Chicken Facts!

[pinkfeather]

Hey everyone!

My neighbor wants to do a short story (for the paper) about chickens and she asked me for some chicken facts; things that most people wouldn't know about chickens. Ssoooooooooooooooo, I was wondering if anyone had some interesting chicken facts for me to tell her????

Thanks!
S.

 

[MoodyChicken]

The record for the longest chicken tail is held by an Onagadori with a 30 meter tail.

Some eye drops are made with salicylic acid which is found in chicken combs.

If you close off a chicken's trachea, and break the humerous (wing bone), the chicken will breathe through the opening in the bone.

 

[bethandjoeync]

chickens can be great pets with benefits of eggs and compost additives!

not many people realize how much fun a chicken can be (I was one of them) until they have some

 

[mrsgibber]

Hello fellow Nutmegger! What paper is your neighbor writing for?

The first time I considered even keeping chickens was because I had overheard a conversation between two Mom's at a soccer game saying how one had gotten chickens partly for controlling the out of control tick population in her yard. She wanted a non-chemical method since she has well water...as everyone in town does.

1) They are great for pest control
2) They get the kids out from in front of the tv to the outdoors to play with and care for the chickens
3) They are the best pets because as much love and care you put into them they give back in wonderful yummy fresh eggs
4) Make perfect composters. I no longer throw away the tops to my strawberries, or the rhines of my watermelons or the guts of my cantelope, etc...they all go to my much appreciative hens.

 

[Judy]

Backyard eggs are lower in cholesterol and more nutritious than store bought battery raised. Mother Earth News did a great article on this.

 

[#1California Chick]

Well, one thing that most people don't know is that you don't need a rooster to get eggs!!!!!

 

[SpringChickens]

In chickens, as well as in some other avian species, sex can be reversed at an early age. Since only one ovary (the left ovary) is functional, if it is removed, the remaining ovary will transform into a testis. If it is removed later in life, the remaining, non-functional ovary will become an ovotestis instead (a gonad with some ovarian properties, some testicular properties).

I found this in my repro phys textbook in college; very reliable text by Dr. Phil L Senger at Washington State University.

ETA - I don't know why ANYONE would want to go from a hen to a rooster, though

 

[JenMT]

#1California Chick :

Well, one thing that most people don't know is that you don't need a rooster to get eggs!!!!!

Wow! That is a great suggestion, all of my friends ask me that one...."Don't you need a rooster for a hen to lay and egg?"

Also,

Maybe he/she could discuss approx first egg laying age of 5-6 months old and the types of breeds available....Egg layers (leghorns), Meat breeds (cornish X) and dual purpose (Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks etc.) and EE's too. Also, approx how many eggs on average one chicken could lay in a year or how little care and time they require for how much they give to us in return. I am always interested in some of the history of chicken raising. It has been around for ages. Good luck to you and your friend​

 

[pinkfeather]

Hey Everyone!

Some great suggestions here!!

My neighbor writes for the Reminder, mrsgibber.

ETA - I don't know why ANYONE would want to go from a hen to a rooster, though

That's interesting. But very true, who would go from a hen to a rooster?! To bad you couldn't do visa versa.

Well, one thing that most people don't know is that you don't need a rooster to get eggs!!!!!

That is a great fact! Just about everyone that doesn't have chickens asks me that!

The record for the longest chicken tail is held by an Onagadori with a 30 meter tail.

Some eye drops are made with salicylic acid which is found in chicken combs.

If you close off a chicken's trachea, and break the humerous (wing bone), the chicken will breathe through the opening in the bone.

And those are the kind of fun facts she (my neighbor) is looking for.

Maybe he/she could discuss approx first egg laying age of 5-6 months old and the types of breeds available....Egg layers (leghorns), Meat breeds (cornish X) and dual purpose (Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks etc.) and EE's too. Also, approx how many eggs on average one chicken could lay in a year or how little care and time they require for how much they give to us in return. I am always interested in some of the history of chicken raising. It has been around for ages. Good luck to you and your friend

Yes, I'll tell her how many breeds there are (I read like 150!), and tell her a little bit about the main breeds. Shes going to have alot to write!

Keep 'em coming!

 

[mrsgibber]

Cool, you'll have to let me know when the article comes out so I can pick up a copy. I don't get it delivered here in Bolton.