Here at Backyard Poultry, we harbor a serious love for the protein-packed egg, especially when it comes from our own beloved backyard chickens, ducks or even guinea fowl. In celebration of World Egg Day, we thought it would be fun to share with you the top egg facts, tips and stories of all-time from our Backyard Poultry contributors. Without further ado, here they are.
#1: Which Breeds Provide Different Colored Eggs?
Wondering how to get those green eggs to go with your ham? Consider raising some Easter Eggers (this mixed breed can lay a rainbow of egg colors on their own including bluish, green, pinkish or cream), Olive Eggers and Favaucanas. Olive Eggers are half Marans and half Ameraucanas and lay olive green eggs; Favaucanas are half Faverolle and half Ameraucana chickens and lay a pale green egg. A nice change from brown or tan eggs, cream eggs add variety to your basket. Light Sussex, Mottled Java and Faverolles all lay a pinkish-cream egg.
#2: What is a Lash Egg?
If you have to ask, then chances are one of these strange-looking “eggs” has appeared in your chicken run or pen (really, they aren’t eggs at all). The correct term for the condition causing a lash egg is Salpingitis, which is an inflammation of the oviduct where the egg begins its travels. The lash egg may contain bits of egg material, and a lot of pus and other material. We had you at pus, right? They are rather disgusting and odd to see. The reason they are sort of egg shaped is because they still travel through the reproductive system.
#3: Should You Wash Eggs From Backyard Chickens?
The truth is you should not wash any egg that is to be stored unless you plan on using it within a week. If you feel you must wash an egg and you will not be able to use it within a week, be sure the water is 20°F warmer than the egg and no warmer than 120 degrees. Some people use a cleaning mixture of 4 tablespoons bleach with 2 tablespoons of detergent in 1 gallon of water. Wipe off any loose dirt or poop with a clean, dry cloth. Wash it in this solution and rinse with clear warm water. Never dry the egg with a cloth; allow it to air dry. Commercial egg plants wash their eggs in chlorine bleach and soap. YUCK!
#4: How Do You Prevent Frozen Chicken Eggs in Winter?
Any backyard poultry owner knows that keeping eggs from freezing in winter can be a real challenge, but here are some ideas: Collect your eggs as often as possible during the day. If you have a broody hen, consider letting her sit – she’ll keep the eggs warm for you! Hang curtains over your nesting boxes – they will help retain heat inside the boxes and can be as simple as a feed bag or piece of burlap over the front of the box. Use a thick nest of straw in the bottom of your boxes. Straw is a wonderful insulator because warm air is trapped inside the hollow shafts. Heating your coop is also an option, but there are pros and cons to this.
#5: Are Duck Eggs Better Than Chicken Eggs?
How does a duck egg measure up compared to a chicken egg? How do they taste? Are they really better for pastries? These duck egg facts might surprise you. Did you know duck eggs stay fresher longer, due to their thicker shell. They are richer, with more albumen, which makes cakes and other pastries fluffier, and they have more Omega-3 fatty acids. People who cannot eat chicken eggs, due to allergies, can often eat duck eggs.
#6: Why Is My Chicken Laying Soft Eggs?
The most common cause is a lack of calcium in the hen’s diet. At the first sign of soft-shelled eggs, consider feeding your flock more calcium through either crushed oyster shells (at any feed store) or feeding hens their own eggshells. Dietary imbalance is the second most common cause. It can be very tempting to over indulge your birds’ desire for treats and feeding chicken scraps. However, feeding too many treats usually results in the birds not eating their layer feed, which is balanced with protein and calcium. The third most common cause is bullying. Tormented, subordinate birds are emotionally and physically affected by being constantly attacked. A henpecked bird will often lay misshaped eggs. Stress can also be an answer to why have my chickens stopped laying, although there are many factors.
#7: How Does a Chicken Lay an Egg Inside An Egg?
Though quite rare, the cause of this phenomenon is called a counter-peristalsis contraction and occurs while the hen is in the process of forming an egg in her oviduct. A hen typically releases an oocyte (the ovum that becomes the yolk of an egg) from her left ovary into the oviduct every 18-26 hours. The oocyte travels slowly through the oviduct organ adding layers of the egg along the path to the chicken’s vent from which it will lay the egg. A counter-peristalsis contraction is when a second oocyte is released by the ovary before the first egg has completely traveled through the oviduct and been laid. The release of a second oocyte into the oviduct system while a first oocyte is in the eggshell-gland portion of the oviduct (the eggshell gland is also called the uterus in a hen and is where the shell is deposited over the egg) causes a contraction.
Share your interesting egg facts in the comments below!
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