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Offline Cindi

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The egg that thought it could
« on: November 25, 2007, 09:33:41 am »
So, you wanna see a real spooky egg?  I am not really sure if it came from one of our chickens or not.  It is too big.  I am positive that some alien bird came down, snuck in, layed her monster egg and then was gone with the wind.  Go figure the size of this honker.  I wish I knew which chicken laid it.......and most of all.....why such a big one? And at the same time, why do some eggs comes out wrinkely, or with a rough bump on the pointed end.  I have seen some pretty strange sights with the eggs from outer space around here, hee, hee  :evil: :roll: ;) :) Have a wonderful and beautiful day. Cindi

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline annette

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2007, 04:11:11 pm »
Ouch!! I bet that hurt!!

Let us know what develops in that egg.

Annette

Offline asprince

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2007, 04:20:05 pm »
Cindi, If you incubated that large egg would it hatch to be a super chicken? Meaning extra large as compared to the others from the same group of chickens?

Steve
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2007, 04:38:59 pm »
looks like a double yolker! 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Zoot

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2007, 10:00:13 pm »
That definitely looks like a double yolk. How many varieties do you have? We always seem to end up with one who lays them. Not necessarily the most convenient egg but they're cool to have. As for the wrinkles and other shell irregularities - I've read that it's often related to the calcium content of their diets but then we have chickens that eat pretty much the same food (almost all free range except in winter) and we still get a wide variety of shell texture/thickness, etc.

Offline Cindi

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2007, 11:07:20 pm »
Annette, we're not hatching out these eggs right now, so I have no clue how it would turn out.  Right probably a double yoker, but by the size of it maybe a triple yoker, hee, hee.

Zoot.  That egg came from our brown sexlink chickens.  Which one, I am not sure, there are about a dozen of them or so, so it could be any one of the girls.  They have lots of oyster shells to chaw on at their disposal, so I can't imagine it being a calcium deficiency that causes the wrinkled eggs.  It is an interesting subject anyways.  We have other breeds, (a few Barred Rock and a few Black Sexlinks and some Bantys), but they are not laying right now because they are the "new" old chickens and we are dealing with some health issues with them, which I think we are almost finished with and they will be much more happier, and will soon be laying eggs I hope.  Deformed eggs, hmmmmm.....we have always had the egg now and then that is from another planet for sure. 

Steve, I don't think the size of the egg has any bearing on the size of the chicken that will hatch in that breed.  It may have two yolks surely.  I was wondering myself though, does a double yoker have two chicks incubating in it?  That is an interesting though, I bet Brian will know. Have a wonderful and great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline asprince

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2007, 11:16:20 pm »
Twins?
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2007, 12:00:39 am »
My question is, "How old is the hen?"  believe it or not the size of the egg is more an idicator of the age of the hen.  Pullets lay small irregular shaped eggs, then they gent very uniform in appearance but are still medium sized.  Older hens will lay larger eggs so a chicken will lay larger (large & Extra-large) in it's second year of production.  After that 3rd or 4th year the hens will start laying irregular eggs again, some as large as turkey eggs, elongated, thin shelled, etc.

I use a band system for my hens: Yellow for 2007, red for 2008, blue for 2009 and then I start over.  The 2007 chickens will all end up in the stew pot before the 2010 chickens are hatched.  I also use a green band to designate naturally hatched chicks.  I want to know which chicks were hatched under the hen so that I can use those as breeders and incubators.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Cindi

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2007, 12:16:51 am »
Brian, these hens that we have would not be:  we got them in February 2006 and they started laying a couple of months later.  So, they are coming into their 2nd year, if I have done the math correctly.  They are probably getting close to the stew pot? 

We have more poulets that will be laying by spring, the offspring of the sexlinks, whatever they are, the light brown ones, hee, hee,  :roll: :).

I have every intention of getting some better quality stock this spring for breeding, meat birds and egg laying.  The chicken stuff started out as a fun thing, but I think that I need to get a little more serious about it.  Actually, the more that I am learning the more I am wanting to know.  Just like the bees, I guess.

There are hatcheries in B.C., just need to figure out what we want to raise for each purpose.

I like the idea of banding the chickens to designate who is who in that zoo, something that we are definitely going to employ.  I value your advice, I want you to know that.  We have gone into the chicken thing kind of blind, but have been learning as we go along and are trying to do things right.
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Angi_H

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2007, 02:14:25 am »
Farm raised chickens can live up to 7 years. But each year they will start to lay less and less. I have been hatching chickens since I was little and then in 4h and ffa and now at 34 I have been hatching and breeding poultry for 25 years. I am still incubating now. My quail that will be 8 week old on sunday are now laying eggs. I have 45 of them and I am getting 20 eggs a day. They have been laying for a week on friday. They are neat birds to have and neat to hear as well. I wish I could show them off though. MOst of the time double yolkers are from hens or pullets that are all messed up in there cycle. And most time they are pullets that have not gotten there cycles down to what needs to be done. 9 times out of 10 when I get a double yolker it will be from one of the pullets.  Last year in the pen with all of the pullets in it out of 30  I was getting 20 double yolkers every other day for about a month then it started slowly tapering off. Which is sad becaus I was getting 2.00 more a doz for those.  They might also start laying double yolkers once they are done molting and are just starting coming into laying again. It is there cycle needing to get into a rythm.  I am so full of useless info on breeding and caring and medicating and hatching poultry of all kinds.  And when I became a vet tech I became full of more useless crud lol.  I also used to break and train horses and race horses. And grew up on a farm. So animals  I know  ever have any farm animal question ask away. I have tons of vet books and if I dont know I can look it up. I wish Eddy would get back from fighting fires because I want my bees. Even though I know we will not be able to have any honey from them this year. I still want them here so I can tend to them. I plan on  getting some honey from him as well as apprentceing with him when he goes out. I want  learn and should have gotten them a few years ago. I just had never thought of asking Eddy for Bees. Which he said you should have I would have brought some by no problem. I need to write another novel in the introduce me section. I will tomorroe night as I will have more time. Have a good night everyone.

Offline Cindi

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2007, 11:21:53 am »
Angi, cool.  I can't wait to hear more of your posts.  You have a wealth of information within your soul and that is a beautiful and wonderful thing.  This forum is the best thing that has ever happened to me (well, one of them, at least).  We have so many friends here that provide their little stories, their one-liners, their encouragement when things go wrong, so many great people.  You are going to love your time spent here, as do so many of us, (probably all of us, or we wouldn't all be here).  It is the highlight of my day to wake up in the morning and read the posts that everyone sets in this forum, it brings a smile or two or several to my face every morning, and I am grateful for all these forum friends.  Have a wonderful day to us all, enjoy our life we're livin', it is worth it.  Right, best of health to us all too.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2007, 03:42:34 pm »
Angie_H

Remind me of the type of chickens you have.  I'm looking for  about 3 dozen hatching eggs--very hard to get this time of year and if you're willing I will buy them from you (cost to include shipping--priority mail) if the chickens you have are some type of brown egg layer.  A friend wants to get back into selling brown farm eggs and wants about 30 hens.  I can set 42 eggs in my incubator plus a "toy" incubator that holds 3 eggs so I can fill in the balance of the incubator space from my own flock--I just don't have enough chickens to fill the incubator in 7-8 days.  Specific breed not important--color of eggs--nonnegotiable.



PM me if you're willing to ship me some eggs.
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Offline Angi_H

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2007, 01:54:28 am »
Wow Washington My mom lives in East Wenatchee Wa. I will be moving up that way when hubby retires in 3 years. Hopefully to be able to take my Bees with me. Ok here is what I have. it has slowed down a little and I ship all the time. I am putting in what I have now for hatching eggs and them I am stoping till after the poultry show in Jan. All of mine are Brown Egg layers. I went away from white as everyone wanted brown,

Cuckoo Maran (Kelly Cratty lines) French breed Feather legged Very dark eggs can lay almost black brown.
Very rare breed these run 25.00 a doz plus shipping during Breeding seasion and when they become rare for eggs during hatch seasion they can go to up to 45.00 a doz. I might be able to get a doz in a week as it is slow right now.  The next hen that I get eggs that is in with the Cuckoo Maran is a Blue Rosecomb andlusian Her offspring will lay a really dark brown egg as she lays a light brown egg.

Then in the back pen I have Standard Dark Cornish these are the orig meat birds. They usually go for 10.00 a doz plus shipping. They use White Cornish and cross with a white Plymouth Rock to get your cornish crosses that The Chicken ranches use. These are very nice heavy breed that lays a nice size brown egg and you can butcher the extra roosters for the freezer as they dress out well. Same as the extra Maran roosters they are huge and dress out very well.


With saving all of those I might be able to ship 18 with saving a week and getting to you priority mail I might gt more or less because some are starting to pick up laying again as some are just finishing molting and sometimes the turkeys break the eggs. I would be willing since it is off season to sale the 18 for 18.00 plus 11.oo priority flat rate with delivery confirmation.  Spring I will have a bunch. Even the little bit of Maran eggs are worth more then that as they are rare but they are very very nice docile breed. My Avatar picture is of my one Rooster Raoul. They look like a barred rock only the barring is not even it is Cuckoo hince the name Cuckoo Maran. Look them up wonderful breed. You want dark egg wait till the gals start laying. I will have much more in the spring time. As I have 9 hens and 2 roosters for the Cuckoo. The cornish I have 5 hens and 1 rooster, I will also have Welisumer I have one hen now and am getting 2 more hens and a rooster on tuesday next week. As well as the 2 different breeds of Turkeys and the Coturnix quail and the Indian Runner ducks in 3 colors. Send me an email to angiharrover At gmail dot com if you are interested. Because after that I have orders in Jan with a waiting list started for the Cuckoo Marans. I have 3 doz due for the poultry show if I have them. At 25.00 a doz.


Angi
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Offline Angi_H

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2007, 01:55:25 am »
Oops sorry I just now saw the PM it to you sorry.


Angi I have such a headache as the cold wind was blowing.

Offline reinbeau

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2007, 08:04:41 am »
Angi, I hope your headache is gone.  I get way too many of them, I feel for you.

Do you ship chicks?  I'm going to have chickens next spring (I've wanted them for a long time, kinda like you wanting bees for a long time  :) )  I want different colored eggs, and have wanted some cuckoo marans!  I don't know if I want to start out right from the beginning with incubating my own eggs.

Offline Cindi

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2007, 10:17:49 am »
Ann, you are right to not get into incubating yet, get the chickens first and get some great experiences working with them.  I can't wait for you to get some chickens Ann.  I know that you have been studying them for a long time and you finally feel like you are ready to take this other job on.  You will love having the chickens at your place.  I know the nature lover that you are.  There is nothing else on this earth like the sounds of the chickenyard.  It will bring a beautiful peace to your soul and you will spend hours watching, listening.  There are so many sounds that these birds make, every sound indicates something different, in the birds' world.  You will be an even more happy woman (and how can that be?  I know that you are there, especially with your "new and improved" Husband, hee, hee).  So get the chickens already hatched out.

Angi, you have some wonderful stuff going on with all the breeds that you have.  I am listening and learning.  I wish that you lived in Canada, that way I could lean on you for some great eggs to incubate.  But, oh well, I know that there are Canadian breeders too, I just have to look deeper.  My Sister has a contact that is in Alberta that breeds poulty, I am hoping that they carry some of these breeds that you have that I think I would like to raise. 

We have mostly the brown sexlinks and they are lovely hens.  We have some Barred Rock and I like them too.  I could do away with the Banty's.  They are too skitterish for me, and I would prefer not to have them.  I really really like that great big huge grey Araucana that we have, she is so friendly and nice, love her to pieces.  Have a beautiful and wonderful day, loving our life we live.  Cindi 
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Understudy

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2007, 04:43:57 pm »

Looks better like this.


Sincerely,
Brendhan
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2007, 07:00:41 pm »
I'll take as many as you can put together in a week from any breed that lays brown eggs.  Along with some from mine--Light Brahma's & Buff Orpington cross--I schould be able to put a incubator full to set.  I'll send you an email.

The Cuckoo Marans sound interesting.
Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline annette

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Re: The egg that thought it could
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2007, 08:17:44 pm »
Brendhan

You are so cruel!!!!  Very funny though.

Annette