Brown Egg Science

It all started when Mary noticed that brown eggshells are not brown on the inside. I looked into this and found brown eggshell color is a polygenic trait (Many genes have been proposed to account for the wide range of brown eggshell colors). The brown pigment is primarily on the outside of the shell and you can even scrub it off with warm soapy water and a kitchen scrub pad. Eggshells are not brown through and through. This is only surface pigmentation.

Where the brown genes are on the chromosomes and how many there are, is not known. There is a sex-linked gene that inhibits the expression of the brown eggshell genes (it may be that Leghorns have this gene. Leghorns seem to have an ability to suppress brown eggshell color when you breed them to a brown layer.)

We have read conflicting reports on egg coloring and age. Some indicate egg color lightens with hen age. Other reports indicate eggshell darkening with age. It may well be that both are correct depending upon the hen and its particular genetics.

Care of Baby Chicks

When we first started with chicks we did a lot of reading to try and get some of the basics down. This list is a good starter.

FOOD

Use a high protein chick starter feed for the first 8 weeks. We made sure ours was not medicated feed since we dont want to be eating antibiotics with our scrambled eggs. Put the feed in troughs low enough so the chicks can find and reach the feed easily. Never let the chicks run out of feed. After 8 weeks you can use grower feed.

WATER

Provide chicks a gallon waterer for each 50 chicks. Chicks are thirsty when they arrive in the mail. A taste of water right away helps them to seek more water right away. Most baby chick loss is caused bacause the chick doesnt start to eat or drink. Never let chicks run out of water.

HEAT

A drop light with a 75-100 W bulb will work - hang as many as you need no closer than 18 inches from the floor. If too warm raise the light higher. The temperature should be 90-95 degrees for the first week. Reduce the temperature 5 degrees per week until you reach 70 degrees (which may or may not happen in this part of Texas). They shouldnt need much heat after that. Large heat lamps might be a good idea if you encounter very cold conditions. By the way, they recommend a night light for chicks too.

SPACE

Try to provide 0.5 square feet per chick at the start. A draft shield can create a perimter to contain the chicks. 50 chicks require a circle about 5-6 feet across. 100 chicks will need an 8 foot circle.

DRAFT SHIELD

Corrugated cardboard 12 inches high encircling the chicks helps reduce drafts. Be sure the circle is big enough to allow chicks to get away from the heat lamp if they are over heating. With wide temperature swings you have to watch the chicks a bit closer.

LITTER

Sawdust or wood shavings make good litter. Sand, straw and dirt will work but not as well as others. Put the litter all over the floor at least 1-2 inches thick.

REAR END PASTE

Sometimes stress in shipping cause the manure to stick to chick rear ends. Remove this daily by pulling off or washing off with warm water. Chicks thankfully will outgrow this. If birds are droopy use a sulfa drug in the drinking water.

DUCKS AND GEESE SHOULD BE RAISE SEPARATE FROM CHICKS AND TURKEYS

NEVER MIX QUAIL OR OTHER GAME BIRDS WITH CHICKS

DUCKS

Baby ducks will drown in water if left unattended. To be on the safe side do not turn out ducklings into ponds until fully feathered.

Training Wheels

A friend asked why ceramic eggs are deployed in nesting boxes. to answer this one first has to realize the fact that hens peck at everything - especially new things. We want to make sure their first peck on an "egg" is not fruitful. If hens find the contents as tasty as we do, we will have a problem on our hands.

I guess the easiest way to explain it might be to say ceramic eggs are sort of like training wheels.