Hatching Eggs / Paypal CHAT Thread

[kraftyladies]

Not at all. I toss whole eggs out (bator infertiles). They come running and eat them all up, and will go after ones that didn't break, but they quickly figure out that they're whole and leave them without ever pecking at them. They never break eggs to eat. They merely clean up the mess when necessary. When they get into a feeding frenzy with eggs, they gently stick their beak on the egg and try to find an opening, similar to how they drink out of a rabbit bottle.

I can't do that with any of my birds, they will start breaking the ones that get laid. I have fed them scrambled, and then fed the shells crushed up separately, so everything gets used. Not all of them have done it, but a few have. So now I don't risk it.

 

[chiqita]

I thought you had to roast the eggshells for the calcium to be digest able?

 

[Bettacreek]

No. People bake them to help dry them out and kill bacteria, but that does absolutely nothing for the digestibility.

 

[krazykat0373]

WV do you remember when you sent those last eggs? I forgot to put them down in my calender

and I know its getting close to lockdown

 

[cjwaldon]

I'm lazy, I just fill the pot and hard boil 'em. Quick and easy. I've tried scrambling and baking, but I just don't have the patience to crack so many eggs. Lately I've been cooking nine dozen eggs once a week for them. The chickens look at me hopefully when I go out with the soup pan, but don't go into the frenzy until they hear the crack of shell breaking as I roll each egg around against the pan to thoroughly crack it up real good. I also open the egg, breaking it in half, as I toss it to them. I've noticed they go for the yolk first. Sometime the yolk comes bouncing out rolling across the floor/ground with the hoard of chickens in hot pursuit. Nothing gets wasted. They always go back and eat the whites and shells. They clean up so well you'd never know they just gorged on eggs. If I don't get one broken well enough, they test it and look for the soft spot. Once one starts eating, all bets are off and that egg is ancient history. They also come running over when I collect eggs, but after a test peck or two, they wander off.

 

[BHep]

I just boil mine up too. Break them in half and bring them out...even the chicks go crazy when they see me with the chicken bucket. They eat everything including the shell, you would think they were staved to death.

 

[tdhenson86]

Wow! I didn't realize I've been gone long enough to miss over 800 posts...

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: x2 I just don't need to encourage that. Cooked eggs are different and ok. I don't feed them anything that LOOKS like an EGG. I have had a couple of pullets that would only go after certain other pullets eggs. It is a very hard habit to break a chicken of.... usually an ax will do it. I have seen them break an egg when they can't find a hole. If I find a broken egg or break one I take it out before they can find out it is yummy.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Meg, what is a hide box? Do I need one? I would text you but my phone is... somewhere, and I am here. Too tired to get up. or lazy? pick one.

A hide box is a box for something to hide in!

Since my rabbits are in hanging cages under a lean-to that is chain-link on three sides, they can rarely be subjected to severe weather that can reach them. So, each one has a wooden box with no bottom, meant to stay over a resting mat. If a storm is blowing, they have a place to go. If it's freezing out, it helps them retain body heat. And if they get scared of something, they can hide from that, too.

Whether you need one or not depends on where and how you keep them. Most folk don't use them, but I think they appreciate them.

 

[WVstruttin]

WV do you remember when you sent those last eggs? I forgot to put them down in my calender

and I know its getting close to lockdown

it would be in the PM's