Chicken folklore, also known as old wive's tales

[dacjohns]

There is so much knowledge and experience out there in Backyard Chicken Land.

What I am looking for is folklore about chickens.

What I am considering folklore are things that are passed down usually by word of mouth and does not really have any scientific proof to back it up.

If something does have scientific proof I would sure like to see a reference.

Thanks all.


To start off:

If you put iodine in the chicks drinking water they won't peck each other.

Thunder will cause a hen to stop laying.

 

[MsBentleyboy]

I've heard you can tell if a chick is male or female by placing two fingers under their chin and letting their feet dangle. If the feet move in towards their body it's a pullet and if they just hang there... it's a cockrel.

I've never tried this.

 

[CathyB]

That's funny, I thought I heard the opposite. If the feet just dangle then it is a pullet. IDK.........

 

[Wolf-Kim]

You need a rooster in order to have eggs.

-Kim

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

Probably the most heard one:

You need a rooster to make your hens lay.

If I knew the truth when I started getting chickens 11 years ago I would have had maybe one rooster and not gotten about 13 roosters and 13 hens.

 

[MissPrissy]

Brown eggs are rooster eggs.

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

Quote:
LOL! Looks like we thought of the same one!

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

Araucana eggs have less cholestrol and fat and more vitamins.

 

[MsBentleyboy]

Quote:
Funny!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

White eggs are old, and brown eggs are fresh.

I have also heard this reversed.

-Kim