Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[MargaretYakoda]

I am so excited! My hedamoras are on day 19 in the bator today! Soon there will be cute little peepers in there instead of all those pretty brown eggs.

Ha ha LOVE your user name! I am guessing you're in Dragon's Laire? I'm in Druim Doineann!

 

[junebuggena]

I had kind of a gross looking egg this AM. We got 3 new chickens a few weeks ago and just this weekend one of the new hens started laying. The flock they came from had roosters. This was the first egg that we got from her. Was it fertilized? I ended up feeding it to one of the dogs.

That wasn't because of fertilization. A fertilized egg looks just like an infertile egg except that it has a white bullseye on the yolk.
Certain medications can cause yolks like that, or she could have gotten into something she shouldn't have eaten.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[LaurelC]

That wasn't because of fertilization. A fertilized egg looks just like an infertile egg except that it has a white bullseye on the yolk.
Certain medications can cause yolks like that, or she could have gotten into something she shouldn't have eaten.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

Yikes!

The egg that she laid 2 days later had no signs of this discoloration. Is it possible she was medicated at some point before we got her? She has been in an enclosed pen the entire time we've had her and all snacks have been "chicken approved" stuff. Should we avoid eating the eggs for a while then?

 

[junebuggena]

It's very possible that she was medicated before you got her. Fall is the time of year a lot of people will medicate for worms, since older hens aren't laying much at that time due to molt. Gallic and tannic acids can also cause yolks like that. Blueberries, flax seed, and apples, along with lots of other plants contain these acids, and too much can affect the yolks.
Treats should not be more than 10% of their daily diet.

 

[LaurelC]

It's very possible that she was medicated before you got her. Fall is the time of year a lot of people will medicate for worms, since older hens aren't laying much at that time due to molt. Gallic and tannic acids can also cause yolks like that. Blueberries, flax seed, and apples, along with lots of other plants contain these acids, and too much can affect the yolks.
Treats should not be more than 10% of their daily diet.

FLAX! I've been making an oatmeal-flax-unsweetened shredded coconut mixture and mixing some of that with the extra hot water left over after making coffee and giving that to the birds in the AMs. I will make a point of cutting back on that!

 

[junebuggena]

Glad I could help you solve the mystery. Good news is that yolks that are affected by gallic acids are perfectly safe to eat.

 

[Chickielady]

He's an extra. I ordered straight run. I want to keep the roo with the most color leakage...and with all the hatches I had I'm up to my eyeballs in cockerels. I should try to re-home one of my black copper maran roos too. Then there are the mixed breeds... dun dun dun.

Apparently I am put (once again) on restriction from getting any more chickens.
I do need a Bielefelder cockerel, and I have an extra Sulmtaler cockerel...

 

[Chickielady]

Yes, I am hoping to network with other Jersey Giant keepers in Washington. But I think the link you shared me took me to an error page. I think he's got it set to friends only?

Let me know if you want their ph#, or e-mail, they live out here in the bayou....but further up the hill.
I love to see kids in 4-H, it is wholesome all American children here that sets their minds firmly into our American way of life, and so refreshing to see these young people raising & breeding animals and birds and not think Cock is a dirty word, or teets, or any other word.
We do not use these words in a dirty way, and they are necessary (the words) to run a farm !
It is great to see them caring for their animals, respecting them, nurturing them, and they know where their food comes from !

 

[Chickielady]

FRUSTRATING! Definitely time to hit the humane society for a few cats!

Cats out here will not have anything to do with the big rats ! Although
we have a neighbor with a huge Tom cat who routinely brings home mink, weasels and big rats !
Now that is a good cat !

 

[Chickielady]

I live in Skagit county. This is my first winter with chickens. I'm having an over head light fixture installed, in case it gets below freezing. They free range my yard, soon to be fenced. I also have a large covered deck, they love being under. My question - do I need to provide more wind shelter? They spent much of the storm under the deck.

Hi ! And welcome to the thread !!

And it is hard to say if they need more shelter, what kind of shelter is it , what size is it ?
How many birds are in it ?
In winter, mine spend alot of time inside their coops, or under their coops.
We have had really cold temps & freezing here & that does not seem to bother the birds.
However, if you get freezing temps or below & have standard comb birds, watch out for frostbite in their combs.
IF it is that cold here, I leave the birds locked inside their coops, the standard comb breeds anyways.