Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

Ouch. So sorry. Just out of curiosity, do you ever do necropsies? Either at home or by a lab?

No. I couldn't even begin to do one. Unlike most I'm not a scientist. My degree was in Language & Literature [minor in drama]. I can do all the feelies; not so good with cold, hard facts. I don't know anyone who would do a Necropsy for me ~ unlike America.

 

[micstrachan]

Not the greatest pics. Try as I might I just couldn't get low enough and a wall was in the way. This is Tap Laying an egg. Very surprised from posts elsewhere just how few keepers have watched a hen lay an egg at the business end.
There are a few points of interest for me. Firstly how wet/lubricated the egg is straight after delivery. It's easy to understand how if a hen holds onto an egg how it can dry out and possibly cause egg binding.
The next thing is how high above the standing surface a hen squats to lay the egg.
Fudge, broke a few in her early egg laying days by standing too high and dropping the egg on a hard surface.
Finally the speed the egg dries is very fast. This I take it is partly creating the bloom that gives an egg bacteria protection. In the last picture you can see that part of the egg is still wet while the rest is already dry. The last pic is directly after the one before so less than a second I would guestimate.
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I have seen a wet egg and how quickly the bloom dries, but have never seen an egg laid from the business end. On the rare occasion, a hen has dropped an egg in a weird place suddenly while out with the flock. Both Rusty and Margo did this, and they both ended up dying from Egg Yolk Peritonitis. Coincidence?

 

[Ribh]

The posse coming to round me up for dinner...

 

[micstrachan]

No. I couldn't even begin to do one. Unlike most I'm not a scientist. My degree was in Language & Literature [minor in drama]. I can do all the feelies; not so good with cold, hard facts. I don't know anyone who would do a Necropsy for me ~ unlike America.

Well, I AM a scientist and would still feel uneasy cutting my own beloved pet open. I am a total left/right brain mix. Besides, some findings were not evident upon gross necropsy, but were found upon microscopy. I am very fortunate to be able to send mine to the University of California at Davis for a small fee.

 

[micstrachan]

This is an outstanding series of photos. thanks for sharing with us.

Agree!

 

[micstrachan]

Lottie once dropped an egg right in my hand while standing on my knee. Can't think what she thought she was doing but she did it. I was so surprised! First time I'd seen a hen actually lay an egg.

What an amazing story! Was Lottie a new layer at the time?

 

[micstrachan]

That's crazy, Patsy once laid an egg while on my knee! However I was not expecting it and it hit the ground and shattered splashing all over my shoes and pants.

And now for a gratuitous photo of Patsy.
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Beautiful Patsy! Was she a Copper Marans?

 

[Ribh]

What an amazing story! What Lottie a new layer at the time?

No. She was a partridge Wyandotte bantam who laid irregularly & was my special little hand fed beauty.

 

[micstrachan]

My Worst Fears

They have run Phyllis out of the coop. She is roosted in the run. View attachment 2398159

This in and of itself does not bother me. Except, I run the local polling place. I cannot go get her and put her in coop for another 2 hours. If something were to happen to her before I get home. I just don't know.

Bob, this is killing me! But I will be patient and keep reading until I learn that she was just fine.

 

[Ribh]

Well, I AM a scientist and would still feel uneasy cutting my own beloved pet open. I am a total left/right brain mix. Besides, some findings were not evident upon gross necropsy, but were found upon microscopy. I am very fortunate to be able to send mine to the University of California at Davis for a small fee.

I don't think anyone has even thought that way here because, you know, they're chickens...