The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SandBsmom]

Ok, so just to clarify since this is all new to me. A non fertilized egg does have a little spot on it but not the bulls eye ring? What is the little spot?

 

[stonykill]

Mine have never laid an egg yet. Born early July 2012. Think it's soon? She is squatting for him readily now I'm excited. I'd love to give call eggs to a broody.
Aww Sue, you make me blush! Thanks for the compliments!
That's what I was aiming for. I got quite the kick out of them as well. Randy sure is Randy

5 of my 6 Runner girls were born in very late April. No eggs....yet from them. Real soon I'm thinking.

 

[jockeyeba]

Aoxa Beautiful pictures I love that turkey my 3 WR's would rather lay their eggs on the ground in the shavings instead of the nest boxes

 

[Bulldogma]

No flash at all. I put mine in the sun. Looks like that is what BDM did as well
Thank you!

BDM, LOL I love your blue silkie. She's my favourite of the two. She's a nice dark blue too. Did they tell you black? Seems she is not black to the roots, so I am saying blue without knowing what you call her colour.

Love your cochin as well! He's handsome. What a ladies man.

Yes - natural sunlight for eggs or other reflective things. Got to play with the angle so you don't have the reflection coming straight at you. I often look like a contortionist whilst shooting... and my children laugh!

The Silkie barn was really dark when we picked up these two. Yes - we were told the dark one was "black" but since getting her home, I think she might be a blue, also. She hasn't been free ranging long enough to fade out, and she is not black to the roots.

Our cochin is a goof-ball! I always get the giggles when he does his little drop-wing dance!

Here he is, trying to look regal and bantam-cochin-like. He has a bit of filling out and feathering to do, but he's not too bad. He's missing the top of one of the middle ridges to his comb... a guinea gave him an impromptu combectomy.

 

[aoxa]

Ok, so just to clarify since this is all new to me. A non fertilized egg does have a little spot on it but not the bulls eye ring? What is the little spot?

Yes that's right.



Quote:

 

[delisha]

Ok, so just to clarify since this is all new to me. A non fertilized egg does have a little spot on it but not the bulls eye ring? What is the little spot?

Germ cell or spot

 

[aoxa]

Germ cell or spot

It's called so many different things on every different egg anatomy picture. Germinal Disc. Blastoderm. Latebra.. It's all very indecisive.

I like spot. Or Bullseye. Way easier.

 

[delisha]

OK all of you Silkie owners..
please give us a silkie education
what type of comb do they have?
Origins? Brief history
Colors?

LF average weight..if you eat them and what flavors do they have? Good egg layers?
Bantams? weight..food? how large are the eggs? Good egg layers?

 

[aoxa]

OK all of you Silkie owners..
please give us a silkie education
what type of comb do they have?
Origins? Brief history
Colors?

LF average weight..if you eat them and what flavors do they have? Good egg layers?
Bantams? weight..food? how large are the eggs? Good egg layers?

Silkies don't come in LF (or are not accepted as a breed).

Their eggs are a small. They are tinted or very light brown. Not good egg layers, as they are always broody. Relatively good when they are not broody (5 eggs a week)
They have a walnut comb
They come in buff, white, black, splash, blue, grey, partridge, red, and many project colours (I may have missed other varieties, as I am very tired).

They come in bearded and unbearded (go with bearded. Unbearded is not nearly as cute).
Pullets are 28 oz, hens 32. Cockerels 32, Cocks, 36oz.

Black skin & bones. 5 toes.

 

[delisha]

no wonder no one eats them. They are so tiny. I wonder why they are a delicacy? I suppose the black skin. Thank you for this information. I will be ordering silkie eggs in the next month after i find a breeder that shows. i have found tons of eggs for sale, some say show quality ,but they don't show.