Chicken/egg question

[Kevin L]

I never understood the refrigerating eggs thing. The supermarkets keep them on a normal unrefrigerated shelf. I have had eggs sit in the cupboard for more than half a year and they were still good to eat.

I am squemish when it comes the things like food poisoning, so I tend to be overcautious.

I was in a motorcycle accident once and broke two ribs. The next day, I got food poisoning, and had the dry heaves for six hours with two broken ribs at the same time.

First, I was afraid that I was going to die . . . and then (a few hours later) I was afraid that I wouldn't.

 

[Robinjopo1]

I never understood the refrigerating eggs thing. The supermarkets keep them on a normal unrefrigerated shelf. I have had eggs sit in the cupboard for more than half a year and they were still good to eat.

In the U.S., Store eggs have been washed and it takes off the protective coating or Bloom. Air and bacteria can then enter pores, thus refrigeration is needed.

 

[Robinjopo1]

Hey Robinjopo, I just skimmed over the posts and didn't see what I'm about to write. When we were growing up and even as an adult, have always had other hens wanting to contribute to the broody hens nest. Sometimes we would catch two hens squeezed inside the nest box, side by side to lay eggs. My momma taught me to mark the eggs with a black permanent marker. For example, once our sitting hen reached 8 eggs, we would mark them with a big black X and take everything after that.
I used to have 40 chickens. Sold them all. My daughter got 4 baby chicks last Easter and 3 Bantam chicks this Easter weekend. I was glad to have the eggs again especially after the Coronavirus hit in the U.S. I ordered 25 more from Murray & Mcmurray that are due to arrive June 1, 2020. Looks like I'm back in the chicken/egg business.

For some reason this hen decided to nest in the garage. Never had that happen before. When mine decided to go broody in the coop nest, I mark with the date so I can remove extras. I thought this hen was dead because if a hen goes missing here, she is dead. Mine do not miss going to roost at night.

 

[Robinjopo1]

No new chicks yet.

 

[DrHenley]

I never understood the refrigerating eggs thing. The supermarkets keep them on a normal unrefrigerated shelf. I have had eggs sit in the cupboard for more than half a year and they were still good to eat.

Eggs are refrigerated in our supermarkets.

 

[Arcticdude]

I left 8 dozen eggs outside last night and they all froze and split open. I guess the dog will be getting plenty of eggs. I did bring a few in this morning and made an omolet.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I left 8 dozen eggs outside last night and they all froze and split open. I guess the dog will be getting plenty of eggs. I did bring a few in this morning and made an omolet.

You must have a lot of chickens!

 

[Arcticdude]

You must have a lot of chickens!

We've got 24 laying hens and 3 ducks. We get around 20 eggs a day right now. Usually when I collect the eggs I keep them in the feed room for a few days then take them to the house. Last night I left them on the front deck. I didn't expect it to drop down to the teens.
The wife recently ordered 50 meat chickens, some replacement layers and a dozen ducks for June delivery. We don't expect all the meat chickens to live. At our elevation we usually lose about 10%, but the layers and ducks do great.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

No new chicks yet.

Any new little peeps yet?

 

[Robinjopo1]

So far no chicks. I think she laid infertile eggs. I caught another hen eating 2 of the eggs. No babies inside.

 

[Kevin L]

So far no chicks. I think she laid infertile eggs. I caught another hen eating 2 of the eggs. No babies inside.

I've never kept chickens . . . but out of morbid curiosity, are they cannibalistic?

Also, if you're butchering them, how long does it take a chicken to stop running around without it's head?

There are reasons why I'm mostly a vegetarian, but I may have to toughen up and change my sensitivities if things get a lot worse because of COVID-19 and the economic strains.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

So far no chicks. I think she laid infertile eggs. I caught another hen eating 2 of the eggs. No babies inside.

What a disappointment for you and the hen! Darn. I was looking forward to pictures of your peeps!

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I've never kept chickens . . . but out of morbid curiosity, are they cannibalistic?

Also, if you're butchering them, how long does it take a chicken to stop running around without it's head?

There are reasons why I'm mostly a vegetarian, but I may have to toughen up and change my sensitivities if things get a lot worse because of COVID-19 and the economic strains.

First, don’t let the chicken run around. Hang it upside down and use a very sharp knife to cut the neck...just enough to let it bleed. It will go to permanent sleep without pain or fuss.

Second, if you leave a dying bird in with others they certainly will peck at it. Don’t leave a sick one in with others.

 

[Arcticdude]

I've never kept chickens . . . but out of morbid curiosity, are they cannibalistic?

Also, if you're butchering them, how long does it take a chicken to stop running around without it's head?

There are reasons why I'm mostly a vegetarian, but I may have to toughen up and change my sensitivities if things get a lot worse because of COVID-19 and the economic strains.

Most people butchering chickens put the chickens head in a "killing cone" and just make a small cut in the chickens neck. This way the chicken bleeds out without flopping around brusing the meat. Most people don't cut their heads off, but I imagine that some people still do though.
Chickens will sometimes eat their own eggs and will eat meat given the opportunity. They will also eat mice, lizards and anything else that they can catch.

 

[Robinjopo1]

If you have an injured chicken especially one that is bleeding, yes, they are cannibalistic.

I dont wear open toed shoes with red toe nail polish. They love to peck them.

 

[DirtDiva]

I've never kept chickens . . . but out of morbid curiosity, are they cannibalistic?

Yes chickens are cannibalistic especially if overcrowded. Not as bad as some game birds such as pheasant though. In commercial settings you will see hens that half the top beak is removed to discourage cannibalism, bullying and vent pecking as well as egg eating.

 

[Kevin L]

Most people butchering chickens put the chickens head in a "killing cone" and just make a small cut in the chickens neck. This way the chicken bleeds out without flopping around brusing the meat. Most people don't cut their heads off, but I imagine that some people still do though.
Chickens will sometimes eat their own eggs and will eat meat given the opportunity. They will also eat mice, lizards and anything else that they can catch.

Thank you for clarifying.

If they eat rodents (which I did not know, by the way), then that brings me to some other concerns.

All rodents--especially rats and mice--carry lots and lots of diseases.

If your chickens are eating rodents and carrion, does that mean that humans can catch diseases from eating the chicken, or maybe from being exposed to a chicken's body fluids during butchering?

A lot of people like chicken liver, and I imagine that lots of diseases and parasites concentrate in the liver.

Am I wrong to have these concerns?

And what is vent-pecking?

Thank you for your patience with a newbie/wannabe.

 

[Arcticdude]

Thank you for clarifying.

If they eat rodents (which I did not know, by the way), then that brings me to some other concerns.

All rodents--especially rats and mice--carry lots and lots of diseases.

If your chickens are eating rodents and carrion, does that mean that humans can catch diseases from eating the chicken, or maybe from being exposed to a chicken's body fluids during butchering?

A lot of people like chicken liver, and I imagine that lots of diseases and parasites concentrate in the liver.

Am I wrong to have these concerns?

And what is vent-pecking?

Thank you for your patience with a newbie/wannabe.

Good questions Kevin but its really out of my expertise. At my location we don't have rats, just lots and lots of mice and voles. Also there has never been chickens on this property before, or at least since the old homesteading days anyway. So it's about as free of chicken diseases as one can get. Our chickens never get a chance to eat carrion, but when I'm butchering hogs or cattle they do like to hang around and eat some of the scraps.
At this moment the chickens and ducks are with me in the corral hoping that I'll uncover some bugs for them.
I'd be interested in hearing form someone that knows more than I do about chicken diseases.

 

[Kevin L]

Good questions Kevin but its really out of my expertise. At my location we don't have rats, just lots and lots of mice and voles. Also there has never been chickens on this property before, or at least since the old homesteading days anyway. So it's about as free of chicken diseases as one can get. Our chickens never get a chance to eat carrion, but when I'm butchering hogs or cattle they do like to hang around and eat some of the scraps.
At this moment the chickens and ducks are with me in the corral hoping that I'll uncover some bugs for them.
I'd be interested in hearing form someone that knows more than I do about chicken diseases.

Thank you.

 

[DirtDiva]

If they eat rodents (which I did not know, by the way), then that brings me to some other concerns.

All rodents--especially rats and mice--carry lots and lots of diseases.

If your chickens are eating rodents and carrion, does that mean that humans can catch diseases from eating the chicken, or maybe from being exposed to a chicken's body fluids during butchering?

A lot of people like chicken liver, and I imagine that lots of diseases and parasites concentrate in the liver.

Am I wrong to have these concerns?

And what is vent-pecking?

Thank you for your patience with a newbie/wannabe.

My own personal experience with chickens is that yes a chicken will eat a rodent but I discourage rodents at all costs around my chicken area. I have 2 cats and 2 little black Scottish Terrier dogs that kill any rodent on the place. including rats, mice, skunks, possums, moles. voles and the occasional squirrels. Classic little ankle biters but absolutely great farm dogs. I don't want rodents spreading disease and I don't want my chickens eating them if at all possible. I have also been known to set traps If I do see one. Rodents attract snakes and snakes are deadly in my corner of the world. Rattlers and copperheads will stay where there is food.

I also don't really feed my chickens meat. They do run around the yard eating grasshoppers and worms but I don't leave meat lying around for them. I don't want the maggots, smell or flies associated with that.

As to vent pecking it is somewhat self explanatory.

Chickens kept in small enclosures under less than ideal conditions are bored, underfed and will peck and eat at one another and pull feathers. I hang up heads of cabbage whole as toys/treats for my chickens. Freeze whole kernel corn in the summer to give them something to peck at. Even more important is that I use my chickens as composters. I have a fenced in area attached to my coop and run. I put my weeds that I pull, grass clippings and leaves and compost material in there for my chickens to scratch through and as it decomposes the chickens eat what they want, poop on it and all around help it to decompose. So basically I put my chickens to work. it gives them a larger area and something to do. Every so often I turn the compost and throw a couple hand fulls of cracked corn in the compost. Those chickens will scratch for days.

Chickens can be a great addition to a homestead under the right conditions. Just don't overcrowd them.