Colorado

[laurajb]

Just up in Brighton.

 

[Auntie Moose]

Yeah I read that. They don't believe in the mistreatment of birds by the egg industry (which I totally get) but they don't seem to think people should have backyard flocks. Go figure.

My Blue AM roo is becoming a handsome boy. I thought I was fully prepared to give up any chicks that were roos but I've fallen for his good looks and winning personality. He started crowing yesterday morning. I think it's adorable but I know I can't have a crowing rooster. I'm going to try a no-crow collar on him and see how it goes. I'd really like to keep him. If it doesn't work I know someone with a flock of EEs that would take him.

If I want to keep my possible roo, how do I keep him from fertilizing the hens? I want eggs, NOTmore chicks! How old is your roo?

 

[uzisuzuki]

Just up in Brighton.

That's not far from me - I might have to check them out!

 

[lomine]

If I want to keep my possible roo, how do I keep him from fertilizing the hens? I want eggs, NOTmore chicks! How old is your roo?

Mine are all 14 weeks so no eggs. If you don't want chicks just collect the eggs every day. They have to be incubated to hatch.

 

[uzisuzuki]

Mazikeen & I went to the vet with Igor today to make sure his quality of life wasn't going to be severely impacted by his hump. Turns out that he basically has scoliosis & it is making his left hip higher than his right hip. We also found out that he found a couple pieces of tiny metal that he ate. The vet didn't think it would start being an issue until he gets bigger & then it might start causing arthritis. However, she had never seen anything like this & was going to ask around some other avian/exotic vets if they have (I think this is why I got a huge discount on the X-Ray).

Igor was just as loud about being in a new place as Memnoch & Odysseus. Mazikeen did not care at all where she was, she just sat down on my shoulder & waited for everything to be done. I was just glad to find out it wasn't a tumour.

 

[Auntie Moose]

Mine are all 14 weeks so no eggs. If you don't want chicks just collect the eggs every day. They have to be incubated to hatch.

But they are still fertilized then, aren't they? Not sure I could do that.

 

[lomine]

But they are still fertilized then, aren't they? Not sure I could do that.

Fertile eggs are no different from infertile in terms of nutritional value and taste. But it is a personal choice on whether or not you want to eat them.

 

[uzisuzuki]

They don't develop into anything unless they've been incubating with the right temp for a period of days. The only difference between a fertilised egg & an unfertilised egg is what the white spot looks like.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Auntie Moose,
So long as you collect eggs every day and place them in the fridge there should be no worries about cracking open something that would make you hurl.
I do not have a rooster now BUT when I did there was absolutely no difference in the eggs that were fertile and the ones that were not. It is a matter of choice and some choose not to consume fertile eggs. Personally it does not bother me as we ate possibly fertile eggs for 5 yeas straight.

Uzi,
Those chickens find the darndest things to eat sometimes. I am bummed that he found metal. (thinking keeping him away from magnets may be a good idea lol.) I know my chickens have tried to eat all sorts of things they should not. I am sure they have eaten things I would rather they did not. They found an old matchbox car in the dirt they excavated in their run. It looked to have been in the dirt for decades. I was so worried that they had eaten the wheels.

 

[Auntie Moose]

Well seems as though my IB is a rooster. Does anyone in the area (or close) want a nice roo for their collection? I live in town and they view crowing dimly, so it's either re-home him or see how well a no crow collar works!