production came about 2 days into this rainy period, there's a correlation, not sure about causation.

4 brown
19 brown Thursday - Wednesday
9 brown Monday - Wednesday

Tuesday 1 brown
1 green 20 brown Wednesday - Tuesday
8 brown Sunday - Tuesday

Americauna hasn't laid an egg in the past week, although it is possible she's hiding eggs.

4 brown

1 green 21 brown Tuesday - Monday
10 brown Saturday - Monday

3 brown
2 green, 21 brown brown Monday - Sunday
7 brown Friday - Sunday

Saturday 3 brown
2 green, 21 brown Sunday - Saturday
7 brown Thursday - Saturday

Friday 1 brown
3 green, 22 brown Saturday - Friday
1 green 9 brown Wednesday - Friday

It has been raining steadily for about 5 days. This seems to have cut production somewhat - no green eggs (that I've found) for 4 days!

3 brown
3 green, 24 brown Friday - Thursday
1 green, 10 brown Tuesday - Thursday.

1 green, 5 brown
4 green, 26 brown Thursday - Wednesday
2 green, 11 brown Monday - Wednesday

Tuesday 2 brown
3 green, 24 brown Wednesday - Tuesday
1 green, 10 brown Sunday - Tuesday

1 green, 4 brown.

3 green, 26 brown Tuesday - Monday
2 green, 11 brown Saturday - Monday.

4 brown.

Rainy weekend, no swim.

3 green, 26 brown Monday - Sunday
1 green, 10 brown Friday - Sunday

1 green, 3 brown
3 green, 25 brown Sunday - Saturday
2 green, 11 brown Thursday - Saturday.

Friday 3 brown

3 green, 26 brown Saturday - Friday
1 green, 11 brown Wednesday - Friday.

Looks fairly consistent 12+ eggs over each three day period in the past week. Low of 3 brown eggs, no green. High of 5 brown, 1 green.

and 27-30 eggs per week over the same period. 24 brown eggs/8 hens - three brown eggs per hen per week. one egg every other day per hen. Peak production is on the order of
one egg per hen every 36 hours... this is 75% of peak production.

1 green, 5 brown

3 green, 27 brown Friday - Thursday - 30 eggs over past 7 days
1 green, 12 brown Tuesday - Thursday - 13 eggs over past 3 days

3 brown

25 brown + 3 green Thursday - Wednesday.

I went back a few days and am keeping a 3 day running total as well as a 7 day.

Monday - Wednesday 11 brown, 1 green

3 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.

26 brown, 4 green Wednesday - Tuesday.

cannibalized egg was laid by the escapee RI Red. it had been pecked a little, mostly intact. Not sure if she's cannibalized her own egg or some other animal did, possible a Stellar jay or a rat got at the egg.

11 brown + 1 green Sunday - Tuesday

4 brown, 1 green

24 brown, 4 green Tuesday-Monday.

11 brown + 2 green Saturday-Monday

3 brown

Swam usual

24 brown, 3 green Monday-Sunday

11 brown, 1 green Friday-Sunday

4 brown, 1 green

Sunday-Saturday 26 brown, 4 green.

4,4,3,4 brown past 4 days.

4 brown

25 brown, 3 green Saturday-Friday. Running total is now over 3 brown eggs per chicken each week. to stay at 25 will require 3 on Saturday, 5 on Sunday... I wouldn't be surprised to see total drop to 23 brown by Sunday... I doubt it will go below 22 until the old cohort stops... 4 young birds should be producing over 18 eggs per week in full production, and that is coming soon.

3 brown, 1 green.

24 brown, 4 green Friday through Thursday.

1 green, 4 brown.

Thursday-Wednesday 25 brown, 3 green.

2 brown

Monday 4 brown.

Weds-Tuesday 22 brown, 3 green.

1 green, 5 brown

Saturday 3 brown.

That's 22 brown eggs from Monday-Sunday, and 4 green eggs in the same period.

8 brown egg layers - 22/8 eggs per week or 2 3/4 brown eggs per hen per week. In truth I have my doubts that all 4 older brown egg layers are producing (this could be 22 eggs over 6 or 7 hens for 3.66 or 3.14 eggs per hen).

4 green eggs from one hen in the same week. I expect brown egg production to increase, green egg production to be 4 or 5 per week, probably a 4,4,5 repeating sequence. Brown eggs should go to 30+ per week over coming months - if the brown layers match the americauna's production that would be at least 32 brown eggs per week.

I'll keep an eye on the 7 day moving production window the next couple of weeks. One thing is clear though - I will be eating a lot of quiche in the coming weeks.

New beer fridge will provide freezer space for quiche. I also will look at custards and flans, I think both will be quite tasty menu additions.

3 brown, 1 green cannibalized.

4 brown.

1 green, 1 brown.

Americauna is back in full production.

17 brown, 4 green in the past week. I suspect coming week will be 19 brown, 5 green.

3 brown.

Weather has been quite warm during the days... I don't know if that has much effect as the photoperiod getting longer.

1 green, 3 brown.

1 green, 3 brown.

Swam usual.

1 brown.

Brew Day! Muir's Birthday Ale

11 pounds Belgian pale ale malt
1.5 pounds 60 degree Lovibond Crystal

3.5 gallons 145 degree water - initial mash temperature 130 degrees.

remove/add hot water/wort, bring to 145 degrees at 45 minutes.

8 gallons 170 degree sparge at 90 minutes.

Boil to 5.2 gallons

16 gm German Hallertau Tradition 2005 6.2% alpha acid 45 minutes
12 gm NZ 2008 Hallertau 7.4% alpha acid 45 minutes

Wyeast 1007 German Ale yeast (Munich ale)

o.g. 1.072 - target 7.5% ABV

Boiled a bit longer than intended. If yeast takes this to the same f.g. as last time I made this beer ABV will be 8.1%.

I've got a strong incentive to learn how to use my counterflow bottling setup. I tried bottling stout for the Sam Adams Longshot contest last year; one of the deficits in the bottles I submitted was lack of carbonation.... Anyway incentive: I talked with my daughter Muir today (her 27th birthday) and she asked me to send her some of her birthday ale.

This beer has undergone some modifications over the years. I made it on Muir's birthday in 1993 as an extract beer - I made 15 gallons then, and was making 15 gallon batches into 1995. What's amazing to me in retrospect is I was bottling, not kegging in those days, thankfully I had a stock of 1/2 gallon bottles that took crown caps. In summer of 1995 I started to develop an all grain version... changed a bit over time due to changing malt availability and decisions regarding hops. Always has been an alt ale, amber colored.

I've brewed since 1978, technically illegally in 1979, then possessing the beer was illegal into 1982. I didn't start keeping records until sometime in 1992 or 1993 - I have a recipe book that survives from those days.

I've got 9 beers in fermenters at present:
pale ale #4 2008 (secondary)
stout #3 2008 (secondary)
tripel 2008 (secondary)
zot d'amour (wit) #2 2008 (secondary)
brown ale 2008 (secondary)
ESB 2008 (primary)
pale ale #1 2009 (primary)
Muir's Birthday Ale (MBA) 2009 (primary)
Inaugurator Bock 2008 (primary)

Will be brewing lagers - experimenting with yeast strains, grain bills. Initially 2 brews with same yeast, same hops. Vary grain - ale malt, pils malt. 2 additional pils batches in February - pils malt, different yeast, vary hops.

Brewing another bock - maibock, using the helles yeast strain.

brewing an abbey ale, another tripel. probably a fruit or gueze using 2 yeasts - wit and abbey...

I love making beer.

1 green, 3 brown

3 brown

Brew day! Pale Ale

10.5 pounds belgian pale ale malt
3.5 gallons 140 degree water (Mash temp 128-132)
45 minutes infuse 3 gallons 160 degree water (mash temp 140-144)
100 minutes sparge

Sparge 8 gallons 170 degree water.

1 hour 30 minutes 15 gm NZ pacific gem (2007) 15.9 alpha acid

Boil to 5.5 gallons.
30 minutes 12 gm 2006 cascade 7.7 alpha acid
dry hop 10 gm saaz 2.5 alpha acid
1056 american ale yeast
o.g. 1.052

Brewing MBA Saturday - a Munich Alt ale, ~6.5% ABV german amber. Picking up 25 kg new malt on Tuesday... brewing plans for spring:
pils experiements (pils malt, ale malt) x (2 pils lager yeast strains) (Jan/Feb)
Maibock (Feb)
Trippel (March)
Abbey (March)
Pale (March, sooner if stock drops)
Stout (March)

Beer fridge should get refrigerant this weekend. 3 zones - freezer zone 5-15 degrees, serving and carbonating zone 35-40 degrees, and lager zone 45-55 degrees.
Active cooling and air circulation for the freezer and serving zones (fan will blow air off evaporator into freezer zone, and from freezer zone to serving zone. Lagering zone will have vent open from freezer zone if temp is above 50 degrees letting cold air enter). Serving zone will hold 16+ 5 gallon Cornelius kegs, 9 on tap, 7+ storage and getting forced carbonation.

1 green, 2 brown

Americauna laid her first egg of 2009. Going to be interesting to see how her production runs this year.

2 brown

Monday 3 brown

4 brown.

Looking at egg stock pile I notice that there are about 2 larger eggs in every dozen.

I suspect that the 4 young hens are producing a bit below full production, and one of the old hens is producing an egg every 2-3 days.

1 brown

Well that post earlier today ... Chickens before they hatch/eggs before they're laid. The two escapee hens aren't escaping after I secured some additional fencing high on the fence poles. There's a possibility that they've found a new place out of the coop to lay, tomorrow will tell.

Swam usual mile today.

which hens are laying?

Flock is
2 wyandotte lacewings (old)
1 RI red (old)
1 americauna (old)
1 golden sexlink (old)
2 barred rock (young)
2 RI red (young)

I know at least 1 young RI and BR is laying as they've been ranging outside the chicken yard and laying outside the coop. Some days there are 4 eggs - 2 outside, 2 in coop. I think that the other 2 young hens are also laying... which accounts for all of the production - 4 hens should lay 6 eggs every 36 hours, 12 eggs every 3 days when in full prodcution. 4 hens would have laid 36 eggs in 9 days. None of the older hens is laying, all are eating and taking up space. I suspect as the diurnal cycle gives more light that the lacewings will begin laying again.

Spring chick order (currently) planned as: (RI Red and BR should be majority of flock)
3 RI Red
2 silver laced wyandottes
3 americuana
1 gold laced wyandotte
1 Barred Rock

(5 RI Red, 3 BR, 3 Americauna, 2 S.L. Wyandotte, 1 G.L Wyandotte - 14 hens)

culling of 2-3 older brown egg layers will happen by the equinox - will determine which hens are laying and decide then. I think the americauna will be a light producer this year, but occasionally blue eggs will show up. I've got a soft spot for that hen - sentimental attachment to the chicken that crosses the road.

Winter 2009-2010 should have 4 18 month old hens, and 10 young (9 month old) hens. Production of about 4 eggs every 3 days from the 18 month hens, about 16 eggs from the younger hens - or a bit over 3 dozen eggs per week. Summer 2010 has 14 hens at peak production - should be over 2.5 dozen eggs every 3 days, over 6 dozen per week. No chick order in 2010 or 2011 - let flock drop to new chicks in 2012 or 2013 to begin replacing 4 young bird - 3 RI Red, 3 BR in 2012 or '13.

3 brown.

21 eggs in 9 days. a bit over 2 per day average. Would like to be up to 4 per day by end of February.

4 brown

Wednesday 0.

4 brown

2 brown

electric fence killed a rat last night.

2 brown

Saturday 2 brown

Friday 2 brown

2 brown

Wednesday 2 brown.