Meat bird breeds

[ChickenCanoe]

...

Also If it were me getting large numbers of eggs like that I would be seriously trying to figure out why... Starting with an isolation cage to establish egg production for each hen.

deb

That's a splendid idea.

 

[perchie.girl]

I have seen two eggs a day out of my hens many times. I'm not saying it's common but certainly not rare. I have even seen it with Leghorns, flock of x birds lays x eggs every day and one day you get X+1. Not frequently, but it happens. My game chickens stay in pairs, and more times than I can count, I have seen more than one egg per 24 hour period. I have seen clutches of ten or twelve eggs laid in less than 10 or 12 days, I have gone out and picked an egg out of a pen that had an egg the day before and went back and picked another that evening. I don't believe my cocks are laying eggs. If you have had 30 breeds for 30 years, and you haven't had more than 1 egg a day at some point, I would say that it is likely that none of those breeds were capable of laying more than 1 egg a day. I would also say that the eggheads that wrote all of those studies about chicken reproduction, didn't study enough breeds of chickens, or didn't study them long enough.

I will gladly sell you one for a thousand dollars, but I will go ahead and warn you, I doubt you will make millions in the egg business. While these girls will spurt out a lot of eggs in a short time, if their feet get too warm, they are going to shut down and start setting. If their feet get too cold, they will stop laying, too.

I think they key word here is Not Frequently. I have heard of chickens getting out of cycle... Laying an egg in the morning then another in the evening.... but thats just it.... occasionally

 

[perchie.girl]

The process of laying an egg is pretty simple.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/65372/avian-reproductive-systemfemale

The following excerpt is from the article above

""The next section of the oviduct is the shell gland (or uterus), which is 4 to 5 inches long. In this section, the shell forms on the egg. The shell largely is made of calcium carbonate. The hen's body mobilizes 8 to 10 percent of body calcium from its bones to make the egg's shell. Bone calcium provides 47 percent of the calcium required to make a shell, and the hen's diet provides the remainder. Pigment deposition, if there is any, occurs in the shell gland. The egg remains here for 20 or more hours.""

I am a researcher by nature and strive to follow up with sources of information. Blanket statements even from known experts are questioned by me... I will quietly dig till I am satisfied.. I usually don't make waves one way or another.

deb

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The only way it can happen is if ovulation occurs before the previous egg is laid. It is usually an hour or days after the previous egg is laid. Typically, with prolific layers, ovulation is between 30 and 75 minutes after the previous egg is laid.

A hen's uterus is only 4 inches long and the egg spends about 20 hours there.

If there is room for 2 eggs in the uterus, I can't imagine how much dietary calcium a hen would need to consume to build 2 egg shells a day. Only about 60% of calcium in the diet makes it into an egg shell so it takes about 4 grams in the diet for one egg.
She deposits 10% of the calcium in her body every time she builds an egg shell. Imagine the wear and tear on her medullary bones if she had to deposit 20% of all the calcium in her body every day.

 

[perchie.girl]

Thanks Bossroo!

I would agree that it is not cost effective at least in the beginning to my way of thinking but it is the idea of knowing what they eat, and are processed humane in the end. My plan is to have two separate birds for egg production and one breed for meat production. SInce I am an extreme newbie and have no flock as yet I am reading and learning as much as I can about how to properly care for these creatures. I so value the advise of those of you who are doing all of this successfully and since I am a Nurse Practitioner I of course want them healthy at the end of the day. I will research to death and read as much as I can but experience counts!!!!!! I bought a property with 3 acres and no HOA to be able to have chickens. So once the house is built a site for my girls will be done. Thanks to all of you for giving me your thoughts it is soooooo appreciated!

Jennifer

I think this is first and foremost the reason for raising your own. especially these days of Contaminated food in general.
I am on a fixed income not living at home right now but my plans are to raise Guinea Fowl for an income producer and chickens for eggs and meat. And a few ducks for my red meat production.

You can use Duck meat for making Proscheuto, Pastrami, and even Corn it like corned beef. As well as Muscovy ducks dress out at about ten to thirteen pounds. Duck eggs are awesome for baking too.

Yes Zoning is important Look it up. Here in San Diego County I have eighteen acres but due to a county wide issue a ban on roosters (a limit on how many you can have per parcel size ) and the way they are kept is in force. (subject matter is banned here on BYC)

You have some heavy hitters here on this thread right now. @ChickenCanoe Has forgotten more than I will EVER know.

deb

 

[varidgerunner]

I get the whole concept of how long the process takes. But if chickens only ovulate once per 24 hours, how come we get double yolk eggs? Or is that another myth that never happens according to the experts? Is it not concievable that if a chicken can drop two yolks in one shell, that they couldn't drop two yolks in two shells. My chickens have large bones. Their bones are typically marrow filled and not hollow. Their eggs tend to be very hard shelled, similar to guineas, if you drop them off the counter, they may not break when they hit linoleum. I have never seen a double yolk, but I have seen two eggs in a pen with one hen, MANY times.

 

[perchie.girl]

I get the whole concept of how long the process takes. But if chickens only ovulate once per 24 hours, how come we get double yolk eggs? Or is that another myth that never happens according to the experts? Is it not concievable that if a chicken can drop two yolks in one shell, that they couldn't drop two yolks in two shells. My chickens have large bones. Their bones are typically marrow filled and not hollow. Their eggs tend to be very hard shelled, similar to guineas, if you drop them off the counter, they may not break when they hit linoleum. I have never seen a double yolk, but I have seen two eggs in a pen with one hen, MANY times.

double yolkers happen when in the course of ovulation two ova are excreted. Happens occasionally with humans...

Unfortunately with chickens its a death sentince for developing chicks.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

To the OP My apologies for hijacking your thread.... There are sevearl threads here at BYC about raising Meat birds. Or Cornish Crosses. I find one of them very interesting and that involves using Fermented feed.

Its a bit more work to ferment feed but it cuts costs down because they are getting more nutrition. Allowing them to forage and move around more helps with the ikk factor for raising Meaties.

deb

 

[varidgerunner]

So why is a double yolk a "death sentence"?

 

[perchie.girl]

So why is a double yolk a "death sentence"?

99 percent of the time both chicks die in the shell. not enough room to turn around to zip and the air cell is dominated by one. If hatching occurs one will die because it cant get out and suffocates.

There are people who are experimenting with assisted hatching and have been successful.... but it takes careful handling and the knowledge to not go too far too quickly.

deb