Chickens and Ducks
| We have a variety of poultry here at Snowdale Acres in return we have eggs in a wide array of sizes and colors. Pekin and Khaki Campbell ducks give us rich, delicious, huge eggs (and lots of "duck muck" for the compost heap). Rhode Island Reds and a few standard mixes deliver beautiful large brown eggs and our silkies and silkie mixes lay us delicate pink and green eggs. June 2008 - We have lots of baby chicks, silkies and silkie mixes. Standard chicks are due to hatch mid-July |
| What is a silkie chicken? Click on the rooster to find out more... |
| F.A.Q. 1. Do you need a rooster to have eggs? No. Hens will lay eggs with or without a rooster. A rooster is only needed if you want fertile eggs for hatching. In fact having too many roosters or a rooster that is too aggressive can lower egg production. 2. Do you eat fertile eggs? What is the difference between fertilized and unfertilized eggs? If a rooster is with the hens then the eggs are probably fertile. As long as the eggs are gathered daily there is no difference between fertile and infertile eggs. Baby chicks will not begin to develop until they are exposed to the correct temperature and humidity for a period of time. I compare eggs to sunflower seeds. If you take a raw sun flower seed, you can roast it and eat them, or if you expose them to the right conditions (moisture, warmth) they will sprout. We never eat eggs that momma hens have decided to sit on. 3. How do you hatch eggs? When a momma hen decides that she wants to sit on eggs we let her. Sometimes the eggs are good eggs and sometimes they are bad eggs - we check them at night with a flashlight to tell the good from the bad and let the momma hens keep the good eggs. After three weeks the eggs will begin to crack and soon the momma has baby chicks. We try to let the mommas keep the babies for a few days, and sometimes put the mommas in a special safe place with her babies. But baby chicks are very fragile and we usually need to move them to a brooder box for their health and protection. 4. How many eggs do your chickens lay? Chickens usually lay one egg per day. Sometimes they take a day off. My chickens never lay eggs at night. Two hens that are good egg layers can give you a dozen eggs per week. 5. What do your chickens eat? My chickens eat lay mash (corn) and some kitchen scraps, like lettuce, melons and peas. If they find bugs while scratching around they eat those too. My chickens have also killed snakes and mice, although that is pretty rare! If you have any other questions feel free to ask! snowdale_acres@yahoo.com |