Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

Question for everyone reading this thread if you have experience of hens of different breeds: have you noticed a difference in egg quality between them? Differences in egg shell colour and size are well known and not what I'm after. What I'm after is difference in, for example, ratio of yolk to white, colour, size or richness of yolk, that sort of thing. It's difficult if not impossible to quantify outside a lab but it's also something that we all know it when we see/taste it. E.g. like this

of these two eggs I noted that the one on the left was Eve's (Norfolk Grey), but not whose it was on the right (but not a Norfolk Grey since I only have one). Of course age of egg also impacts how it spreads on a plate/pan. Fresher holds up better, older spreads out more; something to do with degradation of the proteins if memory serves correct.

My question is prompted by eating a bowl of cereal with milk from Jersey cows. It is a very different product from the milk we usually get. Jerseys and Guernseys are famous for the creaminess of their milk; so I wonder do some chicken breeds lay richer eggs than others? Or is the variation at individual level? I cannot see how things like yolk : white ratio could be explained by diet, or at least, not more easily than by genetics.

 

[LaFleche]

Question for everyone reading this thread if you have experience of hens of different breeds: have you noticed a difference in egg quality between them? Differences in egg shell colour and size are well known and not what I'm after. What I'm after is difference in, for example, ratio of yolk to white, colour, size or richness of yolk, that sort of thing. It's difficult if not impossible to quantify outside a lab but it's also something that we all know it when we see/taste it. E.g. like this
View attachment 3625103
of these two eggs I noted that the one on the left was Eve's (Norfolk Grey), but not whose it was on the right (but not a Norfolk Grey since I only have one). Of course age of egg also impacts how it spreads on a plate/pan. Fresher holds up better, older spreads out more; something to do with degradation of the proteins if memory serves correct.

My question is prompted by eating a bowl of cereal with milk from Jersey cows. It is a very different product from the milk we usually get. Jerseys and Guernseys are famous for the creaminess of their milk; so I wonder do some chicken breeds lay richer eggs than others? Or is the variation at individual level? I cannot see how things like yolk : white ratio could be explained by diet, or at least, not more easily than by genetics.

Yes, there is a difference in the yolk to albumen ratio depending on the age of the hen (yolks get bigger as the hens get older) and the variety, as bantam egg yolk to albumen is better, meaning more yolk as in standard sized breeds.

We also notice a difference in breeds and in individuals and their feed preferences.

 

[MaryJanet]

Question for everyone reading this thread if you have experience of hens of different breeds: have you noticed a difference in egg quality between them? Differences in egg shell colour and size are well known and not what I'm after. What I'm after is difference in, for example, ratio of yolk to white, colour, size or richness of yolk, that sort of thing. It's difficult if not impossible to quantify outside a lab but it's also something that we all know it when we see/taste it. E.g. like this
View attachment 3625103
of these two eggs I noted that the one on the left was Eve's (Norfolk Grey), but not whose it was on the right (but not a Norfolk Grey since I only have one). Of course age of egg also impacts how it spreads on a plate/pan. Fresher holds up better, older spreads out more; something to do with degradation of the proteins if memory serves correct.

My question is prompted by eating a bowl of cereal with milk from Jersey cows. It is a very different product from the milk we usually get. Jerseys and Guernseys are famous for the creaminess of their milk; so I wonder do some chicken breeds lay richer eggs than others? Or is the variation at individual level? I cannot see how things like yolk : white ratio could be explained by diet, or at least, not more easily than by genetics.

Yes, rich flavour from the two Barnevelders.

I've also noticed Ivy's eggs have increasing yolk size as she ages. She's a bitsa though, so while I'm sure there's something genetic going on there's no way to pin it down.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Question for everyone reading this thread if you have experience of hens of different breeds: have you noticed a difference in egg quality between them? Differences in egg shell colour and size are well known and not what I'm after. What I'm after is difference in, for example, ratio of yolk to white, colour, size or richness of yolk, that sort of thing. It's difficult if not impossible to quantify outside a lab but it's also something that we all know it when we see/taste it. E.g. like this
View attachment 3625103
of these two eggs I noted that the one on the left was Eve's (Norfolk Grey), but not whose it was on the right (but not a Norfolk Grey since I only have one). Of course age of egg also impacts how it spreads on a plate/pan. Fresher holds up better, older spreads out more; something to do with degradation of the proteins if memory serves correct.

My question is prompted by eating a bowl of cereal with milk from Jersey cows. It is a very different product from the milk we usually get. Jerseys and Guernseys are famous for the creaminess of their milk; so I wonder do some chicken breeds lay richer eggs than others? Or is the variation at individual level? I cannot see how things like yolk : white ratio could be explained by diet, or at least, not more easily than by genetics.

Definitely. Pullet eggs are the most delicious and have the best colour. My blue and green eggs are significantly better than all the others. My old hens and my leghorn hen lay the 'lamest' eggs. All of them lay eggs that are miles better than the 'best' eggs you can buy though so I'm thrilled with all offerings

 

[Perris]

yolks get bigger as the hens get older

have you got a reference for that or is it just personal observation?

We also notice a difference in breeds

specifically...?

 

[LaFleche]

have you got a reference for that or is it just personal observation?

I have observed this for 20+ years with my hens, no matter the breed or mix.

Here is some more scientific findings on the matter:

"effect of age on the yolk to albumen ratio in chicken eggs" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8464799/

We do find our French Marans eggs to be the best, followed up closely by their crossbred offspring laying olive eggs.
Next are green and blue eggs, then Amrock and La Fleche.

But the La Fleche range on different grounds with different herbs which is noticeable in the taste of their eggs. The few La Fleche that range with the main mixed flock lay much tastier eggs.

We once had a hen that loved to rummage in mud puddles and eat mostly snails and frogs resulting her eggs inedible

 

[fluffycrow]

What I can say for sure is that the bantam eggs have big yolks compared to the egg white. I'd say the yolk on Ursula's egg is the same size as the one coming from the Tsouloufati, while the egg white is significantly smaller/less. As for taste, can't say I can tell the difference

 

[TropicalChickies]

In my view the people who have had the biggest impact on our perception and knowledge on other species behaviour are people like Gerald Durrell and the couple who wrote the book Born Free and others who have lived and breathed the creatures they were interested in rather than the academics who are too busy studying academia. My brother for instance took up university teaching and from that point on, furthering his knowledge through became almost impossible because of the pressures of work, being an academic. Here on NYC there are many people who spend more time observing their chickens in a month than most academics do in their lifetime.

That's an interesting collection of fruit one doesn't see on the supermarket shelves. It's also interesting the impact climate has on what one can grow in a natural environment. It must sound strange given I'm British but I'm still trying to learn what grows here without chemical aid and whithout greenhouses or polly tunnels. The majority of my growing stuff was done in Catalonia under very different circumstances.
By the way, are you sure about the protein content in breadnut. I can't find anything that gives above 9%.

Both the fruit pulp and seed are edible. (The pulp is mainly sugars/carbohydrate and tastes like a custard and is creamy.) If you take the protein content of the pulp and the seeds, naturally the percentage of protein overall is lower. If you take just the seeds, the percentage of protein is close to 30% -- with very impressive vitamin and mineral content as well.

Iron and especially copper are high, so the seeds must be used in the right amounts for chickens. My friend in Belize has a recipe for a corn, plantain and breadnut mash he's been using for over ten years to good effect.

 

[TropicalChickies]

My senior male Lucio (10 months old) has 5 females in his harem ranging from 8 months to 2 years old.

1. Tina is a mum with 2 week old chicks. Not available for mating for another month.

2. Dusty. Same as Tina.

3. Rusty is Lucio's main squeeze. She went full on broody five days ago. I let her sit for 3 days. Now she's in a cage in full light on top of a concrete drywall sheet. I won't let any more hens hatch chicks this close to the beginning of the rainy season. And both broody apartments are full now as well. So I'm trying to break her. And also because...

4. Patucha went full broody yesterday! Good grief. If I an break Rusty, Patucha goes in the cage next.

5. Frida. Just 8 months old and finally getting all the attention from Lucio she ever wanted -- and probably more. Yesterday she lolled about in the dust bath for half an hour with Lucio standing guard. Thankfully she's a sturdy creature, very good at crouching for quick and easy mating.

Still, I can't imagine that one female is going to be "enough" for a virile 10 month old cockerel for very long...

Please send me some broody breaker vibes. This is madness.

 

[fluffycrow]

Please send me some broody breaker vibes. This is madness.

I have plenty of those gathered up. But I truly don't wish it on anybody