How many ybs will you be breeding 2006

[Peckedhen]

Bewted

Plenty of room outside for fantails - two living in a dovecote for twelve!

 

Jimmy

Getting seriously worried about you........Are you seeing things?  I haven't posted a photo of myself yet!  I only have one of me with daughter and haven't yet worked out how to cut her out of the photo!  (Actually, after Samantha's photo, I was considering passing daughter off as me!! ;D )

 

Bruno

Thanks. That's as clear now. As clear as mud! ;D  No, seriously, I can get my head round it - just hope the birds can!

 

Mealybar

I have often used a wax crayon to mark hen's eggs with no detrimental results. I've never seen a pigeon egg (yet) so I don't know how fragile they are compared to a hen's and you do need to exert a bit of pressure to mark with crayon.  A magic pen marks easily but contains a spirit which you can smell initially. Not sure if this would effect the embryo - Bruno?  :-/

[jimmy white]

sorry pecked hen, must have mistaken photos ;D ;D ;D ;D

not to worry just a bit senility creeping in ;D ;D ;D good luck any way :)

[Guest]

Peckedhen:-

 

I must rush to Jimmy's defence, (Chricklemas and al' that  ;D) , you HAS put up a photo of (what I take to be) you holding fantails in front of the dovecote. Also agree with what you say about Samantha's photy .. a dream (nightmare before chricklemas   )

 

Mealybar:-

 

You are quite right to draw attention to 'magic marker' because it has a meths smell to it and fumes could be dangerous. The pen I use (and meant) is an 'ordinary' felt tip, and marked in the middle of the 'long' side of the egg, (not on or near the end where the air sac is ) ... You are also correct about microbes getting through the shell, but (my opinion) this is via dropping contamination sticking to and acidic weakening of the shell (seen reference to this in pigeon press too) because in the ordinary scheme of things I don't think Nature would provide a protective shell through which microbes could pass normally or easily ... just doesn't stack up. Must also admit to checking my eggs for this contamination and cleaning any by spitting on them, cleaning & drying them with a dry cloth, previously sprayed with virkon.

 

In 2004 one of my yearling foster pairs cracked a 5/6 day old egg on me, middle, long side, leaving an indent the size of a penny, but inner membrane intact. Spit & dry job, and sealed the bash with a single piece of Scotch masking tape just larger than damaged area ... and left nature to take its course... wasn't hopeful. Day before 'due' date, carefully removed tape, damaged eggshell came away with it leaving penny-size area of membrane exposed - and saw membrane move as youngster inside moved 'something' against it.

 

I will check out whats available on 'the egg', and get back to you.

 

 

[Peckedhen]

Jimmy, my apologies. I too have a little senility-I'd totally forgotten about the photo of me with the dovecote!  :  Hope that lets me off posting another now!! ;D

[Guest]

EGGS

 

(1) Very general summary, extract from American egg board & pic :-

 

http://www.aeb.org/LearnMore/Eggcyclopedia.htm

 

 

 

Air Cell

The empty space between the egg white (albumin) and shell at the large end of the egg. An egg is warm when it is first laid. As it cools, the contents contract and the inner shell membrane separates from the outer shell membrane to form the air cell. As the egg incubates, moisture and carbon dioxide leave through the pores of the shell, air enters to replace them and the air cell becomes larger.

 

Albumin

The egg white protects the yolk from micro-organisms and provides water, minerals and protein to the embryo.

 

Germinal Disc

The channel leading to the centre of the yolk. When the egg is fertilised, sperm enter by way of the germinal disc, travel to the centre and a chick embryo starts to form.

 

Membranes

 

Shell Membranes:

Just inside the shell are two shell membranes, inner and outer. After the egg is laid and it begins to cool, an air cell forms between these two layers at the large end of the egg.

 

Vitelline Membrane:

This is the covering of the yolk. Its strength protects the yolk from breaking.

 

Shell

The shell is the egg's first line of defence against bacterial contamination and is largely composed of calcium carbonate (about 94%) with small amounts of magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate and other organic matter including protein.

Shell strength is greatly influenced by the minerals and vitamins in the hen's diet, particularly calcium, phosphorus, manganese and Vitamin D. If the diet is deficient in calcium, for instance, the hen will produce a thin or soft-shelled egg or possibly an egg with no shell at all. Seven to 17 thousand tiny pores are distributed over the shell surface, a greater number at the large end. As the egg incubates, these tiny holes permit moisture and carbon dioxide to move out and air to move in to form the air cell. The shell is covered with a protective coating called the cuticle or bloom. By blocking the pores, the cuticle helps to prevent microbial contamination of the contents.

 

Yolk

The yolk makes up about 33% of the liquid weight of the egg. It contains all of the fat and a little less than half of the protein. With the exception of riboflavin and niacin, the yolk contains the highest proportion of the egg's vitamins (all of vitamins A, D and E are in the yolk) all of the zinc, and most of the phosphorus, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, and calcium.

 

 

 

 

(2) Very comprehensive: 44 Slides covering eggs, egg formation, egg laying problems, hatchlings, hatchling problems (cockatiels). WARNING Slides 31 to 44 are graphic and not for the squeamish:

 

http://www.cvm.umn.edu/academics/course_web/current/CVM6880/ppt/egglect.htm

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

about 400

[Guest]

about 400

 

400 ? but how many you keep yb's for yourself ?

[Guest]

I have only ordered 20 rings, as I want quality, not quantity.

[Guest]

I have only ordered 20 rings, as I want quality, not quantity.

 

plus you getting your friends's ?

[Guest]

Yeh, the lad who bred me some last year is going to breed me a round off his best, and Ill be taking a few of my own for me, and breeding a few for a lad who wants some bushearts. Ive just lent a hen of Jimmy White, so Ill be taking 3 rounds of her, 2 rounds for me and 1 for Jimmy. If you still want a pair, just let me know, they will be either off the cheq cock or the blue cock in my photos.

[Guest shadow]

have ordered 30 rings but may not use them all

 

quality not quantity ;)

[Guest]

I normally have 65 birds on my young bird team

[Guest marvin]

surely if there was to be no racing next year we will still have to breed as missing a generation of birds from your team would prove to be a little foolish dont you think especially for the distance boys

[Guest]

Bird flu or not, I will still breed a team of YBs and basket train them hard.

[Guest]

Last couple of posts make me think the drift of my earlier post on why we breed X number of youngsters was perhaps misunderstood.  

 

Humble opinion: NOT breeding youngsters because of bird flu threats etc is a load of tosh.  ;D

 

Well remember 2005 when counting my eggs before they hatched and thinking 'mm 15, need at least 20 for young bird races so will take a round from that pair ... and that pair .. etc.

 

Ended up with 'loft full of scrubbers' by blinkered thinking: 'numbers I need for young bird racing' rather than 'what do I need to make this a winning loft'? ... closely followed by 'do I have the resources to look after and train them properly'?

 

 

[snowy]

good words spoken bruno, as they keep on saying

quality not quantity

[Guest shadow]

I wish all the other posts to this forum would stop nicking my slogan of quality not quantityand think of their own otherwise I will have to think of a new one all the best for the new year. Quality not quantity shadow

[Guest]

ABOUT 100/200YBS

[Guest]

Fife, is that for yourself to keep 100/200?

[westburylofts]

 

will have 80 - 100 yb's this year split into two teams

one to race and the other two train with the club as we have plenty of room

and want to build for the comming seasons

 

ray

[Guest slugmonkey]

Probably about 100 for stock and racing and futurities

[Mike Lycett]

We'll take same as always - maximum of 40 will be rung for ourselves.   Doesn't mean 40 will get weaned across at 23 days of age though

[MsPigeon]

Usually 80-100 between the two of us.

[jimmy white]

how many ybs will you breed??  ;D ;D   ill have to start MAKING them, ;D ;D    if i make any more promises, ive 11 pairs just paired now ,,,ive,,3 spare cocks which i am getting 3 of my old hens back, so hopefully ill do my best to keep my promises any one ive said would get ybs please send rings to 90, pentland park, loanhead , mid _lothian and you cam be assured ill do my best

[PC]

We're only breeding a few for stck n a few 2 order as were moveing this year so no raceing then the breed a few when weve moved  to get some flying out 2 float stock birds eggs under next year

No racing for a year bo ho ho but then we get the challenge of a whole new race program n finding all the best training spots ect all over again