Tag: silkie chick articles
Egg Color and Colored Earlobes in Chickens
Chickens lay a rainbow of colors when it comes to egg shells. White, cream, tan, pink, blue, green, brown and speckled. But did you realize that a chicken’s earlobes are different colors as well, and that some people can make guesses as to what color egg a certain hen will lay based on her earlobe color.
A chicken’s ears are located on each side of its head, just below its eyes. They do not stick out like most animals do. The ears are located inside of the head. The earlobe is just below the ear. It is a slight thickening of the skin and is smooth with no feathers.
Birds are the only animal that lay colored eggs. Popular folklore says that if a chicken’s earlobes are white, they will tend to lay white eggs. If they have red earlobes they will lay brown eggs. We know that there are many exceptions to this. Some red earlobed birds lay greenish or blue eggs. Silkies have turquoise earlobes and lay a cream colored egg. Chicken breeds which have white earlobes with a pearly iridescent shine such as a cream legbar, lay blue eggs.
Eggshell color is definitely based on breed. Unless you have a mixed chicken, the birds will lay true to their breed. Araucana have red earlobes and lay blue or green eggs. Penedesencas have white earlobes and lay dark brown eggs. Some Americanas have white earlobes and lay blue eggs. Earlobe color is based on breed genetics as well. You can’t correlate earlobe color and egg shell color because one is not based on the other.
Depending on the breed, a hen will lay about 500 eggs in her lifetime. All eggs start out white. Those that are other shades have pigments deposited on them as the eggs travel through the hen’s oviduct. This journey takes about 26 hours until the egg is laid. The shell itself takes 20 hours to complete. Ameraucanas have the pigment oocyanin deposited on the egg as it travels. This pigment permeates the eggshell resulting in both the inside and the outside of the shell being blue.
Chickens that lay brown eggs deposit the pigment protoporphyrin on the eggs while they are forming their shells. This pigment only stays on the top of the shell. The inside of the shell remains white. The darkest brown eggs are from Marans.
In order to create a green colored egg, a brown pigment overlays a blue egg shell. The darker the brown pigment, the more olive color the egg will look.
No matter what color the outside of the egg is , the inside will all look similar. The color of the yolk is determined by the hen’s diet. The more green veggies in the diet, the deeper the color of the yolk.
Chickens have two ears on each side of their head. They have eardrums and an outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. They are able to harness sound waves and send them to the inner ear. Unlike humans, who experience hearing loss as they age, chickens are able to regrow damaged hearing cells. Scientists are very interested in learning more about this special adaption and in being able to apply it to help humans with hearing loss.
Hearing well is very important to all birds. It is imperative that they can hear approaching predators. Chickens can tell how far away a sound is coming from by gauging how long it takes the sound to reach the ear.
Baby chicks are able to hear their mother clucking from inside of the egg. An embryo can hear by around day 12 of their incubation period. Once hatched a chick will respond to its mother tapping on the ground when she finds food. If you tap on the food dish your baby chicks should come running.
Ear infections in chickens are often caused by bacteria entering the ear. Antibiotic drops can be given for 3 to 5 days if the infection is caused by bacteria. Clean the ear with hydrogen peroxide and a Q-tip to loosen any debris on the ear. Do not put a Q-tip deep into the chicken’s ear as it can damage it.
Timely egg collection is important. Don’t leave eggs under hens unless you plan on hatching. I like to use a wire egg basket to help me handle all of the eggs if find. If you are interested in more information on egg collection check out our blog.
It is fun to see the assortment and variety of egg colors that can come from your hens. You can display them quite creatively with an egg spiral holder or egg counter holder. Eggs that have not previously been refrigerated can stay on your counter for about a week and stay fresh. You can get quite fancy with your egg storage holder.
For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.
Victoria J. Peterson
How to get Beetle Green Sheen in Black Chickens
The green sheen on a black chicken is something very much desired. You find it in the tail feathers, wings, saddle and hackles of solid, deep black feathered birds. The purple sheen is not a desired trait and some will even say that it is a nutritional deficiency that causes it.
Microraptor was a very small, four winged dinosaur that lived 130 million years ago. Its feathers have been fossilized and they show black and blue hues similar to a crow. It is the earliest evidence of iridescent feather color. Microraptor was completely black with a glossy, iridescent blue sheen.
Feather color is produced in birds by arrays of pigment bearing organelles called melanosomes. Iridescence happens when the melanosomes are organized in stacked layers. This iridescence is widespread in modern birds and is frequently used in courtship displays.
In chickens, the green sheen on black is very much sought after and appears to be in part produced by the structure of the feathers and in part by the condition of the pigment in them. It is found only in chickens with good black color and in the absence of any purple barring. It can also be found in any chicken that has some black feathers such as partridge silkies.
The quality of the feather is a very important issue. A black chicken with a strong green sheen will have a much smoother feather feel to it. You should almost be able to feel how soft and conditioned that green sheen feather is when compared to duller feathers.
The amount of green sheen varies from bird to bird. Some have a lot of sheen and others don’t. Mostly it is found in roosters, but hens can have it too. I have seen some beautiful sheen on the wings and body of very dark hens. Sheen is more apparent in the sun where light can reflex off of the feathers.
Keratin is a crucial protein in bird’s feathers. The way it is structured allows light to twist and turn and separate. It allows feathers to act like a prism by scattering the longer wavelengths of light and reflecting shorter ones to give us the gorgeous blues, purples and greens.
The preen gland is a gland that is located at the base of the tail. This secreted oil helps to keep keratin flexible. This makes feathers appear more saturated with color. Most birds preen by rubbing their beak and head over the preen gland pore and then rubbing the accumulated oil over the feathers on its body.
The green color you see is due to the effect of light scattering and reflecting off the feather structure. This is called the Tyndall Effect and it creates the illusion of certain colors.
There are four basic types of feather luster. There is green, red/purple, blue and matte- the absence of any sheen. Feather sheen is a matter partly of genes and partly of feather condition.
Gold based blacks are easier to get the correct green sheen and eliminate purple sheen. Green sheen is good and purple sheen is not among chicken breeders in the United States. A dilute black will not give you the same sheen display as a pure black color. Here is an article on my adult black silkie pen and what it is like to work with the black color. That super black color is especially useful if you are working with varieties such as Paint Silkies.
If you want to breed towards improving green sheen you must selectively breed for those desired traits. Breed green to green and remove birds with the purple/red sheen from your breeding program. Have a separate coop to keep your breeding pair in; that way you can be sure of the parentage. Keep track of your breeding pens and keep careful written records of parents and the quality of their offspring. For more information check out “How to Keep a Flock History“.
The degree of iridescence seen on all feathers is a matter of condition. A healthy bird on a good diet has more vibrant colors. Excellent food and clean, safe conditions in the coop will go a long way towards bringing out the color in your birds. Good health will improve the sheen of the feathers so they better reflect the light.
Feather Fixeris a supplement feed that people often use to improve a chicken’s feathers. Any higher protein feed will help to condition feathers. Adding vitamins and electrolytes to your bird’s water will also improve its overall health as well as probiotics and Rooster Booster.
For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.
Victoria J. Peterson
VJP Poultry 