Australians - Where are you all????

[MyHaven]

I have an araucana quail

Very cool !!!!! Don't eat that bird.

 

[Redoliveberry]

I will not eat this one. She is in one of the breeder pens. This pretty blue egg was a one off though. First one from this hen. I got a pretty green one too, but didn't take a photo. My son requested it for lunch along with the blue one!

 

[MyHaven]

I will not eat this one. She is in one of the breeder pens. This pretty blue egg was a one off though. First one from this hen. I got a pretty green one too, but didn't take a photo. My son requested it for lunch along with the blue one!

That's one way to get them to eat eggs.

 

[Nicky-the-witch]

That's one way to get them to eat eggs.

Since seeing blue & green eggs (I thought chickens only laid brown or white eggs until I joined this site!!!) I cannot for the life of me figure why eggs at the supermarket are only brown or white. I can think of no better way to encourage kids to eat them, than if they were pretty colours.
I am toying with setting up "The multi-coloured egg company" to sell my excess free range coloured eggs to my local area - I will of course start small - just sell the excess at the end of the driveway with an honesty box.

But I am getting ahead of myself - my blue eggs are still under my broody, day 15 today!

 

[Anniebee]

Since seeing blue & green eggs (I thought chickens only laid brown or white eggs until I joined this site!!!) I cannot for the life of me figure why eggs at the supermarket are only brown or white. I can think of no better way to encourage kids to eat them, than if they were pretty colours.
I am toying with setting up "The multi-coloured egg company" to sell my excess free range coloured eggs to my local area - I will of course start small - just sell the excess at the end of the driveway with an honesty box.

But I am getting ahead of myself - my blue eggs are still under my broody, day 15 today!

Guess it's all about size Nicky. Frankly, I haven't seen a white egg on sale at a supermarket for years. All of them are light brown or brown nowadays. Blue eggs ( from EE's, Araucanas', and cross breeds that produce blue / green eggs and are bantam size ) would probably not sell at a supermarket. Too small, although they do sell caged birds eggs at 600 gms. ?? And then there's the bods out there who ask a lot of questions about blue coloured eggs - like " gee are the yolks blue too " ?? and a few other inane queries about them. Good onya for thinking to starting a stall ... can only do good, and EDUCATE people that blue, green and olive eggs are OK TO EAT !!

Supermarkets are such greedy bods, they wouldn't be bothered with something that might invite a lot of questions, and distract their staff...... !!

Good luck with your selling idea. And good luck with your broody who is doing all the hatching.

Cheers ........ AB.

 

[appps]

 Re : Araucanas.  

Hi again .... My little Miss Perfect - Mindy Araucana, ain't so perfect at the moment.   She's gone broody on me.    Still laying an egg almost every day, but refuses to leave her nest, pecks me when I gather the egg, or get her off her nest - at which time she turns around and gets right back in again.   She growls and crows a little while sitting.    I have had a look through BYC with references to broodiness and how to cure it etc., and have seen a few suggestions that are interesting, but most likely for me, not practical.  Like hanging her in a wire bird or cockatoo cage for a couple of days, or sitting her on an ice pack ?  Don't like the sound of that much.   Dunking her in a cool bath sounds reasonable.   Three times a day ?     


My thoughts are - for when it stops raining - yes it's raining AGAIN here and the garden, everything -  is saturated    :   

a)   tip her nesting box up so she cannot access it - she will then find another spot to sit no doubt, but at least won't fry herself IF the weather gets very warm. 

b)   put 3 or so  large dummy eggs beneath her.   She is a small chicken and may not be comfortable on those, so hopefully will get off.    Would have to do that while the nesting box is still in it's proper place, and the weather is chilly.     She could though, just get out and make another nest !! 

c)   take her outside with her food, water and treats, into her run - and shut the coop away from her.   

d)   bring her inside to the bathroom at night with food, water and nothing but an empty plastic cat carrier - or even the bare tiles to sit in / on - to cool her down a bit ?    She most likely would roost on the bathtub edge which I wouldn't mind - it would at least be cool. 

Please - any thoughts, ideas or successes anyone has had for curing broodiness.    

Would much appreciate it ....

Cheers ...... AB

Annie I saw your followup post too. Don't let her back in the nest at night or you will undo all that days hard work. I keep our nestbox locked at night so they have to sleep on the roost.

We have two broodies at the moment and 9/10 times doing what you are and keeping them off the nest for 3 full days and night is all it takes.

 

[Anniebee]

Annie I saw your followup post too. Don't let her back in the nest at night or you will undo all that days hard work. I keep our nestbox locked at night so they have to sleep on the roost.

We have two broodies at the moment and 9/10 times doing what you are and keeping them off the nest for 3 full days and night is all it takes.

You are right .... four days later, and it was all over. She was out and about, and not at all interested in finding anything resembling a nest to sit in. Thank heavens. NOW though, she is beginning to lose some finer feathers, which makes me wonder about a 2nd moult for the year. She moulted hard from late May through winter, grew her feathers back, and began laying again - just like a good chook should. Early/mid December, broodiness. Still wondering when there might be an egg as she hasn't laid since I shut her out of the coop. Prior to that, and during her first 2 days or so of broodiness, she laid an egg per day. Now - nuffin.

I blame the weather a lot down here ( Victoria ) ... it's been manic !! and I don't think the girls know where they are or what's what !

Thanks apps, for your interest.

Cheers ...... AB

 

[tillyita]

You are right .... four days later, and it was all over.   She was out and about, and not at all interested in finding anything resembling a nest to sit in.   Thank heavens.   NOW though, she is beginning to lose some finer feathers, which makes me wonder about a 2nd moult for the year.  She moulted hard from late May through winter, grew her feathers back, and began laying again - just like a good chook should.   Early/mid December,  broodiness.   Still wondering when there might be an egg as she hasn't laid since I shut her out of the coop.  Prior to that, and during her first 2 days or so of broodiness, she laid an egg per day.   Now - nuffin.    :/

I blame the weather a lot down here ( Victoria ) ... it's been manic !!   and I don't think the girls know where they are or what's what !

Thanks apps, for your interest. 

Cheers ...... AB

They often loose feathers when they go broody. If you feel along her breast it will probably be bare - this gives them closer body contact with the eggs and by default alows them to warm them more effectively. If she is no longer broody they should grow back. Sometimes they don't lay again for the entire time that they would have been sitting on eggs and brooding the chicks (sometimes they do) just depends on the hen.

 

[rexy]

They often loose feathers when they go broody. If you feel along her breast it will probably be bare - this gives them closer body contact with the eggs and by default alows them to warm them more effectively. If she is no longer broody they should grow back. Sometimes they don't lay again for the entire time that they would have been sitting on eggs and brooding the chicks (sometimes they do) just depends on the hen.

Thank you for that information, tillyita. That is very interesting.

 

[Anniebee]

Thank you for that information, tillyita. That is very interesting.

Adding my thanks too tillyita. Had no idea about any of that. Mindy has now quietened down - no more incessant cackling. Just have to wait and see how long it is before she produces another egg. ??

Cheers ........ AB