Chicken Myths/Rumors: True or False, Please Share!

[dirkandlorie]

Myth^^^

Don't believe it's a myth. It does too much good for my old lady bones for it not to do good for my chickens old lady bones! Lol yes my girls are up there in age too! This one I think you should deeply research before ruling it out. ( And no I don't intend to do the research and provide data for anyone, I'm already convinced. I only research the things I'm not sure of, lol)

 

[Lizzy733]

Myth/Rumor: Chickens are only good for two years
Story: A laying hen only lays till they're two years old. After that, they're useful for only stew, and will never lay again.
True or False: False
Evidence: I used to believe that, until I discovered that hens lay good to 2 years, slow down maybe a little, but still lay good till they're 3 years old. After that, they slow down a lot, but will still continue for the rest of their life. Only as they get older, they might only lay an egg once a week, to once a month.

This is the egg industry talking. Poor hybrids and their built in expiry date. Is the cause for many a dumped chicken.

 

[Lizzy733]

My roosters crow any time they see light at night, even a sliver of light and most certainly when someone in the house turns on a light, especially unexpectedly.
I suspect that the doom predicting night crowers are responding to a sick or anxious householder turning on the light inside at night.

For me, it was a verbal battle with the local Morepork. Otherwise, they start up with the dawn chorus.

 

[Fuzzypants]

Roosters only crow at daybreak.

That is false, mine Goldie (a silkie) crows throughout the day, especially when I have been out and come home, it's like a welcome home!!!!

 

[Lizzy733]

Myth: Apple cider vinegar is a safe cure all. Especially for crop issues.

Source: various I’ve seen it posted on BYC and other chicken sites numerous times.

True/false: in my experience false.

Evidence: I’ve put it my chickens water twice. Both times I had multiple hens come down with sour crop in less than a week. Never had an issue with sour crop before or since.

Vinegar in general is antifungal and will harm the yeast that causes sour crop. A few drops in water isnt enough to help something like sour crop, but mixed into a slurry or direct dosed often is another matter.

White vinegar would probably be better for that though. The thing about ACV is that it is generated through fermentation with a scoby which breaks down the sugars in the apple and makes vitamins etc in the fruit easily accessible. Same beast as kombucha.

It's like adding a small vitamin boost to the water. I used to do it frequently and never had it be the cause of sour crop. The y in scoby does stand for yeast though. Perhaps it had something to do with the strain of yeast being used in that particular brand? As mentioned, never had it cause any trouble here.

 

[Silkie Princess]

That is false, mine Goldie (a silkie) crows throughout the day, especially when I have been out and come home, it's like a welcome home!!!!

Yes! The roosters just see my car pulling up the driveway and they go crazy

 

[Lizzy733]

Ahh. Nope no mother.

Mother is the scoby - looks like floating debris (some would say boogers) The unpasteurized ACV will have it to some degree. - If you ever make a batch at home, it will firm a big stack of pancakes on the top of your container.

 

[Bill752]

Roosters only crow at daybreak.

That is false, they crow during the day as well & more often if another rooster crows back.

 

[MrsPeterTHooper]

Myth/rumor: chickens lay pink eggs
Story: some people say easter eggers lay pink eggs
True or false: false that pink color is a heavy bloom on a brown egg if rinsed you will see the true color under it

I disagree with you. I had an EE who laid blue eggs then after a stressful event started laying pink eggs. They were sort of a dusty blush color and no amount of rinsing changed the color. Her eggs stayed that color until she stopped laying.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I disagree with you. I had an EE who laid blue eggs then after a stressful event started laying pink eggs. They were sort of a dusty blush color and no amount of rinsing changed the color. Her eggs stayed that color until she stopped laying.

Scrubbing takes the bloom off not rinsing.