Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

I see more often recipes giving the weight of the required eggs along with the number

I've only seen that once as yet, and it may have been a French source (one of the Rouxs I suspect). It make sense, because the 10g difference between the top and bottom of each size band can really add up in a recipe that calls for, say, 6 medium eggs. 6x53 = 318, while 6x62 = 372, and the difference is a seventh medium size egg.

a standard egg is too big and I don't often want one, whereas as a 30-40g egg is perfect

My flock's eggs range from mid 40s (Maria, Araucana so technically LF, and some pullets' early eggs) up to low 80s (hybrids, all LF) which would be labelled small to extra large in supermarket-speak here. When I get one below 43g, which would count as 'extra-small', I keep it for own use, in case customers think they've been short-changed. I try to make sure there's a good mix of sizes as well as colours in every carton I sell, and some customers really appreciate it, perhaps for your reason; I'll have to ask why, next time someone mentions it!

the proportion of yolk to white

I don't think that's a feature of bantam v large fowl. I suspect it's not of 'breed' either, just the genetics of the individual hen. A huge yoke was so noticeable with Eve's eggs (Norfolk Grey LF) that I took of a photo of it:

 

[Shadrach]

Yeah, 2 of our Legbars have been crestless. They came from a breeder who said she was working on upright combs, and the birds with good combs didn't carry enough of the crest gene, or something like that.

I was bummed because I love head poofs and don't mind a floppy comb if the chicken doesn't.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who mentions that there are two types of Cream Legbar, crested and non crested. I've seen both in the UK and kept crested. I am told by the same breeder I got the eggs for Fret last year that their behaviours are different.

 

[notabitail]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who mentions that there are two types of Cream Legbar, crested and non crested. I've seen both in the UK and kept crested. I am told by the same breeder I got the eggs for Fret last year that their behaviours are different.

The piace we bought ours never differentiated.

 

[Shadrach]

Mow is clearly channeling Dink! She definitely favors her.

Lovely photos.

I hope not! Dink was hard work. That's Dink waiting for me to get her down and put her on a roost bar in the coop. Near enough every night for five years.

 

[notabitail]

I hope not! Dink was hard work. That's Dink waiting for me to get her down and put her on a roost bar in the coop. Near enough every night for five years.
View attachment 4031819

I'm grateful mine just demands being carried home.

 

[Shadrach]

Looks like the calm period I mentioned a while ago is over. Sylph is broody and Tull is planning to be.
It was bitter at the field. 2C with wind chill on top. Grey and damp.
When I got there and let them out, Henry and Tull didn't bother with food and shot off to do what I assumed was foraging. Fret and Mow stayed behind and ate. No Sylph! I looked in the coop and there she was in the nestbox where everyone has been laying eggs. I thought she was laying an egg initially but a closer look and a hand slid under her belly showed warm organised eggs. She swore a bit and gave my hand a halfhearted peck; definitely broody.
Back out to the field and no signs of Henry and Tull foraging. A quick search and I found them in the large wire cage trying to make a nest in one corner. For two hours the pair of them went from one prospective nest site to another with me following behind.
I picked Tull up and deposited her in the other nest box. She came straight out, went and got Henry and they continued the search. There are a few places that if Tull made a nest at, unless I had seen her and Henry check them out, I would have trouble finding her after dusk. She was still hunting when the others had gone to roost, including Henry.
I collected her and put her on a roost bar in the coop. She was in a nest box when I left the field.
I took 7 eggs out from underneath Sylph. Lifted her out and dumped her in front of the food tray. She ate a bit and went back to the now eggless nest.
She was on the roost bar when I put the overnight food in. Hopefully I've been quick enough to at least postpone the full broodiness.
What are Tull and Henry thinking? There is no way Tull can make an outside nest work when she can niether got to or leave the coop run unless I'm there. It is possible she could fly out of the run and I'm hoping I don't find this is what she's done when I get there tomorrow.
It's just too cold and too early in the year to be sitting. Hatch rate is likely to be poor in these conditions.
So here's a laod of pictures of me following Henry and Sylph around trying to find out where Tull is likely to try and sit in case she goes to a nest site on her own tomorrow. If Henry goes with her finding them isn't such a problem; on her own...

 

[notabitail]

Looks like the calm period I mentioned a while ago is over. Sylph is broody and Tull is planning to be.
It was bitter at the field. 2C with wind chill on top. Grey and damp.
When I got there and let them out, Henry and Tull didn't bother with food and shot off to do what I assumed was foraging. Fret and Mow stayed behind and ate. No Sylph! I looked in the coop and there she was in the nestbox where everyone has been laying eggs. I thought she was laying an egg initially but a closer look and a hand slid under her belly showed warm organised eggs. She swore a bit and gave my hand a halfhearted peck; definitely broody.
Back out to the field and no signs of Henry and Tull foraging. A quick search and I found them in the large wire cage trying to make a nest in one corner. For two hours the pair of them went from one prospective nest site to another with me following behind.
I picked Tull up and deposited her in the other nest box. She came straight out, went and got Henry and they continued the search. There are a few places that if Tull made a nest at, unless I had seen her and Henry check them out, I would have trouble finding her after dusk. She was still hunting when the others had gone to roost, including Henry.
I collected her and put her on a roost bar in the coop. She was in a nest box when I left the field.
I took 7 eggs out from underneath Sylph. Lifted her out and dumped her in front of the food tray. She ate a bit and went back to the now eggless nest.
She was on the roost bar when I put the overnight food in. Hopefully I've been quick enough to at least postpone the full broodiness.
What are Tull and Henry thinking? There is no way Tull can make an outside nest work when she can niether got to or leave the coop run unless I'm there. It is possible she could fly out of the run and I'm hoping I don't find this is what she's done when I get there tomorrow.
It's just too cold and too early in the year to be sitting. Hatch rate is likely to be poor in these conditions.
So here's a laod of pictures of me following Henry and Sylph around trying to find out where Tull is likely to try and sit in case she goes to a nest site on her own tomorrow. If Henry goes with her finding them isn't such a problem; on her own...View attachment 4031823View attachment 4031824View attachment 4031825View attachment 4031826View attachment 4031827View attachment 4031828View attachment 4031829View attachment 4031830View attachment 4031831View attachment 4031832View attachment 4031833View attachment 4031834View attachment 4031835View attachment 4031836View attachment 4031837

 

[notabitail]

View attachment 4031875

 

[Canadian Wind]

View attachment 4031893

Too much time on your hands?

 

[Molpet]

View attachment 4031893

Ha
I bet it doesn't work when you need a broody.