She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[lazy gardener]

Question for anyone interested. I have seen a few people on BYC lately asking how long they can keep an egg and it will still hatch. How is it that a Barnyard hen will steel out her nest and come out with 16-18 chicks and you look in the nesting area and all eggs have hatched. Anyone care to explain how this happens ?

Either she knows exactly how to store her eggs for optimal viability, or she has some help collecting her clutch! What I'd like to know is how can she successfully cover that many eggs??? If I have a broody next season, I'll be pushing the envelope and asking a lot of "what if" questions re: clutch size! I consider it miraculous that my broody hatched 6/8 eggs. One was clear, and one was contaminated with yolk when she broke and ate the clear. I washed the contaminated egg, and should not have. I think I doomed it.

 

[OldMissionChick]

I agree with that thought process.    

My pullets are laying at 17 weeks.  Unfortunately, I'm not getting the blue and green eggs that I was expecting.  So far white and brown... and i've had to pull them out from under the coop with a rake, so I guess it's time to put a skirt around the coop.  Hate to do that.  

Once our final coop is finished I will have to do the same since its only 1 cinder block high. Our pullets are 22 weeks and we are getting 2 different colored brown eggs, a green & a pink.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

I washed the contaminated egg, and should not have. I think I doomed it.

When Frieda was broody the first time (her only successful time--also the only time I had local eggs for her. I'm pretty sure those are connected.) there was a nestbox tussle during the first couple days, and the 3 eggs left were simply coated in yolk--to the point that there was no way any air exchange could take place (there were originally 4 eggs--I'm convinced that the broken one contained a pullet

) So I washed them. I ended up with 3 healthy boys...

 

[BYC910]

I've been here nearly that long. I'm near Rochester, so probably 80 miles from you.

If I lived that close I'd be going there. figured car works got you there Don. taking a heat break . this thread is worse than weeds in the garden if you don' stay on top of it. It will get away from you.

 

[scflock]

And I thought the males combs turned red?

Some do, some don't, but my pullet's combs stop at the hair line. Only the boy's combs grow that far back. I did say pullet, didn't i? Told you I was horrible at this...
Mine usually start crowing around 16 weeks

 

[chicapee]

Just finished the tractor for the fellows.

 

[sideWing]

I agree with that thought process.

My pullets are laying at 17 weeks. Unfortunately, I'm not getting the blue and green eggs that I was expecting. So far white and brown... and i've had to pull them out from under the coop with a rake, so I guess it's time to put a skirt around the coop. Hate to do that.

Congrats on the early eggs! I have a couple EE mixes and I too am very dissapointed with the very light blue/almost white eggs we are getting from them.

Question for anyone interested. I have seen a few people on BYC lately asking how long they can keep an egg and it will still hatch. How is it that a Barnyard hen will steel out her nest and come out with 16-18 chicks and you look in the nesting area and all eggs have hatched. Anyone care to explain how this happens ?

I have pondered on this for longer than I would like to admit Don. Do you have experience with hatching eggs older than 7 days? What is your theory for the barnyard hen keeping eggs for so long?

 

[sideWing]

Just finished the tractor for the fellows.

Very nice setup. How many chickens are you putting in it?

 

[WVduckchick]

Just finished the tractor for the fellows.

Love it!!

 

[chicapee]

Very nice setup. How many chickens are you putting in it? 

Just 2 and thank you.