The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

This one that is laying on his side is giving me grief. 2 weeks ago I saw a poult doing the same thing and took his picture, showed it to DH and said, look how cute he is. Turns out he was dead. Now they are trying to sleep and I keep coming along and poke them.




How can a blue Sizzle and a BCM have a yellow chick?

Love the baby pics I would probably be the same way about checking them constantly if I had a few day before. But i have to say I have seen pics of chics that look dead but they were just sleeping. They just laid funny when they crashed lol

Maybe the egg was not the combination you thought? Maybe someone snuck an egg in?

 

[delisha]

I buy eggs from a friend. Today I cracked open an egg to find a small, perfectly formed egg inside. How's that happen?

It is still not working

I will try later

 

[delisha]

Ovulation is the release of the mature ovum from the ovary into the second part of the
female reproductive system, the oviduct. The ovum, which is enclosed in a sac, ruptures
along the suture line or stigma. This release of the ova occurs 30-75 minutes after the
previous egg has been laid.

The second major part of the female chicken’s reproductive system is the oviduct. The
oviduct is a long convoluted tube (25-27 inches long when fully developed) which is
divided into five major sections. They are the infundibulum or funnel, magnum, isthmus,
shell gland, and vagina.

The first part of the oviduct, the infundibulum or funnel, is 3-4 inches long, and it
engulfs the ovum released from the ovary. The ovum or yolk remains in the infundibulum
15-18 minutes. The infundibulum also serves as a reservoir for spermatozoa so that
fertilization can take place.

The next section of the oviduct is the magnum which is 13 inches long and is the largest
section of the oviduct as its name implies (from the Latin word for ‘large’). The ovum or
yolk remains here 3 hours during which time the thick white or albumen is added.
The third section of the oviduct is the isthmus which is 4 inches long. The ‘egg’ remains
here for 75 minutes. The isthmus, as its name implies, is slightly constricted. The isthmus is where the inner and outer shell membranes are added.
The next section of the oviduct is the shell gland or uterus. The shell gland is 4-5 inches
long, and the ‘egg’ remains here for 20 plus hours. As its name implies, the shell is
placed on the egg here. The shell is largely made up of calcium carbonate. The hen
mobilizes 47% of her body calcium from her bones to make the egg shell, with the diet
providing the remainder of the required calcium. Pigment deposition is also done in the
shell gland.
The last part of the oviduct is the vagina which is about 4-5 inches long and does not
really play a part in egg formation. The vagina is made of muscle which helps push the
egg out of the hen’s body. There are also glands located in the vagina where
spermatozoa are stored. The bloom or cuticle is also added to the egg in the vagina
prior to oviposition (the laying of the fully formed egg).
Near the junction of the vagina and the shell gland, there are deep glands lined with
simple columnar epithelium. These are the sperm host glands, so called because they
can store sperm for long periods of time (10 days to 2 weeks!). When an egg is laid,
some of these sperm can be squeezed out of the glands into the lumen of the tract, so
that they can migrate farther up the oviduct to fertilize another egg. This is one of the
really remarkable things about birds; the sperm remain viable at body temperature.
Birds lay eggs in clutches. A clutch consists of one or more eggs, followed by a rest
period of about a day, then another egg or set of eggs. Clutch size is species-specific
and is held within fairly tight limits. Clutch size, as well as the numbers of clutches laid in
a breeding season, will vary with species, but the principle is the same.
In hens, ovulation usually occurs in the morning and under normal daylight conditions,
almost never after 3:00 PM. The total time to form a new egg is about 25-26 hours. This
includes about 3½ hours to make the albumen, 1½ hours for the shell membranes, and
about 20 hours for the shell itself.
Ovulation for the next egg of a clutch occurs within an hour of laying the previous egg,
and so that each day the hen gets later and later in her timing; she "runs behind," like a
clock that is improperly adjusted. Eventually she gets so far behind schedule that she
would have to ovulate later than 3:00 PM. Since hens do not typically ovulate after 3:00
PM, the next ovulation is delayed and egg laying is interrupted. This delay results in the
break between clutches and the cycle repeats itself a day or so later.

Even rarer is an egg within an egg. This occurs when an egg that is nearly ready to be laid reverses direction and gets a new layer of albumen covered by a second shell.
Sometimes the reversed egg joins up with the next egg and the two are encased together within a new shell. Double shelled eggs are so rare that no one knows exactly how or why it happens.

 

[armorfirelady]

Del I was having problems before trying to quote & post. Maybe they are doing something on here thats causing problems?

 

[jlynnet]

Delisha, that's a great litte article! The scientist in me loves info like that.

Today at 10pm will officially be 21 days for my incubating BCM and Birchen Marans eggs. Cross my fingers I get a few to hatch!

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote: Trees will flower, even if they don't poliinate - as in hens have eggs with no rooster around

'They' graft fruit tree varieties onto dwarfing rootstock for the home market. I believe this has the affect of reducing time to maturity, as well as keeping the mature height within a more decent height for harvesting. Not to worry - these are not GMO-or other crazy- horticultural ideas - this has been going on for over 50 years at least.There are numerous root stocks - you can find M-9 is the most common, at least here - it creates semi-dwarf trees. There is dwarfing rootstock, semi-dwarfing - many kinds. The vigor of the original tree is modified by root stock, so a tree that is naturally very large will still be larger than one that is naturally smaller - even if both are on the same type of root stock. It's also why those combo trees don't often work out well. The most vigorous variety can take over the growth of the tree & become the dominant. IMHO, it's better to get 2 trees.

It is actually extremely difficult to buy a standard size tree - on its own roots. I prefer standards to get a height over deer browse - but that's just me. Most people prefer to not need tall ladders to harvest the fruit.

Some trees - Gravenstein is one, have a habit of producing every other year. In order to get a good harvest each year from a Gravenstein - you need to thin HARD on the bearing year. You then have a better chance of getting fruit on the off year. Gravensteins are also not good for pollinating other varieties, so you will see suggestions if you have a gravenstein to purchase TWO other varieties to pollinate each other and the gravenstein.

One other thing that can happen with fruit trees, that folks don't always note - is that trees that happen to flower, or bud up early,- if they are hit with a hard frost at a vulnerable time, the flower buds can die & drop off - you don't see flowers, and you don't get fruit. Don't know if Northern Spy is an early bloomer Justine, but if you note swelling on the fruit buds - they are short, fat spurs coming off main limbs. Limbs at a 45 degree angle to the trunk are the most likely to have fruit spurs. LImbs that are more vertical or horizontal are less likely to be fruiting limbs.

In Master Gardeners, we often got - 'my fruit tree bloomed, then dropped all it's fruit, what did I do wrong?" That is classic pollination problems - ranging from no bees! - if it blooms before the bees are active, no pollinator & fruit will drop. Also the cross pollinators should be within eyesight of each other - You can 'make a deal' with a neighbor to plant pollinators.

In some fruits, think cherries & almonds - the best pollinators are the worst tasting. They've done some work in this area, developing better pollinator varieties - but sometimes its better to bite the bullet & just get one good pollinator & several good-tasting varieties.

I really recommend talking to your local Master Gardeners, or other horticultural professionals before investing the time & money in fruit trees. There are many local considerations, climate, & disease wise - let alone pollination -- they will know the best varieties for your locale. Gurney's & other national sellers, ,may not have the best varieties for your area. My experience -- FWIW

 

[armorfirelady]

Thank you delisha for again posting a great article !!!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

IS this from getting picked on as past owner said or something I need to really watch? SHE is the only one I have seen on anothers back pulling neck feathers (of the one the past owner said was the aggressor).

Could it be she is feeling better under my FF and fresh air care that she is reassuming her prior role as top Hen though she seems to be the smallest now?
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Dust bathing and rolling in it:
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Can you tell the home egg!!??? DUH
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[mrsamplias]

Not sure what is wrong with this chick. She just scoots and doesn't bear weight on her legs. Her legs are bent and don't straighten out at all. Is this splay leg? Treat with bandages? Grateful for some help. Thanks!

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Bare neck on Charlotte

Charlotte (see neck) shaking her dust bath off and kicking up more onto "bossy"
I think that is my favorite! Dust and ash just flying all over!

Dirt down to the skin after rolling in it..... doing other side now.

OOOOpppsss! Petticoat is showing off those drumsticks... But ahhhhhhh getting the dirt down deep!

Didn't work last time.... but there are a few of the dusty and the neck bare photos!!