fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

Harvested for dinner:

Shared:

 

[fuzzi]

Nifty link I may have picked up here on BYC:

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Lots of information!

 

[fuzzi]

Sunday afternoon, 50°F, chilly breeze, sunny.

Abigail

Is that a soft molt I see on her head?

Hannah

Martha

Rahab

Attacking my laces...

Naomi

Tamar and Lydia

Samuel

Speaking of Samuel, while I was working nearby in the gardens he started making cackling noises, not exactly like an egg call or alarm call. He did so for about thirty seconds, and I wasn't able to get a video of it.

He was also very attentive, so maybe there was something he sensed that I was unaware of.

 

[fuzzi]

Dating the eggs:

Will they be viable if they got cold in the nesting box? I read that I can keep them at room temperature for about a week and still put them under a broody hen. If by the end of the month one of the hens goes broody and I have a few eggs I might let nature take its course.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Depends on how cold. The 50s will be o.k.

If I gather eggs for hatching, I usually keep them at room temp or in a cooler part of the house. I only keep them set aside for about 5 days if planning on hatching, some use 7 day (or older) eggs with much success.

 

[NanaK]

I do about the same.

 

[fuzzi]

Well, I was thinking of just dating the eggs, keeping them in a carton on the kitchen table, eating at 7 days if no one's gone broody.

 

[NanaK]

When collecting eggs for hatching I sit a book or 2 under 1 end of the carton. I move the book to the opposite end of the carton each morning and evening (2 times each day). This keeps the eggs from sitting in the same position during collection. Hens will turn eggs during incubation to keep the chicks from sticking to the shell. By moving the eggs it mimics this action prior to incubation.

I also always try to set clean unwashed eggs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, I was thinking of just dating the eggs, keeping them in a carton on the kitchen table, eating at 7 days if no one's gone broody.

When collecting eggs for hatching I sit a book or 2 under 1 end of the carton. I move the book to the opposite end of the carton each morning and evening (2 times each day). This keeps the eggs from sitting in the same position during collection. Hens will turn eggs during incubation to keep the chicks from sticking to the shell. By moving the eggs it mimics this action prior to incubation.

I also always try to set clean unwashed eggs.

You can leave them on the kitchen table in a carton if you wish, but yes, I would also do as suggested and change the position of the eggs too.

Usually I just roll them around/turn them about once a day since I place eggs I'm collecting for hatch in a bowl.

 

[NanaK]

Remember I lost Daisy, my 9 yr old Cream Legbar a while back?

I still have 3 of her sisters Dixie, Dot and Dahlia. Their birthday is this month and they are now 10 years old!

Yesterday Dixie laid a pretty blue egg!!!!
Perfect shell, too!!!

I am amazed!