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Friday, April 13, 2012

Ouch!

Normal x-lg egg on left.  Owie on right.
Someone's walking funny today.  I wonder who laid this double-yolker...  I have a couple of chickens - three, actually - who are under the weather.  E-Claire has been hauling around a big sack of something off her chest for quite a while.  Doesn't seem to be her crop, so I am at a loss.  She has her ups and downs, but, for the most part, seems to be holding her own.  I try not to get her excited since, when she works up a head of steam, this 'boosum' starts to swing from left to right and she reminds me of a ship on a very rough sea.  Violet (or Lavender - I'm never sure who is who) went from fine to floppy.  I've checked her over and can't find anything obvious, although I have a feeling it is a stagnant crop.  Ditto for Red, the lone Red Sex Link.  Just to rule out worms, I've mixed some DE into their feed.  I don't know why there is a rash of crop problems, since they have a wide access to lots of grit.  I've got two hens going broody - Marie-Claire, our resident surrogate mother; and one of the Honeys (Buff Orpingtons).  I am not prepared to sacrifice a nesting box yet, so I have to roust them out twice a day.  The first batch of Red Ranger chicks (15) are due to arrive on Friday, so I have cleaned out the little coop, closed off the vent, papered the bottom, put the heat lamp in (along with the non-electric brooder, just in case), and will add waterers and feeders Friday when they arrive.  Once I get them feathered and ready for fresh air, I hope to find either some keets or fertile guinea hen eggs to incubate.  Spring is in the air!  (Well, somewhere.)

11 comments:

Sue said...

I think in human terms that's like giving birth to a 12 pound baby. Yikes!

Erin said...

I hope the chickens are feeling better soon and there are no worms to deal with. That's a big egg!

haha my word verification was "henstuf"

hoosier girl said...

That hurts just looking at it!

Dirt Lover said...

Ahh, brings back fond memories of large babies with big heads.
My mom used to tell us there was a farmer down the road from them that had hens laying what he called, "Ooie Eggs." The farmer told them that's what the hens said when they laid them. The eggs were almost always double yolkers.
Hope your hens feel better soon.
~~Lori

Candy C. said...

That egg is a whopper!! I sure hope your chickie girls all get to feeling better soon!

Mama Pea said...

So, do you think big eggs like that actually hurt the hens? Or are the girls "elastic" enough that it's no big deal?

Are you SURE you want guineas? They are so noisy. And a bit on the dim-witted side. Just my opinion . . . I'm sure they would make for a lot of funny blog posts from you!

Cat Eye Cottage said...

I hope your girls are better soon. Wowee on the egg!

Unknown said...

Found you through weekend homesteader, love the name of your blog, fantastic! That is one ginormous egg. Sorry to your girls are a bit under the weather, hope they feel better soon.

Sue said...

I just was reading through the comments and have to second Mama Pea's opinion about guineas. I had two. They made SO MUCH NOISE---non-stop. I would come home from work exhausted and just hear that irratating "be-beh, be-beh" nonstop. NON STOP. I finally had a neighbor "quiet" them. Ahem. Just saying............

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I went to an estate sale yesterday and found an adorable ceramic rooster shaped egg cup. Another lady at the sale saw me carrying it around and commented that she'd lived on a farm and raised chickens for years and would never never buy anything to do with chickens, especially roosters. I wonder if she had guineas?? LOL

petey said...

I love those big dinosaur eggs! I have a couple that I cannot close the lids on the egg cartons at all, so I am now using those flats. I'd look for a chicken with attitude...she's the one doing it.