The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I remember a long time ago when a lot of folks started fermenting feed and talking about it here on byc, there was a discussion regarding the egg yolks being larger. Several people said that they noticed that when the switched to fermented feed, the egg yolks became larger.

I was new at chickens at the time and had nothing to compare with. So even though I was fermenting or soaking feed, I couldn't say whether the yolks were any different since I hadn't fed totally dry feed to egg laying age pullets or hens before. Plus sometimes I think that folks hope to see something and it may skew how they see

Fast forward to today.
I am part of a milk share and they also have a truly free-range laying flock. Over the weekend I picked up a dz of their eggs while I was out there since I'm only getting 2 eggs every other day at this point with molting. We had taken a tour of the farm since my daughter wanted to do a blog post on them (you can read my daughter's blog post about it here: http://www.followtheflavor.com/2014/10/pasture-haven-farm-raw-milk/ and see lots of photos toward the end that she took).

Anyhow, the chickens there have dry feed in their horse trailer coops and they get to run the fields at-will with nothing to fence them in. I imagine that there is soy in the feed...I didn't ask. But it is non-GMO and mixed fresh by a local feed mill. Except for the soy, (and my grains/legumes are organic) my feed is very similar in texture and content to theirs.

Today I cracked open 5 of the eggs to make a flourless chocolate cake. The eggs were x-large. The yolks were nice and yellow. But...compared to my eggs, the yolks were tiny. Probably about half the size as the yolks I have. Way more white.

Now I know it's not due to lack of free pasture. Maybe the variable of soy, but most of the fermenting people that were saying the yolks were larger were feeding store-bagged, soy filled, GMO feeds right off the shelf.


So....I'm thinking they may be right! Maybe soaked/fermented feed DOES produce larger yolks!

 

[armorfirelady]

I notice larger yolks also. But the biggest difference I have noticed (as have my egg customers) is how dark orange the yolks are

 

[Leahs Mom]

I notice larger yolks also. But the biggest difference I have noticed (as have my egg customers) is how dark orange the yolks are

I have to admit that THEIR yolks are darker than mine.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I wonder if using FF to get the yolk larger would change how long it takes a hen to produce the egg. If the yolk is larger, does it take an extra hour or two to get it that way.

 

[lazy gardener]

And, I would like to do a side by side study comparing eggs produced by FF compared to eggs produced by conventional layer feed. Is there a noticeable difference in the viability and size of the chicks?

 

[Leahs Mom]

And, I would like to do a side by side study comparing eggs produced by FF compared to eggs produced by conventional layer feed. Is there a noticeable difference in the viability and size of the chicks?

An interesting note on that point...

Leigh (@Bulldogma who started this thread) sells hatching eggs for sfh and ships all over the country. SFH shipped eggs are notorious for having a very poor hatch rate...sometimes 1 out of 12 the hatch rate is so bad on the shipped eggs.

Leigh's eggs - from a ff fed flock that is fed regular bagged feed off the shelf - have an incredible hatch rate. So much so that folks seek out her hatching eggs since they have such a poor hatch rate from other's eggs.

She attributes that to husbandry and ff.

Now...would it stand to reason that if the yolk is taking up more of the insides of the shell, that it may not get as "scrambled" in a shipping situation as an egg that has a smaller yolk?



Edited to fix a spell error.

 

[LindaB220]

I remember a long time ago when a lot of folks started fermenting feed and talking about it here on byc, there was a discussion regarding the egg yolks being larger. Several people said that they noticed that when the switched to fermented feed, the egg yolks became larger.

I was new at chickens at the time and had nothing to compare with. So even though I was fermenting or soaking feed, I couldn't say whether the yolks were any different since I hadn't fed totally dry feed to egg laying age pullets or hens before. Plus sometimes I think that folks hope to see something and it may skew how they see

Fast forward to today.
I am part of a milk share and they also have a truly free-range laying flock. Over the weekend I picked up a dz of their eggs while I was out there since I'm only getting 2 eggs every other day at this point with molting. We had taken a tour of the farm since my daughter wanted to do a blog post on them (you can read my daughter's blog post about it here: http://www.followtheflavor.com/2014/10/pasture-haven-farm-raw-milk/ and see lots of photos toward the end that she took).

Anyhow, the chickens there have dry feed in their horse trailer coops and they get to run the fields at-will with nothing to fence them in. I imagine that there is soy in the feed...I didn't ask. But it is non-GMO and mixed fresh by a local feed mill. Except for the soy, (and my grains/legumes are organic) my feed is very similar in texture and content to theirs.

Today I cracked open 5 of the eggs to make a flourless chocolate cake. The eggs were x-large. The yolks were nice and yellow. But...compared to my eggs, the yolks were tiny. Probably about half the size as the yolks I have. Way more white.

Now I know it's not due to lack of free pasture. Maybe the variable of soy, but most of the fermenting people that were saying the yolks were larger were feeding store-bagged, soy filled, GMO feeds right off the shelf.


So....I'm thinking they may be right! Maybe soaked/fermented feed DOES produce larger yolks!

Yes, I sold all my egg layers to get heritage breeds. The bottom line is I had to buy from the store. But the fellow that built my coop has hundreds of chickens and brought me 5 doz to get me by until my girls start laying in the next month. And yes, the yolks were much smaller. He doesn't ferment his feed. My other layers were not able to roam but his do and still the yolks are smaller. I do tend to keep my protein around 20%. To be honest, the taste was better on his so I'll be working to get the fence up and let my chickens out

 

[LindaB220]

Yah...especially Australorps. My experience w/BAs is that I'd never get any on purpose. Mean scrappy troublemakers from my experience!

And, you know, BeeKissed said they were her favorites. Great layers, good disposition, good broodies. I had almost made up my mind to get a couple to have on hand for new chicks. Maybe I'll just do a silkie or coachin.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm not the only one that experienced that with the BAs. @jchny2000 was saying the same thing about hers as well. And my BA was the ONLY bird that I ever had a health issue with. She developed internal laying and we had to cull. She was a great layer for her first season and that was the end. I have 2 of her offspring and both of them are troublemakers. This is their first laying season so I'll be interested to see how they make it through the winter. I re-homed one of them and the other is still here but she will be one of the first to go. She purposely targets the younger pullets and is just not the kind of disposition I want in the flock, unfortunately.

 

[armorfirelady]

And, I would like to do a side by side study comparing eggs produced by FF compared to eggs produced by conventional layer feed.  Is there a noticeable difference in the viability and size of the chicks?  

My little peepers have only had ff since they were hatched here. Their mommas had them eat the grains and they ignored chick feed. So I'm curious to see the difference in their eggs once they start laying