Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I don’t know what surgical spirit consists of (although I’ve seen the term), but I would guess that trying to get a chicken to stand in a bowl of it, or anything, would result in ME being coated with surgical spirit.

I believe it's called Rubbing Alcohol in America.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you and my apologies!

It's not a problem. In fact it's quite good for me to look back at some of those posts.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

And that is why this picture is called "the broody monster."
View attachment 4176164

I like how she’s obviously perched on the edge of a newly-dug grave for her victims.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Aaawwww… just found this in one of their pathways. Laid in the last 2 hours, or I would have stepped on it.

I assume that Trudy’s plumbing is trying to get back in synch. She did lay yesterday morning as she was floridly brooding-y, but not today. The other two laid normal eggs both days.

Question: is this a soft shell egg, or a shell-less egg? There’s no touch of calcium, just tough membrane.

 

[Perris]

I don’t know what surgical spirit consists of (although I’ve seen the term), but I would guess that trying to get a chicken to stand in a bowl of it, or anything, would result in ME being coated with surgical spirit.

it's very similar to your rubbing alcohol (indeed, wikipedia redirects from one page to the other, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing_alcohol ).
Filling a jam jar with the stuff, it's relatively easy to immerse a bird's legs, one at a time, while holding the bird underarm. And replacing the lid makes it easy to store, till next needed, in a screw top jam jar. Do remember to label it though! you don't want to spread it on your toast, especially after use

 

[Perris]

I believe it's called Rubbing Alcohol in America.

I should have read ahead

 

[Perris]

Question: is this a soft shell egg, or a shell-less egg? There’s no touch of calcium, just tough membrane.

I consider that a soft-shelled egg. Shell-less I reserve for an egg with no membrane. I should actually look up a definition!

 

[Perris]

thanks for this. I tracked down the PhD on the preferred species and their nutritional value: It's here if anyone else is interested in 147 pages on the topic

I've finished this now. The range of forage plants sown was of course limited - to a vetch/pea/oats mix, then lupin, then quinoa, for foraging between spells on grass with clover (which was left to regenerate while the flocks were on the alternative forages which each matured at different times) - and the weeds already present in the 6-yr established pasture were not identified individually (just listed as 'weeds'), but there is still quite a lot of interesting stuff in it for the enthusiastic keeper. I thought the readers of this thread might find this table in particular thought-provoking:

Do note the switch of units between supplied feed and plant material, otoh, and everything else, oto.

And I'm sure some would appreciate knowing that the chickens used in the experiments were high-production 'Hyline browns', and the nutrition profiles for the supplied feeds were

 

[BDutch]

Question: is this a soft shell egg, or a shell-less egg? There’s no touch of calcium, just tough membrane.

Good question.
After a little search on the internet I found an article from the university of Georgia, that explains the difference very well.
A Dozen Egg Abnormalities: How They Affect Egg Quality

In short:
No touch of calcium means shell-less: there is no deposit of any calcium at all.

Soft shell eggs have a feel of a thin paper coating that can be deformed easily.

PS.
Of course we have an article about eggs quality problems on BYC too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/
No 10 and 15 in the list.

 

[BDutch]

Good question.
After a little search on the internet I found an article from the university of Georgia, that explains the difference very well.
A Dozen Egg Abnormalities: How They Affect Egg Quality

In short:
No touch of calcium means shell-less: there is no deposit of any calcium at all.

Soft shell eggs have a feel of a thin paper coating that can be deformed easily.

PS.
Of course we have an article about eggs quality problems on BYC too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/
No 10 and 15 in the list.

Its interesting to read both articles bc they give very different reasons why soft shells occurs.