Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

That's wonderful.

Yep she's awesome, and guess what? She lays blue eggs

 

[Ponypoor]

Oviposition

I decided to research the study that proved the rotation of the egg and I'm glad I did. I thought that they rotated vertically, assuming there is more soft space that way than horizontally which would run into the hips. I think that is exactly what happened to @RebeccaBoyd hen today. The narrow point of the egg poked out and limited rotation of her leg, otherwise it would hurt and perhaps she even knew she might break the egg. As soon as the rotation was done she wanted it out. I'm not certain if the rotation was early or late but I'm leaning towards early as Rebccaboyd did not think egg laying was the issue initially. Therefore it could not have been that far down the tracks.


For those who have not heard of this before:
The egg rotates prior to being laid in a process called oviposition so that the large end comes out first. The oviposition, is regulated by several hormones (oxytocin, arginine-vasotocin and prostaglandines). This hormone surge causes the fully formed egg to go through a 180-degree rotation. It is this rotation that causes the egg to be pushed into the vagina. Bradfield (1951) using X-rays found that hen eggs do rotate 180° within the uterus in a horizontal plane about an hour before laying and in 9 of the 10 hens he studied eggs were laid blunt end first in a lab environment.

@bgmathteach @Ribh @LozzyR @Aussie-Chookmum @MaryJanet @Shadrach @Marie2020 @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue

Wow that's great! I just assumed the blunt end was the result of being pushed out and then the narrow end was from being drawn out/hanging...

Interesting!

 

[rural mouse]

Wow that's great! I just assumed the blunt end was the result of being pushed out and then the narrow end was from being drawn out/hanging...

Interesting!

It also may explain some of the screeching over nest sites: I gotta push! Wait! We have to move you to the delivery room!

 

[Ponypoor]

You know I never even considered the communication portion. Your right. She knew somehow what I was doing.

Animals read body language better than we do.

Like toddlers who are naughty and you glare at them and they cry, my horses back down if I frown and make an angry face. I have noted the chickens are the same! And I would not have believed chickens would read facial expressions as they don't have mouths and noses like mammals.

But Pangoo Rooster-brat and I have had some serious stare downs, he looks right. In. My. Eyes! Very freaky, I feel that chickens are actually very intelligent. I feel that he knows what I am thinking and feeling, and I can see when he is riled up.

I am betting dinosaurs were incredibly intelligent.

 

[rural mouse]

Couple of times this week, I've seen geese flying north. While we do have some winter here (thank you geothermal activity), I don't think I saw the same flock twice. Spring is ALMOST here....after Salt Slush and Fool's April.

 

[Ponypoor]

It also may explain some of the screeching over nest sites: I gotta push! Wait! We have to move you to the delivery room!

All I can say is I. Glad I am not a hen going through that every day. I really feel for them.

 

[Ponypoor]

How are you so fast! I fixed all of those!

I'm going to cowboy on down the tracks out of here. 🛤

Yep she is speedy! I am learning to proofread before I post hahaha.

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you for researching this!

Very interesting...and amazing as well. Who knew chickens were such complex creatures!!! I'm amazed that incorrect timing of oviposition doesn't happen more often!!

I agree. The whole egg creation process is just amazing engineering.

 

[BY Bob]

Yep she's awesome, and guess what? She lays blue eggs

You're so lucky! Color me jealous!

 

[BY Bob]

Couple of times this week, I've seen geese flying north. While we do have some winter here (thank you geothermal activity), I don't think I saw the same flock twice. Spring is ALMOST here....after Salt Slush and Fool's April.

I saw robins today! The first robins of the year!

Have you seen any robins @RoyalChick