Eggs
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This is the darkest Cayuga egg we have had. It is not enhanced in any
way! The contents however look the same as any other egg.
The colour does vary considerably as the black is laid over the greenish shell shortly before the egg is actually laid. Speckled eggs have their flecking applied at the last minute in a similar way and for a while after laying the extra colouration can be washed off or easily smudged. Taking a clockwise route from the Cayuga the rest of the eggs are Duck, Sussex bantam and Yokohama bantam. The other duck looks like a very pale Cayuga as it is rather green for my other ducks. |
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The far left is a goose egg (180g) compared with a duck (66g) and
a bantam egg
(27g). Anser has laid a dozen eggs so far. The first 6 I put in the incubator were not fertile, but I have just set a second batch. This is totally the wrong time of year for her to lay, but she obviously knows better! I might let her try the next batch on her own if she lays them in the goose shed. I daren't let her sit a nest outside in case the fox pays her a visit. Goose eggs now fertile! Two are developing nicely in the incubator. They should hatch after about 25-26days which is less than the ducks (28days) so I hope to hear the patter of tiny feet around the 24th November. First gosling hatched 27th November with the second following a day later despite being the first to pip the shell. Number three arrived 30th November. Click here to see them. |
| Small (6g) and normal (27g) sized Japanese. It is not unusual to get small eggs this size from immature birds. |
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Largest and Smallest in 2003. Now we've
got geese the largest egg prize has gone to them (see above) The large greenish egg (117g) was laid by our Cayuga Duck (Mrs Cay) in between two normal sized eggs (70-80g). |
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We put the oversized egg in the incubator. When we candled it you could see two separate yolks so if we are lucky enough to hatch it we should get twins - not identical, but it will be difficult enough to tell them apart anyway. Not surprisingly this egg did not hatch.
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Large (117g) and normal (78g) sized Cayuga. This may be a double or triple yolk egg - which can occur in older birds. |
