OlyChickenGuy
Songster
Here's some pictures of the most recent egg I was given by my Ameraucana girl, Ziggy. What do you guys think the splots are?? Below is flock history...
My flock consists of five: Bowser ( cock bantam mutt; 1 year old ), Bo ( cock 1/4 barred Plymouth Rock, 3/4 Rhode Island Red; 1.5 year old ), Faust ( hen 1/2 Welsummer, 1/4 barred Plymouth Rock, 1/4 Rhode Island Red; little over 1 year old ), Ziggy ( hen Ameraucana; little over 1 year old ), and Eddie ( ... it Ameraucana, little over 1 year old ). Bo and Faust are half siblings hatched out by my former house mate from "heritage" breeds so far as we knew, Ziggy and Eddie came from Del's Farm and Feed Supply ( Eddie shows NO male characteristics, but she's not laying and her cloaca and pelvic bones resemble that of a male - I'm suspecting she's a hermaphrodite ), and Bowser came from a livestock auction with five siblings. Some passed away and the others were adopted out, and he remained with me because he got along well with the big guys.
They eat a healthy diet, and though they like to hang out in the enclosure you see in the background of the photos, I take them for walks frequently through the forest at my house. I'm not living on ten acres of forest land for those who might remember the less-than-ideal conditions my chickens were kept in, and they're all so happy for it!
Ziggy started laying at five months on the spot, and she's almost ALWAYS had these little patches of bumps on her eggs. I've heard that they're just "calcium build-up" and some other stuff, but I figured I'd just make certain and ask once I had some actual photos. They're hard to see but they look like a pile of tiny spheres creating little splotches here and there. If you get the egg wet and rub your finger over the area, they'll come right off and they feel almost sandy in texture Also, it's hard to see, but check out right about where those splotches are that there's a distinct line where the colour changes from a lighter tip to a darker base! The only thing I can think of is that I might have "interrupted" her laying process when I cleaned their enclosure today because when I was done the FIRST thing she wanted to do was to jump into the nest box.
Silly anecdote: I tried to give them the kennel you see in the background as a proper nest box, and I also tried giving them "proper" nest boxes. At the end of the day they just wanted to lay in my lap, under a blanket, or at the very least with their heads covered ( they would SHOVE their head under my hand or arm or leg! Faust once tried to climb up my pant leg for this reason! ), so one day while cleaning the enclosure I dropped a huge cardboard box and absent-mindedly dropped my big, soft, fluffy jacket in it. The girls FELL IN LOVE. They REFUSED to lay their eggs unless in my lap or in that big cardboard box where they can snuggle up in my jacket from that day forward! Are my chickens spoiled or what?? Bowser will also perch on my shoulder like a parrot while I do chores, and Bo will snuggle in my lap and rest his head against my shoulder while I'm doing monotonous things ( like this right now! ). Eddie, despite being infertile, still has a place in my flock as THE SOFTEST CHICKEN IN THE WORLD.
My flock consists of five: Bowser ( cock bantam mutt; 1 year old ), Bo ( cock 1/4 barred Plymouth Rock, 3/4 Rhode Island Red; 1.5 year old ), Faust ( hen 1/2 Welsummer, 1/4 barred Plymouth Rock, 1/4 Rhode Island Red; little over 1 year old ), Ziggy ( hen Ameraucana; little over 1 year old ), and Eddie ( ... it Ameraucana, little over 1 year old ). Bo and Faust are half siblings hatched out by my former house mate from "heritage" breeds so far as we knew, Ziggy and Eddie came from Del's Farm and Feed Supply ( Eddie shows NO male characteristics, but she's not laying and her cloaca and pelvic bones resemble that of a male - I'm suspecting she's a hermaphrodite ), and Bowser came from a livestock auction with five siblings. Some passed away and the others were adopted out, and he remained with me because he got along well with the big guys.
They eat a healthy diet, and though they like to hang out in the enclosure you see in the background of the photos, I take them for walks frequently through the forest at my house. I'm not living on ten acres of forest land for those who might remember the less-than-ideal conditions my chickens were kept in, and they're all so happy for it!
Ziggy started laying at five months on the spot, and she's almost ALWAYS had these little patches of bumps on her eggs. I've heard that they're just "calcium build-up" and some other stuff, but I figured I'd just make certain and ask once I had some actual photos. They're hard to see but they look like a pile of tiny spheres creating little splotches here and there. If you get the egg wet and rub your finger over the area, they'll come right off and they feel almost sandy in texture Also, it's hard to see, but check out right about where those splotches are that there's a distinct line where the colour changes from a lighter tip to a darker base! The only thing I can think of is that I might have "interrupted" her laying process when I cleaned their enclosure today because when I was done the FIRST thing she wanted to do was to jump into the nest box.
Silly anecdote: I tried to give them the kennel you see in the background as a proper nest box, and I also tried giving them "proper" nest boxes. At the end of the day they just wanted to lay in my lap, under a blanket, or at the very least with their heads covered ( they would SHOVE their head under my hand or arm or leg! Faust once tried to climb up my pant leg for this reason! ), so one day while cleaning the enclosure I dropped a huge cardboard box and absent-mindedly dropped my big, soft, fluffy jacket in it. The girls FELL IN LOVE. They REFUSED to lay their eggs unless in my lap or in that big cardboard box where they can snuggle up in my jacket from that day forward! Are my chickens spoiled or what?? Bowser will also perch on my shoulder like a parrot while I do chores, and Bo will snuggle in my lap and rest his head against my shoulder while I'm doing monotonous things ( like this right now! ). Eddie, despite being infertile, still has a place in my flock as THE SOFTEST CHICKEN IN THE WORLD.
