- Jul 5, 2014
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I have a newbie question regarding the rehabilitation of neglected chickens:
How to know when the eggs of previously deficient and neglected chickens are healthy enough to be eaten?
Background:
I have inherited a flock of 9 hens and 1 rooster (the 5 laying-age hens and rooster all 3 years old, and the 4 chicks are 4 months old) from a mentally-challenged family member. I came to stay with him a while and see if I couldn’t teach him a few things about making a better life, and alas, he has chickens. From their birth, he has fed them about 2-3 cups of scratch per day, when he remembered, and a little bit of kitchen scraps every few weeks or months. He fed them a lot of onions and garlic. Needless to say, they were laying zero eggs when I arrived here. They are housed in a run about 7.5’ x 11’, and have no coop, but sleep on the rungs of a ladder. Their 1-chicken brooding nest is on the floor in a wooden box.
As I arrived a month ago, I have since broken-down and scraped 3 years-worth of poop from the rock hard floor, laid down natural pine shavings with diatomaceous earth dusting, and provided straw for their brooding box. I have purchased them efficient and clean water-holders and feeders so that they can eat and drink to their satisfaction and delight, and I am looking every day for an affordable coop to build for their comfort and safety.
I have also changed their food to a quality organic and local “All-in-one” feed, and begun to provide them with my food scraps such as kale, apples, banana peels, spinach, etc. For the past week I have provided ACV in the water, probiotic-rich yogurt, dried and crushed egg shells, and diatoms in their food.
They all seem to be quite small and skinny for their breed, having dull and sparse feathers compared to photos I have seen of others. Three of the breeding age hens are featherless on their backs from the rooster (I just ordered them some aprons yesterday). Many of the hens have no feathers on their underside/rear. They all need a bath (their butts are far from the fluffy beauties many chickens display) and need to be checked for any ailments. Though I have been spending much time with them, they are still very skittish; the previous owner believed they would make noise specifically to annoy him, so sadly he would try to show them what he thought were dominance displays… I assume that in time, and as I keep talking to them every day, they will eventually warm up.
OK, so finally to my question: Since I have changed their diet from scratch to healthy scraps and complete nutrient rations only two weeks ago, they have been laying eggs like crazy! I harvested 24 beautiful rosy pink, brown, white, and blue/green eggs this week alone! The only thing is, I am uneasy about eating the eggs from chickens that may still be deficient or imbalanced, and were recently living in squalid conditions.
So how do I know when the chicken’s eggs are healthy enough to eat? Is this based on how I feel about the eggs, or is there an amount of time I ought to wait for their nutrient levels to build?
How to know when the eggs of previously deficient and neglected chickens are healthy enough to be eaten?
Background:
I have inherited a flock of 9 hens and 1 rooster (the 5 laying-age hens and rooster all 3 years old, and the 4 chicks are 4 months old) from a mentally-challenged family member. I came to stay with him a while and see if I couldn’t teach him a few things about making a better life, and alas, he has chickens. From their birth, he has fed them about 2-3 cups of scratch per day, when he remembered, and a little bit of kitchen scraps every few weeks or months. He fed them a lot of onions and garlic. Needless to say, they were laying zero eggs when I arrived here. They are housed in a run about 7.5’ x 11’, and have no coop, but sleep on the rungs of a ladder. Their 1-chicken brooding nest is on the floor in a wooden box.
As I arrived a month ago, I have since broken-down and scraped 3 years-worth of poop from the rock hard floor, laid down natural pine shavings with diatomaceous earth dusting, and provided straw for their brooding box. I have purchased them efficient and clean water-holders and feeders so that they can eat and drink to their satisfaction and delight, and I am looking every day for an affordable coop to build for their comfort and safety.
I have also changed their food to a quality organic and local “All-in-one” feed, and begun to provide them with my food scraps such as kale, apples, banana peels, spinach, etc. For the past week I have provided ACV in the water, probiotic-rich yogurt, dried and crushed egg shells, and diatoms in their food.
They all seem to be quite small and skinny for their breed, having dull and sparse feathers compared to photos I have seen of others. Three of the breeding age hens are featherless on their backs from the rooster (I just ordered them some aprons yesterday). Many of the hens have no feathers on their underside/rear. They all need a bath (their butts are far from the fluffy beauties many chickens display) and need to be checked for any ailments. Though I have been spending much time with them, they are still very skittish; the previous owner believed they would make noise specifically to annoy him, so sadly he would try to show them what he thought were dominance displays… I assume that in time, and as I keep talking to them every day, they will eventually warm up.
OK, so finally to my question: Since I have changed their diet from scratch to healthy scraps and complete nutrient rations only two weeks ago, they have been laying eggs like crazy! I harvested 24 beautiful rosy pink, brown, white, and blue/green eggs this week alone! The only thing is, I am uneasy about eating the eggs from chickens that may still be deficient or imbalanced, and were recently living in squalid conditions.
So how do I know when the chicken’s eggs are healthy enough to eat? Is this based on how I feel about the eggs, or is there an amount of time I ought to wait for their nutrient levels to build?
