Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

its been a while since i been on here things got hectic... BUT the black and blue orpies i got from minnie.. are in this odd love hate relationship with our family. they are very quiet nice and docile big and feathery girls. the love hate part comes in when i say they are a social curious pair that greets us and tend to follow us. love them that they are so awesome. hate when the following gets on our nerves. they even stand there for my toddler to touch them and squeal at them. never had a chicken he could walk up to before (besides penny). Minnie how did you get this temperment??? and how do i get MORE.

Well, I don't know how that happened. Must be something you did I am not breeding any Orps this year. I was tempted to keep a cockerel with the two hens I did hold back, but then decided against it. I cut back a few breeds for this year. I am concentrating on better quality with fewer breeds. I still have a nice variety though. The Buckeyes are all pretty much that way with a little spoiling. They are friendly to the point of being a pain the butt, getting underfoot and not letting you move through the flock.
I am glad you are finding them favorable though, and that your kids can be around them without worry about them being injured.

 

[duluthralphie]

I don't mind the frozen ones, but the frozen and cracked ones I through out.

I am kind of between the two of you on frozen eggs. If the eggs is a single egg in the nest I keep it on the theory it laid there and froze/cracked and no bird has sat on it yet to introduce germs. I have found the frozen ones normally have hairline cracks when I candle them. I candle all my eggs this time of year. The frozen eggs if cracked right into a fry pan make the best shaped fried eggs!

If the egg has poop on it or is in a clutch I boil it smash it up into small pieces and it goes back to the birds with the household scraps the next day.

 

[PoultryBird12]

I don't mind the frozen ones, but the frozen and cracked ones I through out.

That's weird because I eat the cracked ones... Don't like waisting any...

 

[Cluckies]

That's weird because I eat the cracked ones... Don't like waisting any...

How big of a crack? when mine have cracked the crack was about 1/8th of an inch wide or better

 

[Chickenchick11]

The cracked eggs I fry and give back to the chickens.

 

[PoultryBird12]

How big of a crack? when mine have cracked the crack was about 1/8th of an inch wide or better

Oh not too big. Just a little slit. Once I think one of the ducks stepped on a freshly laid egg and it broke open and of course I didn't eat that. The reason I eat the other cracked eggs is because you cook the eggs so all the bacteria gets burned out. I think it's OK.

 

[Dandelioness]

Our cracked & frozen ones get thawed in a very happy dog's bowl.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Usually if they're cold enough to crack the bacteria probably doesn't have much of a chance of living very long. I might not eat one with poo though... Lol. Dog or back to the chooks for those. But clean crack go right to the fry pan.

 

[Cluckies]

Has anybody tried these snugglesafe pet warmers in the nesting boxes under the bedding? I wonder if it would keep the bedding just warm enough not to crack the eggs till I get home from work. I may buy one and close off 2 of the 3 nest boxes (only 4 of mine are laying right now) and see if it works. What do you guys think?

 

[newpioneer75]

I'm in need of an opinion here. One of my girls has sour crop. It's been a few weeks now and she was doing better for a while, but it seems to be getting worse again. I fear I am going to need to releave her of her suffering. So, I was wondering if the meat is affected by crop issues. I can not find any info on this with a google search. Has anyone had experience with this?