Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[kcan2]

damp without sight of the sun. We all got out for an hour and a half. Henry retired early as usual.

Henry must be wise to the fact that simply checking out and going to bed best avoids any-if-not-all roosting drama

The cooking from the Kitchen of Shadrach sounds delish as well as healthy - the best kind! With all of the other great ideas posted by fellow thread-shadowers here, it is quite convincing to improve quality of ingredients going into some of these recipes.

 

[Perris]

I kept all the fairy eggs my girls have given me over the years. All off white. None exploded, all the fluids evaporated over time.

thanks! well spotted! I am so keen for the pullets to start laying I let wishful thinking take the lead Having seen Sully (and Aberglasny) since, it can't be them, so I guess it's Puffin's first whoopsie She just resumed laying after a fast moult, and she lays the darkest eggs in the flock. She's been one of the best layers too, so I hope a fairy egg doesn't mean that the yolk went into her belly...

Can anyone point to any good resources on fairy eggs?

 

[RoyalChick]

Doing it all again at the weekend for me and two others. Different recipies but still quite a major cook.

Wow. I love cooking but even I really only do a real cook once a week. That is a lot of cooking!

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

X3. I enjoyed getting ti know you a little better.


I kept all the fairy eggs my girls have given me over the years. All off white. None exploded, all the fluids evaporated over time.

Millie the Pekin hen laid a soft shelled egg last April, fine ever since. It shrinkled away & someone threw it out.

 

[BDutch]

thanks! well spotted! I am so keen for the pullets to start laying I let wishful thinking take the lead Having seen Sully (and Aberglasny) since, it can't be them, so I guess it's Puffin's first whoopsie She just resumed laying after a fast moult, and she lays the darkest eggs in the flock. She's been one of the best layers too, so I hope a fairy egg doesn't mean that the yolk went into her belly...

Can anyone point to any good resources on fairy eggs?

I found a Belgium (Flanders-Dutch) article with photos . Not a scientific one. The tiny eggs are called “rooster farts” or rooster eggs overseas in NL/Be.

https://www.kippen.be/hanescheet-alles-over-dit-piepkleine-ei/

I translated most of it with google but had to adjust the word hanescheet many times. Google doesn’t seem to know this silly word. The best translation was horse fart and hake fart. I only skipped the intro.

Spoiler: Hanescheetjes/Rooster farts

…..
Hanescheetjes/Rooster farts
are very small eggs, usually without yold. They come from a chicken that lays eggs of medium size, but instead lays a small egg without yolk due to a mistake in the egg production process.

During the formation of a rooster's sket, the protein is formed before the yolk is released and the eggshell forms only around the egg white. Although an yolk in a horse's fart is possible, the chance is relatively small and it usually looks more like an orange slime floating in protein.

It's not that unusual and nothing to worry about if it happens from time to time. But if you only give them rooster farts instead of regular eggs, something will probably go wrong.

Why does a chicken lay a rooster fart?

• Start of the laying cycle
• End of the moult
• End of the laying cycle
• Calcium or protein deficiency
• Stress
• Unstable reproductive system
• Start of the laying cycle

A young hen begins laying between 18 and 25 weeks old, depending on the breed. Some need a little less time, others a little more.

What they can expect from their first egg is difficult to predict, but there is a good chance that the egg will be smaller than a normal egg. It may look strange in shape or perhaps have a strange texture.

And while the egg may look a bit strange, it is perfectly safe to eat. So there is no problem in consuming the very first egg of yours them.
(Photo)
You can expect these strange eggs because the reproductive system and the laying cycle are not yet fully perfect. Because these chickens are still young, their hormones are still stabiling. Young hens can even lay two eggs in one day. So if you're lucky, you might hit a double blow in one!

Give it some time and you will enjoy normally shaped eggs in no time.

End of the moult

Most hens temporarily do not lay eggs during mout. All attention should be paid to the new springs. They need all the energy and nutrients to produce new feathers instead of making eggs.

As soon as the moult is over, they will lay eggs again. But if the laying is started quickly after a period of standstill, the eggs may look a bit strange the first few times. But don't worry, they'll pick up the process in no time.

End of the laying cycle

All breeds have different life cycles, so it's hard to tell when your chicken stops laying eggs. Typical laying hens usually do not live to be older than five years, but some varieties can live to be 10 years old or more.

In general, egg production of a hen decreases after three years and they completely stop laying after they are 6 or 7 years old. Before egg production finally stops, older hens are likely to lay strangely shaped eggs or hake farts as a result of a disturbance in their cycle.
(Photo)
Calcium or protein deficiency

A lack of calcium or protein in the diet of your chickens results in eggs with a soft shell or wind eggs. These eggs can be recognized by their fragile shell or the complete absence of an eggshell and are not suitable for consumption.

Hane farts are eggs in the shell, but smaller and have little or no yold. Their cause can be reduced to a calcium or protein deficiency.

However, if only one chicken occasionally lays a chicken fart, it has nothing to do with their diet. But if it occurs more often within the same room, it is something to take into account.

To prevent calcium deficiencies, always give laying hens the right calcium supplements.

Stress

If a chicken is stressed, it will reduce or stop egg production until it feels better. Several things can cause stress:

• Too little space
• Moult
• Boredom
• Loud sounds near the loft
• Predators
• Pester

As soon as the chicken resumes its egg production, the formation of rooster farts is possible, but this is only temporary.

Unstable reproductive system

Hane farts are not unusual, but that does not mean that it should be weekly food. If you notice that a chicken often lays strangely shaped eggs or rooster farts, this may indicate a medical problem in the reproductive system.

To be sure of what is going on, it is best to consult a veterinarian in that case. It is possible that your hen cannot release eggs or the eggs cannot develop. It could have underlying health problems, as some diseases can cause permanent reproductive disorders.

Consult your veterinarian if you often give them farts.

Can you hatch a Hanescheet?

Of course you can try, but due to the absence of egg yolk in most roosters, it is unlikely that the egg will be fertilized. Even if a yolk is present, the egg itself will not contain enough nutrients to develop a chick.

Can you eat a Hanescheet?

Yes. You can perfectly eat a hanescheet egg. It doesn't matter if this is your chicken's first egg or not. You can consume it without health risks. However, due to its size and lack of egg yolkes, a rooster's faret will not be as nutritious as regular eggs.

Conclusion

A rooster's fart is a miniature egg laid by chickens that usually lay normal-sized eggs. It does not have to have a medical cause in itself and there is no reason to panic if it ever has.

Edited- added more info in the spoiler

 

[Perris]

thanks - I'll enjoy reading that later. Got to dash now.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 70s mostly cloudy.

Have a great day!

 

[Shadrach]

Henry needs all the rest he can get, he's got his gaggle of gals to care for

All Henry is taking care of his Henry! In general roosters don't feed the hens if they're not laying.

 

[BDutch]

All Henry is taking care of his Henry! In general roosters don't feed the hens if they're not laying.

No eggs? I thought Mow was laying? When did she stop?

I guess my old Dutch are not such terrible layers after all then. My Janice and Pearl still lay an egg occasionally with these low temps and shorter days.
And Whisky knows it. He was not so kind to Pearl yesterday. Tried to grab her in the neck. He is about 2x the size of my little Dutch and I don’t want him to hurt them.

I consider to separate the Amrocks from the main flock this evening if Ini mini sleeps in the extension. What do you think?

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

A different kind of fairy egg!
https://www.metrofieldguide.com/folklore-nature-the-fairy-egg/