Snowy Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 This tickled me: http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=28654 I know a lot of people still think that a rooster is needed before a hen can lay, and I'm not knocking the guy for asking - you never know if you don't ask. But it still made me giggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I have had several people asking how I get eggs if I don't have a cockerel. Poor man though...what a public place to ask a daft question. Bet he never goes back again. I don't think I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I see that he has edited his post now so that it doesn't sound too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 (edited) it's difficult to understand what he's asking, I think English might not be his first language!? Some people think that a chicken has to have a cockerel around to stimulate then into laying eggs. That's what my mother always thought and what she told me too. This is from a woman who was evacuated to a farm in the 40s so you think they might have mentioned it to her! I don't think it's such a daft question, after all, cows have to have a calf before they produce milk so it's a logical extension of thought. I didn't know til someone told me. Edited January 12, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 It just gave me an image of a poor cockerel trying to fertilise all those thousands of battery girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Several of my friends have stated it as fact that I must have a cockerel to get eggs. One even looked at my 3 and asked which was the boy. My answer was that us women ovulate every month whether or not we've got a man and it's the same with hens (except every day not once a month)! No wonder people don't know/care about the treatment of hens in food production when they really don't know/care about basic things like that. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 No wonder people don't know/care about the treatment of hens in food production when they really don't know/care about basic things like that. Jo bit harsh there jo not knowing and not caring are 2 different things. I didn't know but it's not that I didn't care. I always bought free range eggs before we got our girls but I didn't know about the cockerel thing until I started asking questions and researching about keeping chickens. The chicken/egg production industry has been a very much closed one until recently. It's not like you learn about it in school, well not in my day you didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Well done Snowy I thought your reply was nice and to the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 poor cockerel Poor cockerel! More like lucky cockerel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 It is amazing how many people think along these lines. It's a bit like people who think that newts turn into frogs They were obviously not paying attention in biology lessons at school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 When I told my GP that I kept chickens for eggs he asked if the neighbours didn't mind my cockerel. When I explained I didn't have one and didn't need one he looked very embarrassed - they obviously don't teach that in medical school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 It's a bit like people who think that newts turn into frogs you mean they don't!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I think that I see the guy's point- we haven't actually seen any video footage of the conditions that the hens & cockerels which are used to provide the industry with fertilized eggs are kept in . Anyone know? Shed size, concentration of hens, do they go outside to free range etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 We haven't actually seen any video footage of the conditions that the hens & cockerels which are used to provide the industry with fertilized eggs are kept in . Anyone know? Shed size, concentration of hens, do they go outside to free range etc? Good question Jules? One I have pondered about since the Chicken out campaign. It has bothered me greatly that by buying backyard hens, we must be adding to the number of male chicks that are despatched. If only they could find a way to ensure higher hatching rates of female chicks. I bet they could if they tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Isn't temperature involved in the number of cockerels in a hatch? I thought I read that somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Yes....I'm sure you are right. You would think they would use that to their advantage. I also read somewhere that the shape of the egg a week or so after laying can be an indicator. That could be useful too. Mind you....as the chap on Jamies programme stated, the dead male chicks are sold to zoos, pet shops etc, so maybe the hatcheries don't want to reduce the number of male chicks. At least they don't suffer in crowded sheds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Some poor person was actually brave enough to ask the same question in River Cottage I think what Claude might be asking is how the chicks are all provided in the first place. I know the RC person asked about AI but no-one has replied about that yet. I think Claude wanted to know about the breeding of all the millions of chicks produced for the battery system. Even I can't ask the question properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
