The versatile egg

Should the golden fruits be a bonus to just having some poultry around the smallholding or garden, then the type of bird is obviously not going to be quite so important. The birds may not need to be efficient egg producers so long as they lay every now and again. This is the bracket that some of the pure breeds fall into. Silkies for instance are extremely attractive birds for having in the garden but will produce a clutch of eggs and promptly go broody. This could be an advantage if wanting to incubate some fertile eggs naturally.

Coloured eggs are popular The pure breeds will produce a range of different coloured eggs, such as: white, cream, tinted, brown, mottled or speckled, blue, green, olive and plum. Maran, Welsummer and Barnevelder are noted for their dark brown egg colour. This is at its richest colour when the birds first come into lay. Araucanas produce blue, green and if crossed with another breed such as Welsummer, a deep shade of olive egg. Turkey eggs are usually cream with chestnut brown speckles.

Size of eggs will be determined by the species, breed and age of the bird. Pullets will produce smaller eggs than older laying hens and this applies to most breeds. Bantams will lay small eggs, large fowl will vary from fairly small to extra large, turkey eggs are similar to the larger large fowl eggs and duck eggs are smaller than goose eggs, which are the largest.

If there is a lot of baking to be done in the home then it is advisable to go for a commercial hybrid such as Speckeldy or Black Rock. Both these varieties are handsome birds and will complement any area, however, they are active little egg machines and half a dozen birds will provide a home with plenty of fresh eggs.

Egg laying will cease The egg laying cycle of birds does need to be taken into consideration though as they do have rest periods when their bodies need to recuperate from the job of producing. Pullets come into lay at about 19-20 weeks but their eggs will be small to begin with. As they mature the size of the eggs will increase. During the first year of life it is unusual for a bird to moult but come the second summer, or early autumn, it will go into a moult and lose most of its feathers. During this period the birds do not lay as their body has gone into a shut down mode to conserve energy, just as a deciduous tree does when it sheds its leaves before the winter. This is a very important period for the bird and it requires good nutrition to help it over this stressful time. Good management at this time will reap benefits later in the year when you again have a well feathered, fit and good egg producing bird once again.

Correct nutrition is vital for egg production. No chicken will lay well if not fed appropriately. It may look healthy enough but if not sufficient protein, minerals, vitamins and calcium are absorbed the bird cannot do what you expect of it properly. There are plenty of breeder and layer rations on the market for all species of poultry and these supplemented with wheat later in the day should provide all the essentials required. Birds out at grass will also find the necessary grit and greenstuffs that support the diet. If birds are housed inside or in yards then it is important to add a little mixed poultry grit to the feed, or provide a separate poultry grit container that they have access to. Mixed poultry grit is readily available but do not be tempted to provide oyster shell only. This is too smooth by itself and could cause compaction in the digestive system.

Sometimes there are problems If birds are managed well there should be few eggs problems but Mother Nature will always intervene where livestock is concerned and occasionally they do occur. If a hen is seen to be visiting the nest often but not laying and looks uncomfortable and hunched up, it could be that she is trying to pass an egg but cannot. Obstructions and irregularities in the organs can upset the egg production route - even obesity! A calcium imbalance, stress or fright can also bring on this condition. Sometimes the size of the egg is unusually large or misshapen which makes it extremely difficult to pass. When an egg is lodged in the cloaca and cannot be passed the bird is said to be egg bound. There are various old remedies for this but keeping the bird isolated, warm and putting some warm olive oil on the vent area could help. Depending on the condition of the bird specialist poultry veterinary advice for the individual situation would be wise.

Gently examining the bird externally and feeling the abdomen could tell you whether the bird was suffering from egg peritonitis. If it is swollen and hard, like a drum, this could well be the case. Egg peritonitis is when the egg yolk misses the infundibulum and falls into the abdominal cavity. The body then begins to reject the 'foreign body' and infection easily arises. A bird with peritonitis will be lethargic, depressed and may have a penguin-like stance and could be gasping. This gasping is through pain. There is no cure for this problem and the bird should be culled rather than letting her die in agony.

Egg laying birds may also succumb to a prolapsed oviduct. This is more likely to happen in young birds that have not developed fully before egg laying commences. The vent tissues exude with an egg likely to be still inside the bird. If you can see the egg it is possible to gently break the shell so that the egg can be extracted. This should obviously be done with great care, cleaning the exposed area with mild disinfectant and then isolating the bird so that she may recover. If it is a serious prolapse it may require veterinary attention. Poultry should always be checked thoroughly for problems around the vent area. If there is any red around the vent other birds will begin to peck it. When a bird is laying her egg the oviduct is extruded through the cloaca thus protecting the egg from any contamination. If there is a lack of nestboxes and a hen has to lay in front of other birds, attention is drawn to this area of the body. Also, if there is flesh showing - as in a prolapse - or the vent is messy, this will attract flies in warmer weather and fly strike should be checked for.

Egg eating is a vice that should be stopped as soon as possible. The perpetrator should be removed from the flock and she usually gives herself away by having yolk stuck to her beak. China eggs can be used to help prevent the problem, as can an egg shell filled with mustard. It is essential to halt the problem quickly, before the eater has passed on the habit to the others around.

Keep nestboxes clean Clean nest boxes are also important, as is collecting the eggs frequently. If collection is delayed an egg may get broken and this can introduce the vice of eating eggs. Faeces in the nestbox should be removed and fresh litter replaced so that eggs are kept clean, this will prevent staining of eggs and possible bacterial infection entering the porous shells. The weather can also have an effect for if the birds are free-range and the weather is wet, dirt can also be transferred to the egg via dirty feet.

Hens lay one egg every twenty-four hours but can miss a day according to when ovulation takes place. Ducks tend to lay in the early morning and at the same time each day; and geese will lay every other day. If the eggs are removed regularly all species will continue to lay longer than if they are left in the nest. The number of eggs laid will vary according to the species and breed.

Poultry and avian influenza SMALLHOLDER has been inundated with letters in response to the article on protecting poultry from avian influenza. It seems that many of you are doing everything possible and more besides to keep your birds safe. Like you I am praying that the disease keeps at bay but it was encouraging to receive such a postbag.

One letter was from a concerned owner of two pet chickens in Bedfordshire. These birds could not wish for better management but I would like to make just two comments. Heating in the housing area should only be used when the weather is exceptionally cold because if birds do not get a true feel for the seasons the feathers will not grow as strongly in the autumn, ready for the winter. Having said that I'm sure they are not complaining for it sounds as though they are really healthy!

The other point is that if birds are housed, even with plenty of wonderful fruits, vegetables and poultry feed, some mixed poultry grit available for them will help their digestion. This is referred to in the above article.

Good news on veterinary medicines.

A threat to the use of the only licensed poultry wormer in the UK has been lifted thanks to a decision by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

Earlier this year, the poultry wormer Flubenvet was made a prescription only medicine: POM - VPS which means it has to be bought from a veterinary surgeon, a pharmacy or a specially qualified person (such as an agricultural merchant who has had specialist training). However, it is a powder that requires mixing with feed and this is where the difficulty with its use became apparent.

As from 1 January the UK came into line with EU Legislation that has tightened up on veterinary medicines being mixed into feed; and all feed mills have to be licensed with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. This is not a problem for the commercial poultry industry but hobbyists and other backyard poultry keepers who do not buy feed in bulk need to apply the veterinary medicine themselves to their birds' feed.

After becoming aware of the situation, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate told SMALLHOLDER: "The mixing of veterinary medicines into 'backyard poultry' feeding stuffs is allowed as long as the medicated feed is mixed at the house where the birds are kept and those birds are not reared for consumption off the premises. However, a medicated feeding stuff prescription will still be required in order to be supplied with the medicine."

Dave Cunnah, Pig & Poultry Manager, Janssen Animal Health, manufacturers of Flubenvet, said: "This is fantastic news. Following the change of legislation last year we've been able to work with the VMD to find a solution for small poultry keepers. As Flubenvet is the only licensed wormer for poultry it is essential that its availability and use is maintained. We will be contacting all our distributors with the good news and Flubenvet 240 grams will again be readily available through vets and licenced agricultural merchants."