Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Fancychooklady]

Mindy Araucana  has just laid her 4th egg in 4 days - and it is only 10.15 a.m.     ... This I cannot work out.   It basically means that she is laying in under 24 hours each day.  

The first egg was broken at one end, so I cooked it up for the chookies mash.   The 2nd two were perfect, and I now have the 4th egg, another perfect effort.   The 2nd egg was laid around 1 pm. so I figure she is going backwards with the timing.

Was always under the impression that chickens move around the clock, with approx. 25-26 hours between each egg.

If interested, could someone confirm that for me.  ?

............  

Congrats. It's 24 hrs give or take. The soft one probably didn't spend the obligatory 21 hrs in the shell oviduct, hence it was soft.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/2/formation-of-the-egg/

 

[Fancychooklady]

I've been up all night watching the Aussie eventers. So happy to see them at the top of the leader board , only the show jumping to go and only 1 x pole or penalty between gold and silver.
We had our first competition for the season , everyone was full of beans due to the boggy paddocks and lack of training, but at least the sun was out.

 

[sjturner79]

Mindy Araucana  has just laid her 4th egg in 4 days - and it is only 10.15 a.m.     ... This I cannot work out.   It basically means that she is laying in under 24 hours each day.  

The first egg was broken at one end, so I cooked it up for the chookies mash.   The 2nd two were perfect, and I now have the 4th egg, another perfect effort.   The 2nd egg was laid around 1 pm. so I figure she is going backwards with the timing.

Was always under the impression that chickens move around the clock, with approx. 25-26 hours between each egg.

If interested, could someone confirm that for me.  ?

............  

Chicken cycles vary as much as people's do. The shortest recorded was an egg every 20 hours, many are up as long as 30 hours.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Have you seen this Annie ?

 

[Fizzybelle]

Squirty my Rainbow lorikeet laughs this really evil laugh if you hurt yourself. I was outside recently and kicked my toe well there was a ouch and few other words and all i can here is her laughing,. Me yelling it's not funny while she continues to laugh away.

Parrots really are the jerks of the bird kingdom. Doesn't help it looks like they're smiling after they bite you.

 

[Fizzybelle]

Mindy Araucana has just laid her 4th egg in 4 days - and it is only 10.15 a.m. ... This I cannot work out. It basically means that she is laying in under 24 hours each day.

The first egg was broken at one end, so I cooked it up for the chookies mash. The 2nd two were perfect, and I now have the 4th egg, another perfect effort. The 2nd egg was laid around 1 pm. so I figure she is going backwards with the timing.

Was always under the impression that chickens move around the clock, with approx. 25-26 hours between each egg.

If interested, could someone confirm that for me. ?

............

Way to go Mindy!

 

[Anniebee]

Congrats. It's 24 hrs give or take. The soft one probably didn't spend the obligatory 21 hrs in the shell oviduct, hence it was soft.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/2/formation-of-the-egg/

Fancy - - - Re Mindy and her eggs....

The first one had a good hard shell but was broken at the top where it landed.

Mindy ( being Mindy ) kicks ALL straw or wood shavings out of her nesting box ... yes she actually uses a nesting box, and stands as high as possible for a last push.

With the less rounded end down, it landed on its head, and cracked open, just enough to have a) Mindy try to eat it, or b) gathered up successfully to be cooked for them all, which was what happened with that first egg - very little if any goodies lost. Husband happened to be just outside her coop, and he heard it land with a clunk, so he rescued it !!

Last season she did lay a couple of soft shells - like little water balloons they were and one or two broken eggs which she ate. But so far not this laying period. I thank the BOSS and the paprika ( and you ) for that - plus she eats enough for 2 hens, so is getting all the calcium she needs in her layer pellets.

Will have a look at the link you provided ... always interesting and thank you.

Cheers .......

 

[MyHaven]

Speaking of eggs just got my first guinea fowl egg of the season! Cant wait for more so I can start incubating.

Congrats
:yiipchick

 

[Anniebee]

Have you seen this Annie ?

No - have never seen that before, Fancy.

What an extraordinary video that is ........ loved every moment of it - thank you.

Read the other link too ... which is equally fascinating. According to that, the last part of laying is vagina / cloaca and it is there less than 1 minute ? Which makes me wonder why all that purring and shuffling around and pushing goes on for much more than that time. Until a hen raises herself up and out slips the egg.

I would have to guess she feels it all happening in the shell gland / uterus ( the link description cos I wouldn't know ) ... and now I am wondering if they have contractions.

Am guessing they must have.

Poultry never fails to impress, surprise and be totally fascinating, especially reading all the posts here too,
apart from watching my wee flock of 3. !!

Many thanks ........

 

[Teila]

Howdy folks

sjturner79 I am so very sorry to read of your loss

Congratulations on the eggs though, we have had a couple of 2 eggs days also.

MyHaven wow, those little D'uccles do not mess around when it comes to egg size!

Congrats on Mindy's return to laying Anniebee and also your guinea fowl eggs redguinea

Tee hee Fizzybelle loved the rude pigeon story with Esme laughing at you!

So, as you know, Chucky has been visiting every day for a few weeks now .. I have only ever seen Chucky. He is never accompanied. I have no idea if Chucky is a boy or girl but I am going with 'he' for the purposes of writing. I have hidden the pics because while I do not think they are gross, I do not want to upset anyone. There is no blood or gore etc, but there is a deceased Turtle Dove. Also, apologies if I am boring anyone. Nature is fascinating to me and I thoroughly enjoy the comings and goings in our garden.

Anyway, Chucky visits today, right on schedule but is not interested in chicken treats. At this stage, I am not sure if the chickens killed the Turtle Dove and Chucky found it; if Chucky killed it or if something else killed it and Chucky was taking advantage of a free meal.

As you can see, Chucky is about the size of a Turtle Dove but he was dragging the body all over the corner of the back garden:

Interestingly, after about 15mins of this behaviour, look who shows up ... Never seen an adult Butcher Bird here before!

Chucky spent the whole time it was there just sitting on the pot, watching [you can see him on the right of the picture]. He did not try and join it or chase it off etc, just watched.

Now I have more questions than answers

Was that Chucky's Mum or Dad?
Did Mum or Dad kill the Dove and then let Chucky have first dibs alone as a training exercise?
If that is Mum or Dad, how come Chucky has been visiting alone for weeks now and I have never seen this one before?
Why did Chucky sit and watch .. if it was a parent would he not join it? If it was not a parent, wouldn't he at least try and chase it away or leave himself?
I am fascinated that he sat there and watched. If he had not been dragging the carcass around himself earlier, I would definitely say it was a training exercise on the part of the parent and that was why he was watching; but he seemed to have it under control before the adult turned up.