The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: pigsatlesrues on November 15, 2007, 06:50:35 pm
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Since my hens have been on strike lately, I had to buy some eggs from the supermarket. Before owning hens, I wouldn't have thought twice about buying the cheaper ones, but now feel compelled to buy free range, but I have to say they don't taste as good as ours.
That said and going off the point slightly, I have been amazed at how many of the shop eggs are fertile and infact today cracked one to reveal its blood red content and the start of a dear little chick. I thought I might conduct an experiment and see if any of the shop eggs would actually hatch in the incubator.
Has anyone else done this and was it a waste of time or successful?
Kate
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I've seen a few stories in the press where folk have left eggs in a warm place and chicks have hatched. Don't know what the odds are, though. I thought the wee red bits were just blood and not actually embryos.
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I read only last week about a young boy who bought a box of eggs and incubated them and some did in fact hatch!!! Cant remember how many though. But like Rosemary i also have heard of it happening quite a bit. Ours girls are also on the go slow, early nights and all. At the moment getting approx 5 per week. Roll on the spring again.!! :o
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We're only getting the odd egg now - and all very small, since it's only this year's pullets that are laying. Never mind, Christmas to look forward to then the nights start drawing out again.
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We are quite lucky.. both our girls are still laying one each a day
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i have to say egg production is still quite good with my girls. 5 0r 6 a week each at least.
on the fertile eggs front , my experience is that this year a neighbour took some bantam eggs :o from me which were between 2- 8 days old and had been in the fridge, and out of 6 ,4 hatched in an incubator he had set up in the village primary school. :o
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Not an egg since end of August. We had fertile eggs gave half to a friend to hatch under their broody and attempted to hatch the other half under ours. They were quite successful hatched 8 or 9. We did not get one they were all addled when the hen finally gave up. Must be something I did.
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hi there the blood spots or correctly meat spots are not embyos but waste from the oviducts brought about from stress or illness in the bird they are harmless but can be unsightly, most flocks even free range do not have cocks running with them smaller suppliers who bread from a closed flock may have fertile eggs but once refrigerated the greminal spot is killed.
to get your girls back in lay you could add a timed night light to extend thier day as most birds need 14 hours of light to promote laying also if you want to get them through thier moult quicker giving chick crumb mixed with thier usual food will help, and the wright time to give wormers avoiding egg withdrawal.
often 'garden ' pet birds are a bit over feed and go to fat this will also reduce thier laying abilities.
hope this helps alanb
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Hi Alan, can you let me know what chick crumb is please. One of my girls is having her first moult and she is in a right old state. The others have all come through quite well, but she is still laying and I think this is holding up her moult aswell. I was told that it is very difficult for them to lay and moult at the same time because of the amount of protien it takes to produce new feathers and eggs.
Many thanks Jan
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We give ours sardines when they're moulting - don't know if it does any good but they seem to recover quite quickly and they do love them.
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my hens are too young to lay and we are hoping for some eggs this spring.I also have a problem with buying cheapy[lol] eggs now i have my own free range babies running aroung.I have found that lots of my eggs are fertile and have also heard of people hatching them out.good luck with the experiment and let us all know how you get on.
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I have seemingly REVIVED my birds laying habits?? And a friends of mine?! I fed them some of the pasta from the supermarkets here in France that is meant for feeding to dogs?? And they are laying again!! Same for the friend, her girls had not layed for several weeks in fact and after this started again!! So NOT sure what is in the stuff!! But it seems to work!