# No yolk!



## DMerry (Sep 19, 2011)

Yesterday I cracked an egg to add to a cake that I was making and there was no yolk in the egg, only the white.  It was the first time in too many years that I opened an egg and there was no yolk.  Does anyone know how and why?


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## joesfolk (Sep 19, 2011)

I can't imagine how that could happen but the egg obviously missed the inspectors. Many times I have gotten double yolk eggs.  Once I even got a whole dozen of double yolkers, but I have never even heard of an egg without a yolk.


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## Janet H (Sep 20, 2011)

Curiosity got the best of me and I hit google.  Check out this  interesting page of egg oddities.   BTW - according to the page, no yolkers are most commonly produced by immature hens as a first effort - goes to show practice pays of in most ventures


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Sep 20, 2011)

The chicken was using birth control.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 20, 2011)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> The chicken was using birth control.


so thats why it crossed the road.


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 20, 2011)

Bolas, friend, here I learned a lesson: from now on I'll always keep a camera ready to shot in the kitchen, maybe I get some good viral pic!


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## jennyema (Sep 20, 2011)

I imagine there's a huge market for yolk-less eggs.

Better than Egg Beaters and better than throwing away the yolk.


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 20, 2011)

jennyema said:


> I imagine there's a huge market for yolk-less eggs.
> 
> Better than Egg Beaters and better than throwing away the yolk.


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## tinlizzie (Sep 20, 2011)

Sir_Loin_of_Beef said:


> The chicken was using birth control.


 
That, Sir Loin, was a milk-snort-through-the-nose.


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## PattY1 (Sep 20, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> so thats why it crossed the road.


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## chopper (Sep 20, 2011)

PattY1 said:
			
		

>



Why did the chicken cross the toad???



To show the coons it could be done.


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## chopper (Sep 20, 2011)

chopper said:
			
		

> Why did the chicken cross the toad???
> 
> To show the coons it could be done.



Ok I meant to say road, not toad.


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## sparrowgrass (Sep 21, 2011)

'Round here, that joke is about possums.  Or armadillos--they are making themselves home in Missouri.


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## Daizymae (Sep 21, 2011)

Janet H said:


> Curiosity got the best of me and I hit google.  Check out this  interesting page of egg oddities.   BTW - according to the page, no yolkers are most commonly produced by immature hens as a first effort - goes to show practice pays of in most ventures



Yes, you are correct about this.  (I raise a backyard flock.)


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## msmofet (Sep 21, 2011)

A conspiracy started by all the people who eat egg white scrambles/omelets!!


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## Claire (Sep 21, 2011)

How funny!  Never heard of such a thing.  Double yolks (Siamese twins, anyone), bloody yolks, but can't remember even my parents (who grew up as children raising chickens) telling me about yolk-less eggs!  All I can say is that cock needs a sperm count!


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 22, 2011)

chopper said:


> Ok I meant to say road, not toad.


To buy Himalaya Pilex ointment.


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## sparrowgrass (Sep 22, 2011)

I have chickens, too, and I have only seen a yolkless egg when the girls are young, and those eggs are usually very tiny--maybe an inch long.

Eggs that haven't been candled or sorted (straight out of the bird) have all kinds of odd shapes, wrinkles in the shell, bits of shell stuck on the outside of the egg, no shell, round eggs or very long pointy eggs.  The size varies a lot, too--sometimes an egg will be twice as big as normal, and have 2 yolks.

The yolk is formed first, then 2 layers of white, then the shell.  Something happened in this case to cause the whites to form without the yolk--the folks in the egg production facility where I used to work said that a bad thunderstorm would cause a lot of double yolks.


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

That is so interesting. I have never seen a yolkless egg. I have seen the double yolk. I even got a fertilized egg one time. I did not enjoy that at all.


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## Daizymae (Sep 22, 2011)

betterthanabox said:


> ...I even got a fertilized egg one time. I did not enjoy that at all.


 
Could you please explain what you mean?  How do you identify a fertilized egg?  In any case, some people think they are somehow more healthful for us to eat than unfertilized ones.


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

I cracked it open and there was a partially developed chicken. I didn't eat eggs for a while after that. I eat eggs and I eat chicken, I don't do the in between stuff.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 22, 2011)

Eek!  Balute!  Not sure I would eat eggs for awhile after getting one like that either!


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

Yep My thoughts exactly!


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## Daizymae (Sep 22, 2011)

betterthanabox said:


> I cracked it open and there was a partially developed chicken. I didn't eat eggs for a while after that. I eat eggs and I eat chicken, I don't do the in between stuff.



Where did you get this egg and did you have any reason to believe that it had been sitting around in a really warm place for some time?  I really want to get to the bottom of this!


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## Dawgluver (Sep 22, 2011)

Daizymae said:
			
		

> Where did you get this egg and did you have any reason to believe that it had been sitting around in a really warm place for some time?  I really want to get to the bottom of this!



Obviously it was fertilized.  Unfertilized eggs would not develop an embryo.  No roosters!

I don't think the health benefits outweigh the grossout factor for fertilized eggs.  Just makes for happier roosters.  And hens.


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## Daizymae (Sep 22, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Obviously it was fertilized.  Unfertilized eggs would not develop an embryo.  No roosters!
> 
> I don't think the health benefits outweigh the grossout factor for fertilized eggs.  Just makes for happier roosters.  And hens.



Of course the egg was fertile, but that's not enough.  It takes 3 weeks of approx. 100 degree temperature to produce a fully developed chick.  In this case, the development started, so obviously the egg was in a too-warm place!  

I wonder how Betterthanabox came to have this egg and was led to believe it was an ordinary, edible egg.

Ugh all around.  I would stop eating eggs but still use them in baking, I think, if this had happened to me.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 22, 2011)

Daizymae said:
			
		

> Of course the egg was fertile, but that's not enough.  It takes 3 weeks of approx. 100 degree temperature to produce a fully developed chick.  In this case, the development started, so obviously the egg was in a too-warm place!
> 
> I wonder how Betterthanabox came to have this egg and was led to believe it was an ordinary, edible egg.
> 
> Ugh all around.  I would stop eating eggs but still use them in baking, I think, if this had happened to me.



Good point.  Apparently unwashed eggs don't need refridgeration.  They are on the floors of grocery stores in Mexico, not in the coolers, probably so in other countries.  The back of a truck or unaired building could possibly reach over 100°.  There was a much earlier post on DC suggesting eggs are in the system for many months prior to getting to stores.  

Disturbing!


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## pacanis (Sep 22, 2011)

It had to have been a "home grown" egg, too, because egg producers don't let their hens come into contact with roosters. You've all seen the assembly line conditions they are kept in. I'm wondering how the egg happened to be fertilized in the first place.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 22, 2011)

pacanis said:
			
		

> I'm wondering how the egg happened to be fertilized in the first place.



Umm.  First there was a hen, then an interested rooster.....  We had to take classes on this in fifth grade.


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## pacanis (Sep 22, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Umm. First there was a hen, then an interested rooster..... We had to take classes on this in fifth grade.


 
Oh sure. Snip my post and make jokes.
You.


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

My mom picked them up at an Amish market. It was a regular carton of eggs, I guess it must have been in the nest box for a while before the farmer found it. That's the only thing I could think of.


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## pacanis (Sep 22, 2011)

ahhh, the Amish market... that explains it.
Yes, healthier chickens, but ones allowed to... "mingle".


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## Dawgluver (Sep 22, 2011)

pacanis said:
			
		

> ahhh, the Amish market... that explains it.
> Yes, healthier chickens, but ones allowed to... "mingle".



Mystery solved, Pac!  Free range chickens, but skip the eggs.  Unless you want them with extra protein.


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## pacanis (Sep 22, 2011)

That's still pretty disturbing one was allowed to incubate for so long.
People hear "farmers' market" and such and automatically think healthier, but I suppose there are gov't inspections for a reason. It's a no win no win situation, lol.


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

I like free range eggs. I think it would be important to make sure they aren't free ranging with the boys though if you are going to sell the eggs. All in all I still buy farm fresh eggs. I just check them first.


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

The funny thing is my parents still get eggs from them. It only happened once, and I should clarify, it wasn't super far along. It wasn't like a chicken with feathers and the like it just looked like a fetus so to speak. It was between the size of a nickle and a quarter.


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## betterthanabox (Sep 22, 2011)

It was gross, but I wouldn't say completely developed, just partially.


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## pacanis (Sep 22, 2011)

Yeah, but if they are true free range hens they need the boys around for protection. I keep my hens in a "yard", which is a fancy word for pen. They don't need a rooster around, but a flock allowed to roam does. A rooster goes a long ways in keeping the girls together and small critters at bay.


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## sparrowgrass (Sep 22, 2011)

I have my hens in a yard, with 2 roosters, so most all of my eggs are fertilized. It is possible to miss an egg for a couple days, especially if you have broody hens.  Broody girls are in a maternal frame of mind, and don't move (except to pinch you hard with their beaks) even when you reach around under them for the eggs in that nest. If you are not thorough, you can miss one.  Or, you can find a nest that a hen has made on her own, if your hens have enough room to roam, and not realize that a hen has been setting on those eggs.

For the first 2 days of incubation, the only way to tell a fertilized egg is to look for a little white circle or donut about the size of a pencil eraser on the yolk.

After 3 days of incubation, the yolk will look like a bloodshot eyeball as the embryo begins to develop--takes about a week for an egg to get to the OMG-that's-a-chick stage.  These are obviously blood vessels--NOT to be confused with a blood spot in the egg--a speck to dime size spot.  That comes from the hen, and is a bit of blood from her reproductive tract.  Not harmful, just not esthetically pleasing.

So--they may have had a broody hen with a nest in an out of the way corner, and when someone found it, they gathered the eggs and sold them.

However, people who are selling eggs at a farmers market in Missouri must candle them before they sell them using a strong light to check for embryos and other defects.


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## pacanis (Sep 22, 2011)

I had one hen that was broody all the time, three times a year. Tossing her off the nestbox broke that frame of mind after a few days. Otherwise she wouldn't get off to even eat.


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## DMerry (Sep 22, 2011)

Thanks, Janet H for the referral to the web site about egg oddities.  I didn't know there were so many.  I had never before seen a fart egg, but the explanation makes sense.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 23, 2011)

When I got my Rhode Island Reds, one was laying 2 eggs/day. She was young--about 6 months. After about 3 weeks, she settled down and is now only laying 1 egg/day. Chickens are only supposed to lay 1 each every 24 hours. This one was laying 2 within about 3-4 hours. She might have been the person's double-yolker, I don't know. Double-yolkers stop producing earlier than those that lay single-yolk eggs. And, the color of the chicken's ears determine the egg color, fwiw. The battery farms where most of the commercial eggs are produced will start with young hens (5-6 months) and only keep them until they are 12-18 months. Supposedly as chickens age, the eggs get larger. I have two more young laying hens arriving today...who knew having laying hens would be so much fun?


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## betterthanabox (Sep 23, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> When I got my Rhode Island Reds, one was laying 2 eggs/day. She was young--about 6 months. After about 3 weeks, she settled down and is now only laying 1 egg/day. Chickens are only supposed to lay 1 each every 24 hours. This one was laying 2 within about 3-4 hours. She might have been the person's double-yolker, I don't know. Double-yolkers stop producing earlier than those that lay single-yolk eggs. And, the color of the chicken's ears determine the egg color, fwiw. The battery farms where most of the commercial eggs are produced will start with young hens (5-6 months) and only keep them until they are 12-18 months. Supposedly as chickens age, the eggs get larger. I have two more young laying hens arriving today...who knew having laying hens would be so much fun?



I am going to have to start looking at their ears more carefully!


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## Dawgluver (Sep 23, 2011)

This discussion has just been fascinating!  Had no idea chickens were such cool little critters!


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## CWS4322 (Sep 23, 2011)

Dawgluver--I had no idea chickens were so interesting to watch until I got Harriet and Myrtle in June. They are very entertaining and each have their own personalities. The girls are like little dogs--they follow me around, they come running when I come out into the yard, Myrtle perches on my shoulder when I'm out in the garden, and they are so proud of their eggs each morning--they strut to their box and make sure I see that they've produced the eggs.  And, chickens can lay until they are 5-8 years old (depends on the breed). And, they can live to be in their teens. I know of one person who has housetrained her chicken...


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## Dawgluver (Sep 23, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> Dawgluver--I had no idea chickens were so interesting to watch until I got Harriet and Myrtle in June. They are very entertaining and each have their own personalities. The girls are like little dogs--they follow me around, they come running when I come out into the yard, Myrtle perches on my shoulder when I'm out in the garden, and they are so proud of their eggs each morning--they strut to their box and make sure I see that they've produced the eggs.  And, chickens can lay until they are 5-8 years old (depends on the breed). And, they can live to be in their teens. I know of one person who has housetrained her chicken...



Love the names, CW!  The girls sound adorable!


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## CWS4322 (Sep 23, 2011)

Chickens are a lot easier to keep than we thought they'd be. I don't know why it took us so long to get chickens. Although, I must say, I'm finding that I feel a bit odd when I'm eating chicken now...it almost seems "wrong."


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## Daizymae (Sep 23, 2011)

Yes, the eggs get larger, but fewer in number, as the hens age.

That is an interesting story, CWS!  

I see my hens & cocks as pets, not just as egg producers. I don't kill them, ever, nor do I eat "chicken".  

I wish I could train my chickens.  In any case, a backyard flock of heirloom variety chickens are interesting, fun and dare I say it - intelligent in their own way.  They are not birdbrains.  

In addition to a bunch of *Delawares* and *Rhodies*, we now have a mother hen and her one chick living in the garage.  Even if a hen goes broody in the winter, I'll bring her and her eggs into the house till hatching is done and chix are large enough to go into the chicken house (heated somewhat).

Love your chicken stories.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 23, 2011)

What do you do with older chickens?  It would break my heart to cook a beloved pet.  8 years seems such a short time.  Do they have an old age home for chickens?


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## Daizymae (Sep 23, 2011)

Well, most of my chickens just go grey on my watch (somewhat literally) and die of old age.  Sometimes they get taken by a hawk or fox if they can't run to the coop on time. I do my best to protect them, but...  This is God's will.  To feed needy wildlife, sometimes, after a good life.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 23, 2011)

I would have a really hard time with that.  Would probably have the girls sleeping with me.  DH would not approve.


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## Claire (Sep 23, 2011)

Mom always called eggs with a blood spot in them "fertilized" eggs.  I think she threw them away (trust me, if we were going hungry she would not have done that).  But she often bought eggs unrefridgerated, farm eggs that needed to be cleaned before cracking.


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## Daizymae (Sep 23, 2011)

I don't refrigerate my hens' eggs, but then I know how old they are!  I am not sure that I would buy eggs from someone who claims they are fresh (though not refrigerated).


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## joesfolk (Sep 23, 2011)

You guys brought back a long buried memory for me.  When I was in the second grade we moved to a new neighborhood and I went to a new school.  I met a girl named Elizabeth who lived in my neighborhood.  She told me where she lived and invited me over and when I got brave enough to go I noticed that her home was different from all of the others in the neighborhood, much smaller and older and surrounded by a funny looking old wire fence.  I walked up to the gate and was about to go in when I spotted about a dozen chickens roaming around.  Well as a city girl it's a wonder that I even knew that they were chickens.  I stood at the gate looking in for what seemed like hours.  I was so afraid that those animals would attack me if I ventured in.  Eventually Elizabeth's mother came to the door and told me that I could come in, the chicken's wouldn't hurt me.  I must have been desperate for the companionship of a friend because that walk from the gate to the door was like a walk on death row but I did it anyway.  We were friends for many years but I never got completely used to entering their yard.  And it was years later that I learned that they had to clip the chickens wings to keep them from roosting in the telephone lines.  Then I laid awake for weeks hoping they never missed clipping a chickens wings.  After all I only lived a block away.  If they could fly, they could come after me!


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## Daizymae (Sep 24, 2011)

Well, that's a great tale for sure!  I think we all remember stuff that happened as kids where we now can't understand why we were so darn terrified.  We had a bull named Ferdinand and even tho he was behind a fence, I would walk 1/2 mile out of the way just to not have him looking at me as he paced the edge of his enclosure.  Pure cold terror.


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## chopper (Sep 24, 2011)

Daizymae said:
			
		

> Well, that's a great tale for sure!  I think we all remember stuff that happened as kids where we now can't understand why we were so darn terrified.  We had a bull named Ferdinand and even tho he was behind a fence, I would walk 1/2 mile out of the way just to not have him looking at me as he paced the edge of his enclosure.  Pure cold terror.



We used to cut across a pasture when I was a kid. It was quite a short cut for us. The only thing was that there was a bull in the pasture, so you had to make sure that he wasn't too close, and then you had to run like heck to get across and back over the fence. He never caught us, but he came pretty close a time or two.


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## Daizymae (Sep 25, 2011)

Yes, it IS true about bulls:  they run after people!


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## sparrowgrass (Sep 25, 2011)

Claire, a lot of people think that a blood spot means the egg is fertilized. And I think most folks toss them because it is not a normal egg--even though the little bit of blood is harmless. Jews who keep kosher definitely toss them--an egg is not kosher if it has a blood spot. 

There can also be little brown specks in the egg--those are called 'meat spots' and also come from the hen's reproductive tract--they are a little bit of tissue that sloughed off and became incorporated into the egg.

About bulls--if I have to tell one more adult that horns do not mean that an animal is a bull, I am going to scream. Mama cows can have horns, too. Most cattle nowadays are 'polled' (hornless). If you want to know whether it is a bull or a cow, you have to look underneath, not on top of their heads.


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## Andy M. (Sep 25, 2011)

sparrowgrass said:


> ...If you want to know whether it is a bull or a cow, you have to look underneath, not on top of their heads.




If it has horns and is chasing me across a pasture, I'm not going to stop to "look underneath".


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## chopper (Sep 25, 2011)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> If it has horns and is chasing me across a pasture, I'm not going to stop to "look underneath".



Well, we already knew it was a very BIG bull. We knew him well from our side of the fence!  Growing up a farm girl, I knew how to look to see if was a bull. Some bulls you don't have to get real close to tell, if you know what I mean............it had a ring in his nose!!!!  Lol!


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## pacanis (Sep 25, 2011)

LOL, yeah, they have a large... ring in their nose.


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## Daizymae (Sep 25, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> If it has horns and is chasing me across a pasture, I'm not going to stop to "look underneath".


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## CWS4322 (Sep 27, 2011)

Daizymae said:


> I wish I could train my chickens. In any case, a backyard flock of heirloom variety chickens are interesting, fun and dare I say it - intelligent in their own way. They are not birdbrains.
> Love your chicken stories.


 
Back when I used to clicker-train dogs, we'd have "chicken training" seminars. We used a clicker and would give them bread when they did something we wanted them to do (come closer, take the bread from our hands, etc.). The RIRs will go in their nesting box with a hand signal, will follow me back to the barn, go in the enclosed pen with a hand signal, and come when I call them. I've been doing the hand-feeding of bread and clicking with the Plymouth Rocks--the rooster is getting so he'll come running when he sees me. Two of the three hens will now take bread from my hand and one follows the rooster when he comes running. I click when they have approached, and then I slowly move my hand closer to my body so they are closer to me as they take the bread. They take bean seeds, wild grapes, and grape tomatoes out of my hand. I make sure I'm low to the ground, move slowly, and click if they don't "bolt" when I move my hand. Then they get a piece of bread (a cube). They love bread. I also go out when they are roosting and pick them up, stroke them, and talk to them in a soft voice. I've just started "taming" with my two Buffs. They like tomatoes, cottage cheese curds, and bread. I don't have any mealworms, but supposedly chickens love mealworms. I know they love earthworms. All three of the breeds I have are supposed to be friendly, but the PRs were little feral chicks when I got them. I don't know if I'll be successful, but they are getting better. Ironically, the RIRs were the two that had been handled the least and were the oldest of all the birds. And, they are the two that are like little dogs. I could probably put a band on them and a little chain and ride my bike with one on my shoulder (my "adopted" aunt in Germany used to ride with her parrot on her shoulder).  I haven't figured out how to house train them...and, I don't think I want them in the house...


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## Dawgluver (Sep 27, 2011)

That is so cool.  Hope you have a working washer/dryer, CW!


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## Daizymae (Sep 28, 2011)

CWS, that is most interesting reading.  However, I don't think anyone has to really train a chicken to come when called.  They  just seem to know what "Chick, Chick, Chick!" means.  

I wonder why my chickens come running up to me, almost attacking, even when they are well fed?  Could I be spoiling them with too many treats and now they've come to expect to receive them every time they see me?  Gee, I didn't realize I was "training" them...

What breeds of roosters have turned out to be attackers?  For me, it was some of the Buff Orpingtons and all of the Black Australorps.   Yes, they would chase me up the steps and into the house.  

Bet you have lots of tales to tell about your flock.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 28, 2011)

Well--whether they come when called or are conditioned to come to the person who feeds them is debateable. I do know when I call Myrtle, she comes. Harriet might follow, but Myrtle seems to recognize that by coming to me when I call her name, something good will happen. Positive-reinforcement training marks the behaviour you want the animal to display. So by saying her name, clicking (using a clicker) when she turns toward me and then rewarding the "turn" I mark the first behaviour in the behaviour sequence and toss a bread cube. Then when she starts moving toward me, I mark that again with the click and toss a bread cube. When she gets to me, I click and give her a higher-value treat (worm). The sequence is when she hears "Myrtle" she turns toward me, moves toward me, comes to me and stops in front of me. By marking each behaviour in the behaviour sequence, I've now got her so she'll come to me and stop in front of me when I say her name. Does she know her name? No, she knows that that sound I make means the treat dispenser is open and she'll get something she likes. When I'm done, I step back 1/2 step and say "okay" and turn away from her. Sometimes she gets picked up when she comes to me (she'll eat a worm in my arms, but that's about it). Sometimes she gets invited to perch on my shoulder, sometimes not. 

ClickerSolutions Training Articles -- How I Trained a Chicken
Cluck, Cluck, Click! Martha Stewart Meets Coco the Clicker Trained Chicken | Karen Pryor Clickertraining
Clicker training chickens - Why? | Karen Pryor Clickertraining
Poultry in Motion

And, then there are those who say you can't clicker train a chicken:

Can you clicker train a chicken? - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers

However, I am seeing the responses I've marked, so I think Myrtle and Harriet have caught on to the fact that if they do a certain pattern, I'll give them a treat...or, they've trained me. They definitely require more repeats than dogs to catch on and if you don't do it for a couple of days, it takes more than it would take with a dog to put 2 and 2 together again.


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## Claire (Sep 28, 2011)

Isn't coming thinking they're getting a treat the entire point of training?  Pavlov's dogs and all that?  

My favorite was then when we lived in Hawaii, there was a temple we used to visit because of its beautiful setting, gardens, peaceful all around.  One time a guest we took there who didn't really know much about how Asian Hawaii can be thought the guys walking around in saffron robes and shaved heads were like people in costume you see at Disney.  No, they're really monks, and no, taking off your shoes before entering the temple is NOT an option, it is mandatory.  

To get to the point, the care-taker of the lovely koi pond was an old man who would clap is hands twice before feeding his fish.  So the fish were "trained" to come towards someone clapping.  I didn't know their hearing was that good under water, but it definitely was.  So we'd buy a handful of food, lean close to the water, and clap twice to see all the beautiful colors of the fish and toss them their food.

We lived there twice, and the second time we were there a friend told us that the old man who had the fish trained had died, and his replacement was as ancient as his predecessor had been.  We called him "The New Old Man", which amused him.


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## joesfolk (Sep 28, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Back when I used to clicker-train dogs, we'd have "chicken training" seminars. We used a clicker and would give them bread when they did something we wanted them to do (come closer, take the bread from our hands, etc.). The RIRs will go in their nesting box with a hand signal, will follow me back to the barn, go in the enclosed pen with a hand signal, and come when I call them. I've been doing the hand-feeding of bread and clicking with the Plymouth Rocks--the rooster is getting so he'll come running when he sees me. Two of the three hens will now take bread from my hand and one follows the rooster when he comes running. I click when they have approached, and then I slowly move my hand closer to my body so they are closer to me as they take the bread. They take bean seeds, wild grapes, and grape tomatoes out of my hand. I make sure I'm low to the ground, move slowly, and click if they don't "bolt" when I move my hand. Then they get a piece of bread (a cube). They love bread. I also go out when they are roosting and pick them up, stroke them, and talk to them in a soft voice. I've just started "taming" with my two Buffs. They like tomatoes, cottage cheese curds, and bread. I don't have any mealworms, but supposedly chickens love mealworms. I know they love earthworms. All three of the breeds I have are supposed to be friendly, but the PRs were little feral chicks when I got them. I don't know if I'll be successful, but they are getting better. Ironically, the RIRs were the two that had been handled the least and were the oldest of all the birds. And, they are the two that are like little dogs. I could probably put a band on them and a little chain and ride my bike with one on my shoulder (my "adopted" aunt in Germany used to ride with her parrot on her shoulder). I haven't figured out how to house train them...and, I don't think I want them in the house...


 *Just out of curiosity, what kind of dogs did you clicker train?*


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## babetoo (Sep 28, 2011)

now if we could just figure out how to train a cat. i believe they know what we are saying but just don't care.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 28, 2011)

I clicker trained Saint Bernards, Newfoundlands, and several mixed breeds. The concept behind clicker training chickens was to help fine-tune one's timing and precision.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 28, 2011)

babetoo said:
			
		

> now if we could just figure out how to train a cat. i believe they know what we are saying but just don't care.



Babe, you won't believe this, but we had a stray cat who adopted us, and would follow my husband like a dog.  He would sit and stay on command.  He heeled better than the dogs.  Since he was a stray, and our dogs didn't care for cats, we gave him to a friend, who lived out of town.  Unfortunately, Chester was an outdoor cat, so my friend had to give him up after receiving too many loose cat tickets.  I am hoping he got to go to a nice farm somewhere.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 29, 2011)

You can clicker-train cats--it just takes more time than dogs, but less time than chickens. Speaking of which, I was worried the Buffs wouldn't come back tonight (we got them last Friday). When I went to lock the hens down, the two Buffs were there as well. Yes, I did thumb my nose at the skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes in the bush as I walked back to the house from the barn.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 29, 2011)

I guess it is true that diamonds are a girl's best friend--the hens peck at my rings! I've taken to taking then off before I go out and see them. Funny little things.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 29, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> I guess it is true that diamonds are a girl's best friend--the hens peck at my rings! I've taken to taking then off before I go out and see them.



Apparently, they fancy themselves as crows.  And obviously have good taste!


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## tinlizzie (Sep 30, 2011)

Again with the eggs -- I think it's true that in situations where there is no reliable refrigeration that eggs are preserved by coating them with petroleum jelly, which retards intake of oxygen through the shell.

We had a couple of feather-footed hens who loved crawfish out of our pond.  Of course, I had to dip-net the crawfish, so we know who was trained here, don't we?


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## CWS4322 (Sep 30, 2011)

About as well-trained as my girls have me--you won't see them out with a flashlight looking for earthworms.


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## Daizymae (Sep 30, 2011)

Refrigeration isn't necessary at normal room temperatures for a week or more.  We never refrigerated our eggs at home on the farm, nor do I now, unless the weather is terribly hot and the house is, also.  Never have I seen a semideveloped chick inside our fertile eggs.  

I place older eggs into a bowl of water and if they float (they never do), then I'd put them outside for the crows to dispose of.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 30, 2011)

Daizymae--I was under the impression if the eggs were fertilized eggs, they had to be refrigerated; otherwise, they could be kept in a cool place? I wasn't refrigerating the eggs until the rooster matured, now I have been. I also don't wash my eggs--the girls lay clean eggs, so I just dust a speck or two of wood shavings off one egg (I only have 2 layers) and we're "good to go."


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## Daizymae (Sep 30, 2011)

I guess there's different opinions on this; I have heard that if you want the eggs to hatch (ie, in an incubator) you should not refrigerate them first.  Well, I refrigerated a bunch of eggs and had no trouble selling them to someone who subsequently stuck them into an incubator and they got many healthy chicks.  Probably there's a variety of opinions.  But I have an instinct to place the eggs in a cool or cold place when, as I have mentioned, we are having a period of really hot weather.  

I don't wash my eggs, either.  Apparently they have a natural coating that acts as a sort of "preservative" and there's no need to remove that.  

Best of luck with your chickens and eggs!


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## CWS4322 (Sep 30, 2011)

Thanks Daizymae! My DH wasn't too keen on the idea of chickens. Now he thinks we should add yet a couple of more! I'm still trying to convince the Plymouth Rocks to start laying...hoping the golf balls in the nesting box help!


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## Daizymae (Sep 30, 2011)

Chickens will start laying if you give them a vitamin and mineral powder in their food.  Available at feed stores. Plus, during the winter they need light during the day, about 15 hours' worth!  It's true!  How old are your Plymouth Rocks anyway?  We always  called them "barred rocks".


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## CWS4322 (Oct 1, 2011)

The PRs were born in April--I got them mid-June. They were 6 and 8 weeks old. The breeder told me they would start laying in October. I have already started leaving the light on since it gets dark earlier. I have it on a timer, so it comes on in the morning (I don't let them out until after my morning conf call), and I have it stay on until about 10-10:30 at night. I'm still trying to figure out how to keep them warm enough in the winter...insulated "nesting" boxes and wood shavings are what I'm thinking.

I have chicken vitamins. I'll add that to their water. The oldest one has started getting in the position...she is also the only one with a red comb and developed waddles.

Thanks Daizymae! I'm a newbie chicken keeper. What is your favorite breed of laying hen? I'm really fond of my RIRs, they are such good layers. And nice temperament.

I have a book from England and it has a photo of deep purple chicken but no caption identifying the breed! I would love a purple chicken...


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## Daizymae (Oct 1, 2011)

Hi.  So, I'm sure that your hens will lay soon.  HOw to keep the chicken house warm?  Doesn't have to be real warm.  As you know, heritage hens - and that includes the PRs - are kind of tough.  I think that a dry, clean house is more important.  If the floor is insulated, all the better.  Their poor little toes shouldn't be stomping about in you-know-what.  I think it causes disease & is stressful for them.  

For laying, I have found all the usual well-known breeds pretty good.  For going broody, Buff Orpingtons have been good to me.   For nastyness of the cocks, though, the Buffs are equally impressive.  Murderous, some of them.  

Do you go to the backyard chickens site?  Here is a lovely series of photos:

Raising BackYard Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Pictures of Breeds

" Here, Little Joey suspects his life is about to change..."


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## Bolas De Fraile (Oct 1, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Thanks Daizymae! My DH wasn't too keen on the idea of chickens. Now he thinks we should add yet a couple of more! I'm still trying to convince the Plymouth Rocks to start laying...hoping the golf balls in the nesting box help!


AHH the Gary Layer method


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## Daizymae (Oct 1, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> AHH the Gary Layer method


 
Nice to have a funny guy here!


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

Okay--the man who wasn't keen on laying hens (and hasn't been a big egg-eater until now--they are so good) informed me today we're getting 9 more RIRs next weekend. That will bring the flock up to 16 layers! What started as a couple of hens for eggs has now expanded to a chicken farm and I think I can officially call myself a chicken keeper! (I must say, gathering those FRESH, hot eggs this morning was a trip for s/one who has never had chickens before--and I couldn't resist eating one of the eggs on top of curried creamed kale [kale from the garden]).

Here at the farm we have a 30'x40' 2-storey barn that was for cattle. It is a very nice barn--power, its own well, concrete floor. We used to use it only for storing the tractors (2), lawn tractor, trailers (2), canoe, and other such things. The loft is where the lumber that the DH saws on his sawmill is put to dry--a kiln if you will. Because I got the hens before the DH built the 9'x10' coop (complete with a concrete floor and windows), I parked the hens in the barn. That's their home (and should I mention the DH wasn't keen on laying hens when I brought Myrtle and Harriet home)? Now the hens live in the barn and the coop stands empty because the hens like the various things on which to roost and we haven't had the heart to move them to the coop that doesn't have all that cool stuff on which to roost. Tonight three of them were on the seat of one of the tractors as if they were driving it. I couldn't help but laugh. I was told to leave a light on for them to extend daylight hours, so I never know what they will be doing when I go out to turn off the light. The new flock will be put in the coop. Too bad new RIRs it isn't as large as the other "chicken house." 

Stay tuned for more chicken stories. With 9 more arriving next weekend, I'm sure life in the barn will be very entertaining.


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## sparrowgrass (Oct 8, 2011)

Your girls will stay a lot warmer if you move them to a smaller space--the body heat of all those hens will raise the temp in a little coop up to a more comfortable level.

I love the feel of a newly laid egg on a cold day--what a perfect shape and temperature!!


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

The DH has made insulated boxes for them and we'll move all of them to the coop in January if need be.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Okay--the man who wasn't keen on laying hens (and hasn't been a big egg-eater until now--they are so good) informed me today we're getting 9 more RIRs next weekend. That will bring the flock up to 16 layers! What started as a couple of hens for eggs has now expanded to a chicken farm and I think I can officially call myself a chicken keeper! (I must say, gathering those FRESH, hot eggs this morning was a trip for s/one who has never had chickens before--and I couldn't resist eating one of the eggs on top of curried creamed kale [kale from the garden]).
> 
> Here at the farm we have a 30'x40' 2-storey barn that was for cattle. It is a very nice barn--power, its own well, concrete floor. We used to use it only for storing the tractors (2), lawn tractor, trailers (2), canoe, and other such things. The loft is where the lumber that the DH saws on his sawmill is put to dry--a kiln if you will. Because I got the hens before the DH built the 9'x10' coop (complete with a concrete floor and windows), I parked the hens in the barn. That's their home (and should I mention the DH wasn't keen on laying hens when I brought Myrtle and Harriet home)? Now the hens live in the barn and the coop stands empty because the hens like the various things on which to roost and we haven't had the heart to move them to the coop that doesn't have all that cool stuff on which to roost. Tonight three of them were on the seat of one of the tractors as if they were driving it. I couldn't help but laugh. I was told to leave a light on for them to extend daylight hours, so I never know what they will be doing when I go out to turn off the light. The new flock will be put in the coop. Too bad new RIRs it isn't as large as the other "chicken house."
> 
> Stay tuned for more chicken stories. With 9 more arriving next weekend, I'm sure life in the barn will be very entertaining.



You have to start taking pictures of the silly hens!  Cracking me up!


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## chopper (Oct 8, 2011)

We would love to see pictures of hens "driving" the tractors. Do they do yard work too?


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

chopper said:


> We would love to see pictures of hens "driving" the tractors. Do they do yard work too?


 Funny you should ask--I finally figured out if I put the food scraps in a certain area, they'd scratch and peck. I have them cleaning out a patch of weeds next to the barn right now. It'll probably take a few days, but before too long, they should have it down to bare ground. I read an article a long time ago about a "chicken tiller." Basically, it was a moveable wire box on skids that you positioned where you wanted the weeds, etc. removed, put the chickens in, and let them do their thing.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

I'm stumped for names for the new girls--we have Henny and Penny (because we can't tell two of the barred PRs apart), Silly Milly (the PR that ran away for 36 hours), and the rooster--Cocky Rocky (evident how that name came about); Harriet and Myrtle, Agatha and Prudence. I am thinking one of the new RIRs has to be named Scarlett. The other names that come to mind are Pearl, Henrietta (Hattie for short), Hazel, Edith, and Alma. But, there are NINE of them. Anyone want to offer suggestions? Or, should they be named using a letter (my choice would be "Q").


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## Dawgluver (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> I'm stumped for names for the new girls--we have Henny and Penny (because we can't tell two of the barred PRs apart), Silly Milly (the PR that ran away for 36 hours), and the rooster--Cocky Rocky (evident how that name came about); Harriet and Myrtle, Agatha and Prudence. I am thinking one of the new RIRs has to be named Scarlett. The other names that come to mind are Pearl, Henrietta (Hattie for short), Hazel, Edith, and Alma. But, there are NINE of them. Anyone want to offer suggestions? Or, should they be named using a letter (my choice would be "Q").



I will offer some of my elderly relatives' names: Gladys, Mabel, Clara, Beuhla, Agnes, Bertha.

I have become a chicken fan!  Love the stories.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

Thanks Dawglover! I'll put Gladys and Mabel in the pool (my DH has to have a say). I rejected Bertha because that was the name we called the HUGE white oak my DH used for the woodwork in the bathroom (he has a sawmill and this log was HUGE, hence, big Bertha was it's name). Agnes is too close to Agatha <g>. I'm also rejecting names of my great aunts. I don't want to offend anyone!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Thanks Dawglover! I'll put Gladys and Mabel in the pool (my DH has to have a say). I rejected Bertha because that was the name we called the HUGE white oak my DH used for the woodwork in the bathroom (he has a sawmill and this log was HUGE, hence, big Bertha was it's name). Agnes is too close to Agatha <g>. I'm also rejecting names of my great aunts. I don't want to offend anyone!



Do you have Hazel and Elsie?  Elsie was my beloved Great-Grandmother's name.


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## chopper (Oct 8, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> Funny you should ask--I finally figured out if I put the food scraps in a certain area, they'd scratch and peck. I have them cleaning out a patch of weeds next to the barn right now. It'll probably take a few days, but before too long, they should have it down to bare ground. I read an article a long time ago about a "chicken tiller." Basically, it was a moveable wire box on skids that you positioned where you wanted the weeds, etc. removed, put the chickens in, and let them do their thing.















Right!  Like this. I took these pictures for a friend who needed to be able to move chickens around a small yard. They had them for sale at Big R, but I think they are going to make one.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 8, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Do you have Hazel and Elsie? Elsie was my beloved Great-Grandmother's name.


 Hazel's on the list, Elsie wasn't...I had a very good "older" friend who lived in Eastern MT named Elsie...she taught me the secret of making perfect lefse everytime! Baking soda--just a tad.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 12, 2011)

The target feeding is going well. I'm moving them to another "patch" I want cleared tomorrow. 

And, egg production is up 50% here at the "chicken factory." Two of the barred Plymouth Rocks started laying this week. The eggs are--x-small, but two are laying, so egg production is up and two of the three PRs are SAFE--not that Silly Millie is feeling any pressure...dial 555-5553 if you want to vote to save Silly Millie. 

Henny and Penny will not be transferred to the "stew pot" production line. (A division of the "chicken factory" that has not been implemented, yet).

I haven't cracked the little eggs yet to see if they are yolk-free or not. Stay tuned!


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## chopper (Oct 12, 2011)

Too funny CWS...as I was reading the beginning of your last post I was wondering if they were yolk free or not.


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## tinlizzie (Oct 13, 2011)

When my son lived just on the fringes between suburbia and rural country, one day a hen appeared and took up residence under the bougainvillea in the front yard.  They put out water for her and she was around for a couple of weeks, then just disappeared.  There are coons, possums, etc. around here, so there's no telling what happened to her.  She never laid any eggs.  Her name was Gertie.


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## Andy M. (Oct 13, 2011)

I had a pet chicken named Gertie once, but she ran away.  We never found her...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 13, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> When my son lived just on the fringes between suburbia and rural country, one day a hen appeared and took up residence under the bougainvillea in the front yard.  They put out water for her and she was around for a couple of weeks, then just disappeared.  There are coons, possums, etc. around here, so there's no telling what happened to her.  She never laid any eggs.  Her name was Gertie.



Maybe she was on vacation...


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## tinlizzie (Oct 13, 2011)




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## CWS4322 (Oct 13, 2011)

Drum roll please...Silly Millie is SAFE. I gathered 4 eggs this morning, and then went out with some "treats" for the hens...I caught Silly Millie in the nesting box...and watched as she laid her first egg. Egg production is not quite at 100%, the Orpingtons are not yet laying. Hopefully they will be laying by mid-late November. And, the little egg from Monday had a yolk. So, hopefully all the other little eggs I now have will have yolks as well... Gertrude is a good chicken name...

Chickens don't fly well (they tend to fly close to the ground like turkeys--and I think the longest recorded chicken flight was 1.5 minutes) nor do they stray very far from their coops. Of course, it takes a bit to get them "bonded" to their coop, but once they are, they don't usually wander very far. Mine are usually within 30-50 yards of the coop, often they are only about 12 feet from it. If they hear a new noise, they head for the coop.


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## tinlizzie (Oct 13, 2011)

Waaaaaah!  I wanna chicken too!  Guess I'll have to settle for being a VCW.  (vicarious chicken wrangler)


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Oct 13, 2011)

Name suggestions:
Georgia
Annabel
Martha
Eliza
Shirley
Edna
Dorcas (taken from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 14, 2011)

Yea!  Silly Millie!!!


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## buckytom (Oct 14, 2011)

jennyema said:


> I imagine there's a huge market for yolk-less eggs.
> 
> Better than Egg Beaters and better than throwing away the yolk.



i'm sure you don't realize what might come out of such thinking, but OMG, i certainly hope the food industry doesn't try to mess with hens and homones in order to try for yolk-less eggs.
birds, in  such a long, successful evolution, are already the most prolific breeding creatures at immature ages. 
i can see a day where food companies feed chicks drugs so they never develop yolks.

sorry about the rant.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Oct 14, 2011)

Tom mate my chicken shed is very old, my wife will not let me refurb it as she knows it will lead to feathers flying.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 14, 2011)

That's too bad, Bolas. Free-range eggs are lower in cholesterol than store eggs...chicken poo is great fertilizer for the garden, and chickens are very entertaining. There's nothing like gathering the eggs when they are still warm, bringing them in, tossing them into a CI and watching them dance around the pan. The whites don't overlap. And then, the absolutely "out-of-this-world" taste. I'm going to go gather some eggs when the sun comes up and do just that, have the freshest eggs I can possibly have for breakfast.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 14, 2011)

buckytom said:


> i'm sure you don't realize what might come out of such thinking, but OMG, i certainly hope the food industry doesn't try to mess with hens and homones in order to try for yolk-less eggs.
> birds, in  such a long, successful evolution, are already the most prolific breeding creatures at immature ages.
> i can see a day where food companies feed chicks drugs so they never develop yolks.
> 
> sorry about the rant.


 The broodiness has already been bred out of a lot of birds and made it so meat chickens grow at such a rate, that many breeds' legs can't support them. Few live to be 18 months if one were so inclined to have a chicken that is of a breed for meat as a pet. The double-yolkers don't produce eggs as long as single yolkers, double-yolk eggs are usually larger, which can put the hen's life at risk. Yolk-less eggs are not the norm. Eggs are a perfect source of protein--why mess with perfection?


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Oct 14, 2011)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> The broodiness has already been bred out of a lot of birds and made it so meat chickens grow at such a rate, that many breeds' legs can't support them. Few live to be 18 months if one were so inclined to have a chicken that is of a breed for meat as a pet. The double-yolkers don't produce eggs as long as single yolkers, double-yolk eggs are usually larger, which can put the hen's life at risk. Yolk-less eggs are not the norm. Eggs are a perfect source of protein--why mess with perfection?



Plus the yoke is super yummy! If the yolk of an egg is ever a dietary problem then I'll eat the real thing less often rather than eat just the whites or something like egg beaters.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Oct 15, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> That's too bad, Bolas. Free-range eggs are lower in cholesterol than store eggs...chicken poo is great fertilizer for the garden, and chickens are very entertaining. There's nothing like gathering the eggs when they are still warm, bringing them in, tossing them into a CI and watching them dance around the pan. The whites don't overlap. And then, the absolutely "out-of-this-world" taste. I'm going to go gather some eggs when the sun comes up and do just that, have the freshest eggs I can possibly have for breakfast.


I could not agree more, we are lucky, chicken Tim lives nearby and his 30 hens produce luscious eggs. I like the fact that the run is fully enclosed with mesh so its vermin proof. We swap him veg  for his eggs in the summer cakes and pies in the winter.


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## Timothy (Oct 15, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I could not agree more, we are lucky, chicken Tim lives nearby and his 30 hens produce luscious eggs. I like the fact that the run is fully enclosed with mesh so its vermin proof. We swap him veg for his eggs in the summer cakes and pies in the winter.


 
"Chicken Tim" ??? Ha! Must be a relation....

My neighbor tried raising chickens once. Each night, for three nights, something attacked them in thier wire pen and pulled them out of the pen through the wire. He thought it was raccoons maybe, but by night 3, he had no more chickens. He never tried again.

I live in the middle of a big swamp that is probably millions of years old. Hawks, owls, even osprey control the skies and most of the open ground. I don't think a chicken would have a chance here if in the open.

There is a guy who raises them near me, but his coop is entirely enclosed and elevated. Not even a mouse could get in there.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 15, 2011)

Racoons will reach through wire and grab chickens. Typically they just bite the heads off. Skunks will dig under and get the chickens--again, biting the heads off. Hawks also bite the heads off, as do owls. I have wire on top and bottom of my enclosed run, and used hardware wire (1/4"). The coop is elevated so the chickens can get off the ground and away from predators. I lock mine in at dusk. During the day, at least one is standing guard, watching the sky, etc. They bolt for the coop and their perches if the one on sentry duty raises an alarm. They are really afraid of the airplanes that sometimes fly over. BTW, chickens eat mice and snakes.


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## Timothy (Oct 15, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Racoons will reach through wire and grab chickens. Typically they just bite the heads off. Skunks will dig under and get the chickens--again, biting the heads off. Hawks also bite the heads off, as do owls. I have wire on top and bottom of my enclosed run, and used hardware wire (1/4"). The coop is elevated so the chickens can get off the ground and away from predators. I lock mine in at dusk. During the day, at least one is standing guard, watching the sky, etc. They bolt for the coop and their perches if the one on sentry duty raises an alarm. They are really afraid of the airplanes that sometimes fly over. BTW, chickens eat mice and snakes.


 
Very interesting, CWS! With the neighbor's chickens, nothing was left but feathers and blood along the inside and outside of the edges of the coop. It was pretty gory. The bodies were gone. He used the kind of wire mesh that has six sided openings about 2 inches in diameter.

You'd think that during that slaughter, they would have heard something.

My bedroom window is about 300 feet from there, so I guess I was out of range of hearing it. *Plus, I have old ears*.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 15, 2011)

There is typically 5 gr of fat in a large egg yolk. If one eats a low-fat diet, consuming eggs is not a bad thing. The type of cholesterol in eggs is dietary, not serum (blood) cholesterol. The fat in an egg is mostly polyunsaturated. The whole-food protein in eggs is what is used to measure the amount of whole-food protein in other foods. I think eggs are 93.7% whole-food protein which means the body uses the protein in eggs very efficiently for growth. This is more useable protein than milk, beef, and other foods. I guess the reason one would use just the whites to make omelettes, etc., is to avoid the additional 5 gr. of fat in the diet or to eliminate a source of fat. I'd pick to eliminate fat in another area--baked potato instead of french fries, for example.


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## tinlizzie (Oct 15, 2011)

> During the day, at least one is standing guard, watching the sky, etc. They bolt for the coop and their perches if the one on sentry duty raises an alarm. They are really afraid of the airplanes that sometimes fly over. BTW, chickens eat mice and snakes.


 
One of the most endearing things I remember about past-owned ducks and chickens was seeing them cock their heads sideways to eye those predators in the sky.  Ducky Lucky wasn't just lucky.

Mice??    Now, snakes - that's no quite so surprising.  I've watched herons in my yard eat small snakes.

I learn something new every day, and it's frequently here on DC.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 15, 2011)

tinlizzie--they LOVE mice. The one that catches a mouse runs for cover licketly-split--no interest in sharing. Mine have not actually caught a snake, but my MIL was terrified of snakes. When a child, all she had to do was scream when she saw a snake and the Plymouth Rocks would come running and kill the snake and eat it.. The person I bought my PRs from told me her's eat snakes (as well as mice).


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## tinlizzie (Oct 15, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> tinlizzie--they LOVE mice. The one that catches a mouse runs for cover licketly-split--no interest in sharing. Mine have not actually caught a snake, but my MIL was terrified of snakes. When a child, all she had to do was scream when she saw a snake and the Plymouth Rocks would come running and kill the snake and eat it.. The person I bought my PRs from told me her's eat snakes (as well as mice).


 
Great mental image, here.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 17, 2011)

Today I cracked one of the "big" eggs--it was a two yolker! This was the first time I've ever cracked an egg that had 2 yolks. I laughed! The two yolks were about the size of the yolk in the small eggs from the PRs (which, btw, the eggs are getting bigger). When Myrtle and Harriet first arrived, Myrtle was laying 2 eggs/day. The guy I got the girls from did tell me he had one that was a double-yoker...well, I suspect that might be Myrtle. For the last couple of days, she's been laying eggs that DO NOT fit in a carton from x-large eggs. They are about 1/3 bigger than Harriet's eggs. 

Of the 9 new RIRs I picked up yesterday, 7 laid eggs today. I was expecting 4, maybe 5 eggs from them today because of the stress of moving. I noticed that the shells are similar to how the shells were on Harriet and Myrtle's eggs when we first got them--porous, not uniform in color. One of the eggs was flat on on one side. Not sure what he was feeding them, but I will definitely be adding "stuff" to their diet (flax seed, egg shells, veggies, etc.). They also have a much more noticeable "chicken" smell. One is also noticeably a darker red--I've named her Scarlett. I am having so much fun being a newbie chicken keeper!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 17, 2011)

Here chick, chick, chick...


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## CWS4322 (Oct 17, 2011)

PF--you can try all the chicken whispering skills you want, they are NOT moving to Montana!


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## CWS4322 (Oct 17, 2011)

A funny thing about chickens I never knew (I didn't know a lot about chickens), anyway, if you put something new in their environment, they have to go investigate it. We moved the disc harrower yesterday (it was in the area we were fencing for the new flock). Well, when the flock of 7 went out this morning, they had to go and investigate it...they walked around it, stretched their necks, cocked their heads, hopped up on it, walked up and down on it as if it were a balance beam, and then perched on it for awhile. Yesterday I had a cardboard box that I put on the floor of the barn...they hopped in and out of it, walked around it, etc. It is easy to provide "environmental enrichment" aspects to the hens' environment.  The also line up on their side of the fence and observe the new flock.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 17, 2011)

The fenced area for the the 2nd flock is up (we used 180 ft--so the area is a fairly decent size for 9 hens). They have their own coop (8'x10') and access to that fenced area from the coop. We decided not to integrate the two flocks since the 9 new RIRs were raised together and have a pecking order. As does the other flock. Cocky Rocky and I did a "dance" a couple of times today. He's not happy that he can't have access to the new hens! Anyway, once the fence was up, all but one went out to investigate. Maybe tomorrow. The funniest thing is that the fence we used was from a hydro installation. There is a warning sign on the fence that the area contains high-voltage wires! The fenced area is not intended for them to be in at night, it is to keep them out of the gardens and separated from the other flock.  

Chickens are way too entertaining. I spend far too much time observing them. Flock 1 (especially Myrle) were very interested in helping put up the fence.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 17, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> PF--you can try all the chicken whispering skills you want, they are NOT moving to Montana!






And I love you stories about the chickens!!


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## CWS4322 (Oct 18, 2011)

You're welcome to come help "wrangle" them anytime. I started clicker training the "original" flock today. They were very good--as long as I had treats. I didn't tell them that I'm using a "turkey" dog treat...thought that was TMI for them! And Cocky Rocky is NOT impressed that I am interacting with HIS new hens. I gave him a little boot in the chest when he hurled himself against my leg...he was a bit surprised. I'm bigger than he is!


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## Dawgluver (Oct 18, 2011)

CWS, you really need to share some videos or pics of the girls!  I really look forward to your chicken stories!

And BTW, Princess, what has your nephew been up to lately?


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## CWS4322 (Oct 18, 2011)

I don't have a third hand--it would be a bit hard to click-treat-and take a pic! Not to mention, I've screwed up my camera--I can take pics, but when I download them, I don't get the pics...I guess I could bring my laptop out and set up the webcam...chances are, however, that Mrytle would walk across the keyboard and all you'd see would be Myrtle (or her butt)! (As far as chicken butts go, it is a very cute butt), at least Cocky Rocky thinks it is...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 19, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> CWS, you really need to share some videos or pics of the girls!  I really look forward to your chicken stories!
> 
> And BTW, Princess, what has your nephew been up to lately?



Patron will be in the office tomorrow.  He is arriving by private jet from Spokane, Secret Service escort.  His Mom hurt her back last week and didn't come in all week, so of course he couldn't come on his own.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 19, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> You're welcome to come help "wrangle" them anytime. I started clicker training the "original" flock today. They were very good--as long as I had treats. I didn't tell them that I'm using a "turkey" dog treat...thought that was TMI for them! And Cocky Rocky is NOT impressed that I am interacting with HIS new hens. I gave him a little boot in the chest when he hurled himself against my leg...he was a bit surprised. I'm bigger than he is!



I started squeaker training with Patron, his Mom is thankful...he headed for the busy street and came back to play when she used the squeaker.  He's gotten so he thinks running after him or hollering his name is playing, the squeaker works.

I think my next vacation has to be to the East Coast...or my parents.  Maybe I can sneak in a trip to Ontario.  To play with chickens...


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## tinlizzie (Oct 19, 2011)

*Re Chicken Wrangling*

I get the feeling that "What's the Last Thing That Made You Smile" might get *hogged* by CW's hen stories.  Sure makes me smile to read them.


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## tinlizzie (Oct 26, 2011)

What - no more chicken news?  Or am I on the wrong thread for CWS's flock now?  My *hogged* comment was, after all, just trying to make a pun.  Hope it wasn't taken wrong.


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## CharlieD (Oct 26, 2011)

CW, do yolks in the eggs you get have any blood on them?


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## Al Pine (Oct 26, 2011)

tinlizzie said:


> What - no more chicken news?  Or am I on the wrong thread for CWS's flock now?  My *hogged* comment was, after all, just trying to make a pun.  Hope it wasn't taken wrong.



I hope it didn't put you in a fowl mood now.


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## Daizymae (Oct 26, 2011)

What's the *oldest chicken* you've ever had?  For me,was a  5 - 1/2 year old hen.   Didn't die a natural death, either.  It was killed by a gol durn hawk.  That's what happens when you don't go back into the chicken coop with the rest of the chickens like you are supposed to. 

As for *roosters*, who tend to die young (just falling off the roost during the night), it was 4-5 years old when it got taken during the night because it was sleeping outdoors.  Nothing left but a pile of feathers.


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## Timothy (Oct 26, 2011)

Al Pine said:


> I hope it didn't put you in a fowl mood now.


 
Ahhhh comeon, don't be chicken! Strut your stuff like a Rooster with a tude! Don't clamp your beak shut like ya got egg on your face! Crow it out! 

hehe, that's all I can think of....


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## CWS4322 (Oct 26, 2011)

I've been really busy...work-work-work, and curling started, so that's a "day trip" to the City so I have had to change my work routine. But maybe I can start an O/T Chicken Chronicles thread this weekend for the DC chicken keepers. 

And no, my yolks don't have blood in them. 

Since this is the first year I've had chickens, they were all born April/May. 

I've got the new ones 'conditioned' to go in the coop when I go out around 5-5:30. But, Harriet and Myrtle still "squawked at" if I don't let them out until 9:00 a.m. I tried to take some pics yesterday, but my batteries needed recharging. I wanted to get one of them helping with the plowing--they were all following behind the plow in single file, with Rocky bringing up the rear, crowing his head off and flapping his wings. Maybe Friday I can get some pics--plowing is scheduled again. Harriet did hop up on the tractor...I think she'd like to ride on the tractor...probably on the DH's shoulder! If she does, I promise a picture! Even if I have to drive into town to get more batteries.


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## CharlieD (Oct 26, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> ...
> 
> And no, my yolks don't have blood in them.
> 
> ...


 
How come the eggs I buy at the farmers market always have little drops/dots of blood on the yolks? Just wondering.


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## Timothy (Oct 26, 2011)

CharlieD said:


> How come the eggs I buy at the farmers market always have little drops/dots of blood on the yolks? Just wondering.


 
Blood Spots

Blood or "meat" spots are occasionally found on an egg yolk. These tiny red or red-brown spots are not harmful. They are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel during formation of the egg. Blood spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Candling reveals most blood spots and those eggs are removed, but even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them. If desired, the spot can be removed with the tip of a clean knife prior to cooking. These eggs are safe to eat.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 26, 2011)

Timothy said:
			
		

> Blood Spots
> 
> Blood or "meat" spots are occasionally found on an egg yolk. These tiny red or red-brown spots are not harmful. They are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel during formation of the egg. Blood spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Candling reveals most blood spots and those eggs are removed, but even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them. If desired, the spot can be removed with the tip of a clean knife prior to cooking. These eggs are safe to eat.



Thanks, Timothy, I just assumed they meant the eggs were fertilized.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 26, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Blood Spots
> 
> Blood or "meat" spots are occasionally found on an egg yolk. These tiny red or red-brown spots are not harmful. They are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel during formation of the egg. Blood spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Candling reveals most blood spots and those eggs are removed, but even with electronic spotters, it is impossible to catch all of them. If desired, the spot can be removed with the tip of a clean knife prior to cooking. These eggs are safe to eat.


 
Have you asked the seller what the hens eat? If they are free range? How they are housed? Maybe blood spots are a sign of stress...between us, I'd gander a guess that my hens are happy hens and happy hens lay nice FRESH eggs....just my guess...It's kinda cute when I go out to lock them down for the night...I say "Harriet, Myrtle, where are you?" No matter where they are (hunting for grubs in that patch plowed for "chicken corn" next summer or checking out the "field" garden) they come running. I laugh at them--if you haven't seen chickens run, they are quite comical. And, when all 7 hens follow me back to the barn, I swear, it sounds as if I'm at the Calgary Stampede...they really can run very fast and make a lot of noise--not to mention they attack their evening treat as if they hadn't been free-ranging all day and had, instead, been locked up in a very small coop. Chickens, oops, hens, are really fun! And easy! See, I worked in a Chicken Chronicles story in my answer to a legit question.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 26, 2011)

Thank goodness!  CWS, I have been missing my chicken fix!

Now we need a Patron update, and my evening will be complete!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 26, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Thank goodness!  CWS, I have been missing my chicken fix!
> 
> Now we need a Patron update, and my evening will be complete!



Patron will be in the office tomorrow.  He's learning fast our route through the facility when we go out on errands.  It takes me 20 minutes to walk all the halls...he is done in when we get back to the office.  He has made it to 1.9 pounds @ 4 1/2 weeks old.  I'll try to get a picture of him tomorrow.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 26, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:
			
		

> Patron will be in the office tomorrow.  He's learning fast our route through the facility when we go out on errands.  It takes me 20 minutes to walk all the halls...he is done in when we get back to the office.  He has made it to 1.9 pounds @ 4 1/2 weeks old.  I'll try to get a picture of him tomorrow.



Thanks, PF!  Can't wait to see him again!


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## Timothy (Oct 27, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Thanks, Timothy, I just assumed they meant the eggs were fertilized.


You're very welcome. When I was a youngster, I was told that it meant they were fertilized also. According to the link I offered, that isn't true. That may or may not be true.


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## CWS4322 (Oct 27, 2011)

Blood spots are stress--not a sign that the eggs are fertilized/not fertilized. The only thing I was told re: fertilzed eggs (when I brought Cocky Rocky home) was that I would want to collect them every day. Tastewise, I can't tell a difference between the eggs from the "originals" and the eggs from the "newbies". Cocky Rocky only has access to the originals. I also read it takes 21 days after fertilization before you can hatch the eggs/hens will, but broody hens are not a given. I have one--she doesn't come out of the coop and will stay in the nesting box all day--she's the one who will be hatching the barred Plymouth Rock eggs next spring!


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## tinlizzie (Oct 27, 2011)

Ahhh.  Chicken news.  What a stress reliever.

And looking forward to Patron the Puppie pix.


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## CharlieD (Oct 27, 2011)

Timothy said:


> You're very welcome. When I was a youngster, I was told that it meant they were fertilized also. According to the link I offered, that isn't true. That may or may not be true.


 
It is true. Fertilized egg would have one big chunk of blood, though even that may not always be a sign of fertilization. I was talking about really small dots of blood on organic eggs. Most eggs in the store do not have any spots. I now understand that they check them with some kind of light before shipping. Farmers obviously do not do that.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 28, 2011)

*Climbing Mt Fiona*

Here is the parrot dog, coming down off my shoulder to check out what's going on outside.


He was having fun in the leaves today.


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Oct 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:
			
		

> Here is the parrot dog, coming down off my shoulder to check out what's going on outside.
> 
> He was having fun in the leaves today.



Aaawww, what a cutie. Patron looks pretty cute too.


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## Dawgluver (Oct 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:
			
		

> Here is the parrot dog, coming down off my shoulder to check out what's going on outside.
> 
> He was having fun in the leaves today.



Awww, Patron!  Another shoulder pet!  He should meet CWS's Harriet.

Does he bark, Princess?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 28, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Awww, Patron!  Another shoulder pet!  He should meet CWS's Harriet.
> 
> Does he bark, Princess?



Yes, he has discovered barking.  The first time he barked he scared himself.  He will chase people out of the office now...as long as they are leaving, he is very brave 

We have found, we can leave the office door open and he won't take off, unless my boss or I leave.  Then he just follows us around...like a dog!


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