The Olive-Egger thread!

[ronott1]

An update to the enormous pullet egg with the gross green yolk. I got the egg out of the kitchen composter and had a better look.(really, I'm not usually so squeamish!) Well the green yolk was a second inner shell. Has anyone heard or seen this? I'm worried about eggbinding. I've emailled the breeder who sold her to ask. Both shells were the normal hardness and thickness.
At least I can stop thinking about that grey-green yolk!LOL

Never mind what I posted before.

Yes, a double shelled egg. It can be a problem but stuff like that is common with pullets that are just starting to lay eggs.

Usually eggs that are missing the shell causes more problems--it is harder for them to push the egg out when they are soft and squishy.

That is a very nice color for the egg shell though!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

The color of the egg does not indicate fertility. The ovum will be bigger than normal and look like a bulls eye or a doughnut.

The green color usually is from eating something that they should not eat. Cottonseed meal, or something called gossypol. It is not good for them to eat stuff like that so hopefully you are not letting the chooks eat bad for them things, like acorns?

Make sure they are not eating feed that has cottonseed meal in it. It sounds like either the breeder or at your place they were fed the wrong stuff.

Why do you say that acorns are bad for chickens?

I ask because it is noted to have been a good source of nutrition for laying hens in wartime/post-wartime Britain when they were under strict rations ("Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps", 1947).

"A word must be also be said for the acorn. A hen will not be attracted by a whole acorn and a prejudice exists against feeding it because of the risk of olive-colored or black yolks - as has undoubtedly occurred in ducks. But there is little evidence in support of this with poultry and, in any case, the poultry keeper consuming all his own eggs will be prepared to run this risk if he can obtain such a cheap and valuable food. If the acorns are roughly broken or crushed, the hens will readily eat them whether fed green or much weathered. They pick out the kernel, leaving the shell (which may cause the discoloured yolks) and they can be given a good handful per bird daily. It is best to dry the acorns for six weeks, spread on mesh netting or sacks in a shed, as they can then be stored. They can also be ground into a meal."

It seems that the risk is in the possibility of a green/black yolk (certainly a bad thing if you're selling them), not the health of the hen herself, per the above. Is there other evidence to the contrary?

(If so, I want to know - was planning to use acorns as treats this year. They've already had a few green ones.)

- Ant Farm

 

[ronott1]

Why do you say that acorns are bad for chickens?

I ask because it is noted to have been a good source of nutrition for laying hens in wartime/post-wartime Britain when they were under strict rations ("Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps", 1947).

"A word must be also be said for the acorn. A hen will not be attracted by a whole acorn and a prejudice exists against feeding it because of the risk of olive-colored or black yolks - as has undoubtedly occurred in ducks. But there is little evidence in support of this with poultry and, in any case, the poultry keeper consuming all his own eggs will be prepared to run this risk if he can obtain such a cheap and valuable food. If the acorns are roughly broken or crushed, the hens will readily eat them whether fed green or much weathered. They pick out the kernel, leaving the shell (which may cause the discoloured yolks) and they can be given a good handful per bird daily. It is best to dry the acorns for six weeks, spread on mesh netting or sacks in a shed, as they can then be stored. They can also be ground into a meal."

It seems that the risk is in the possibility of a green/black yolk (certainly a bad thing if you're selling them), not the health of the hen herself, per the above. Is there other evidence to the contrary?

(If so, I want to know - was planning to use acorns as treats this year. They've already had a few green ones.)

- Ant Farm

Too much of it is bad for them. Even the cottonseed is ok in small amounts.

The bad part about the green yolks is that it is an indication that the chicken is being poisoned by too much of the glossypol or the alkaloid in the acorn.

Read the article link and you will see a picture of a chicken with sores from eating too much cottonseed meal. Too many acorns will do the same thing, like garlic and potatoes too.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Too much of it is bad for them. Even the cottonseed is ok in small amounts.

The bad part about the green yolks is that it is an indication that the chicken is being poisoned by too much of the glossypol or the alkaloid in the acorn.

Read the article link and you will see a picture of a chicken with sores from eating too much cottonseed meal. Too many acorns will do the same thing, like garlic and potatoes too.

Excellent - thanks for that clarification!

- Ant Farm

 

[mullys]

Thank you for your replies. This forum is an excellent resource for us. This is our first Olive-egger. The breeder said most likely stress, we had just brought her home Monday. It is nice to be able to make contact with experienced people even late at night!
We have two Ameraucanas too, from the same breeder. Loving the coloured eggs.

 

[thick chick]

Have any of you crossed a welsummer with and Ameracana. What color was the off spring. And did they make olive eggers

 

[jesmtz]

Update on Shamu. 11 weeks old. Are those saddle feathers coming in or is it just me? The comb is not red . It's a pale pink but a bit large. I still don't know if roo or pullet

 

[aart]

Update on Shamu. 11 weeks old. Are those saddle feathers coming in or is it just me? The comb is not red . It's a pale pink but a bit large. I still don't know if roo or pullet

Can't see the saddle feather in this pic, they grow out from the base of the tail and 11 weeks is little young yet for them but that looks like pullet to me by the size and color of comb.

 

[ronott1]

Update on Shamu. 11 weeks old. Are those saddle feathers coming in or is it just me? The comb is not red . It's a pale pink but a bit large. I still don't know if roo or pullet

Can't see the saddle feather in this pic, they grow out from the base of the tail and 11 weeks is little young yet for them but that looks like pullet to me by the size and color of comb.

I agree with aart--looks like a pullet. There is not enough red in the neck and there are no wattles.

Cute!

 

[jesmtz]

Awesome! Thanks those red highlights she got them while I was painting a coop. She was trying to be a helper today