Slap your eyes on these.

Latest Articles

Slap your eyes on these.
Page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Poultry

Author

Message

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 8:54 am Post subject: Slap your eyes on these.

As you may know, Karen and I have been down in Herefordshire for the full week. As you will definately know, my OH has always been the brains of the outfit, so I booked her in for a cider making course, and while she's been on it, I've been doing a spot of sight seeing. I don't do courses.

On my travels, I managed to pick up a full tray of these (36), what do you think? Theyre darker than any of the eggs that my own Welsummers lay. They'll be going into the incubator on Tuesday,they'd go in earlier, but we have a scheduled powercut on Monday.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 8:56 am Post subject:
Very pretty! I am experimenting this year with setting eggs that are six to eight days old; apparently you get more hens than if you set really fresh ones. No results to report yet though!

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 9:05 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

Very pretty!

I am experimenting this year with setting eggs that are six to eight days old; apparently you get more hens than if you set really fresh ones. No results to report yet though!

How does that work then?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 9:24 am Post subject:

It mimics nature.

Eggs remain dormant until the female starts to incubate ( sit on them) A lot of hens only lay every other day, so in a clutch of a dozen, some of the eggs can be three or four weeks old before incubation starts. Eggs can remain viable for an amazing length of time and good hatches be achieved.
Its amazing how many people think of fertile eggs as a ticking time bomb that start as soon as the eggs are laid and some of those people, are 'country' people too.

Last edited by Bodger on Sat Feb 23, 13 9:54 am; edited 1 time in total

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 9:41 am Post subject:
As long as you turn the eggs twice daily and keep them in a low (but not freezing) temp you can keep them quite a few days. Im happy to set eggs up to 6 days old, but the longer you leave it fertility decreases gradually. I never set a fresh laid egg.

OtleyLad

Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 10:16 am Post subject:
Love the dark brown colour. Do you think the hatched hens will also lay that dark or just some of them? Or is it down to luck?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 10:16 am Post subject:
Dunno, Jamanda; but I understand there was some research done in the fifties about it. I keep meaning to track it down; but in the meantime I'm giving it a go in a practical sense.

Mithril

Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 10:19 am Post subject:
Very nice! Good luck with them.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 10:22 am Post subject:

OtleyLad wrote:

Love the dark brown colour. Do you think the hatched hens will also lay that dark or just some of them?
Or is it down to luck?

They are pure Welsummer eggs, so they should lay a brown egg, but although they are known as dark egg layers, there will be a lot of variation. Hopefully, if I have some hatch, then a number of them will go on to lay similarly dark eggs.

SandraR

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 2346
Location: Devon

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 10:46 am Post subject:
I think they are as near perfect as you could wish for, dark and matt. What is the average size of the eggs? Did you see the stock they came from? Were they good layers ? Good luck ...keep us updated.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 11:05 am Post subject:

I assume they are the same as Barnevelders in the egg colour thing? I have a number of hens who lay very dark eggs at the start of the season and then lay lighter ones as the season goes on. I am trying to breed from the ones that lay dark consistently. The payoff tends to be that they lay slightly fewer eggs.

One of the reasons I justify hatching late and early is that if you have older hens that have a long laying season, it's probable that their daughters will also have the trait and therefore you start to build up a flock of better layers.

SandraR

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 2346
Location: Devon

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 11:16 am Post subject:

I've just been reading the website of the breeder Bodger bought the eggs from. His stock come from respected Welsummer breeders and he says he is trying to breed from birds whose eggs maintain colour throughout the season...I know many of mine fade as the season goes on.

Late and early hatching for extended laying season of future birds makes sense.

I also work on the theory of hatching from the most prolic layers to hopefully provide followers who lay a good amount.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 11:31 am Post subject:
They do lighten off as the individual hens laying season progresses. The egg size is really good and the birds that laid them were fantastic. The eggs are from a well known Welsummer breeder. I've just got to keep my fingers crossed now that I get some to hatch.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 12:47 pm Post subject:
Good luck. I am just about to fire up the brooder in the hope that the dozen I set to test-hatch are going to get out of the egg tomorrow ...

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 13 1:16 pm Post subject:
I'm still useless at candling dark eggs. I had some a while ago and I couldn't see a dicky bird. Any suggestions? Last edited by Bodger on Sat Feb 23, 13 2:32 pm; edited 1 time in total

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Poultry	All times are GMT Page 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
Page 1 of 4

View Latest Posts