The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[hellbender]

No ma'am, no problems, they're actually really pretty, just not as smooth as some I've seen. And the lady said the smoother they are the better chance at a good hatch. Mine will be 1 year old in July I do have a pic of a first egg that was laid back in mid Febuary.

If the shells have a bit of a rough texture, it's an indication that they might be getting a over abundance of calcium in their diet...I wouldn't worry about it unless you keep your birds 'til they get into their mid 'teens.

 

[subhanalah]

Those that are having grit problems, don't you have rocks in your dirt?  I can't imagine buying rocks for the chickens.

my red dirt doesn't have much to offer by way of rocks/grit! Is your area more rocky?

 

[Kassaundra]

my red dirt doesn't have much to offer by way of rocks/grit! Is your area more rocky?

Seems so, I never have bought grit and they all digest fine and when I process their gizzards are full of "gritty material". I don't have lots of big rocks like in the Clayton OK (south east) area does.

 

[NanaLynn]

Thanks SK & Lynn

@LynnEBC
Do you know what size your crate is? I'm going to have 2 birds in my crate which is why I'm thinking laying eggs on the floor might be kind-of tight The crate I have is 3 ft. long x 22.5 high.

Just went and measured it for you, it is 4 foot long, 2 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet tall. Mine I think would be big enough for 2 chickens, as mean as Daisy is to the others I would not put one in with her though. She laid another egg on the floor today. I hate leaving her in there all alone but I'll have to resist those sweet clucks for the greater good of the flock.

No ma'am, no problems, they're actually really pretty, just not as smooth as some I've seen. And the lady said the smoother they are the better chance at a good hatch. Mine will be 1 year old in July I do have a pic of a first egg that was laid back in mid Febuary.

I use smoothness/texture of the egg as another way to determine which chicken laid what egg. I have some chickens that lay chalky eggs, some smooth and some smooth and really shiny. I thought the difference was just another way to tell the eggs apart along with color and shape? I could be wrong, but so far with my hens that's how it works here. Of course, I do not have a rooster and do not plan to hatch any of these eggs.

 

[Shan30]

I'm not sure if there is a wy to make eggs smoother. All my silkie eggs are smooth and shiny but all the other breeds vary from bird to bird.
Maybe it's because the silkies lay so rarely, internal polishing haha!

 

[Shan30]

When I went to lock up the coop last night I was missing a Chantecler hen (Clair). Looked all over for her and then noticed an upside down planter. Flipped it over and sure enough there she was! She must have jumped in the side an flipped it on herself. Poor girl was very hungry. Whoops!

 

[hellbender]

Just for a change of pace...I have a silly young hen I really like. She's been pecking my hand when I take eggs from under her for the past several days so I decided to give her a test. Today, I surprised her and added 8 more eggs to the 4 she was covering. She's a big girl with a lot of feathers, being from the NN/Australorp crosses we made for over 70 years so she will have plenty of feathers to deal with the eggs/chicks (should she decide to accept this assignment) Still, she's technically a Naked Neck.

I hope she does well.

 

[hellbender]

Seems so, I never have bought grit and they all digest fine and when I process their gizzards are full of "gritty material". I don't have lots of big rocks like in the Clayton OK (south east) area does.

Kassaundra, I'd be concerned indeed if you were to find any 'big rocks' in your chickens gizzards! In that case, you should be certain to take a friend if you ever enter the coop at night!

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassaundra, I'd be concerned indeed if you were to find any 'big rocks' in your chickens gizzards! In that case, you should be certain to take a friend if you ever enter the coop at night!

LOL big rocks in the ground like they have in Clayton area. The foot hills of the Ouchita mts.

 

[hellbender]

LOL big rocks in the ground like they have in Clayton area. The foot hills of the Ouchita mts.