Maran style wind egg?

[chris]

Just went to collect the eggs, and found a neat little clutch of 4 eggs. I have 3 hybrids (light sussex, french black rock, and a magpie). The egg is very dark, almost like a dark maran style egg colour.

Just wondering which one may have laid this.. I thought it may be the magpie, but just looked at the breeds used to create this and their egg colours are light. My darkest egg-layer is my french black rock. Few pics attached..

Strange though, maybe something messed up in her cycle! Wonder if I'll get 3 eggs tomorrow?

[Flummery]

I've had these occasionally. Sometimes they are darker because the amount of brown that would normally be spread over a big egg is concentrated on a smaller one. The brown, I believe, is added on to the surface of the egg.

[chris]

Ahh I see. thanks

[Nicos]

Any more today????

...something new everyday with chooks eh??..thanks for sharing that- interesting piccies!

[polo]

Great picture Chris - bet you were surprised!

Polo

[chris]

Just the usual 3 eggs today! Bizarre! My hands look terrible... all cracked from the disinfectant and washing up!

[polo]

Get yourself a nice pair of marigolds Chris

[chris]

Just washed up in some, believe it or not!

Now have my hands in those latex type gloves (but not latex, plastic type ones) with my hands smoothered in some cream. I feel a bit odd Can't be having ugly hands though!

</feminine side>

[Glutton4...]

If you don't have a dishwasher, even if you do, it is better to wash up in gloves. Your hands/skin will be protected, but it also means you can use hotter water, so things clean better!

I'm sooooo glad I have my dishwasher plumbed in, after two years' washing up by hand!

[chris]

Yup, i'd love a dishwasher... but we're planning on major re-works to the kitchen (knocking 2 rooms into one), etc so no point really in buying one, as it'll be a waste of money as I'd like one integrated into the kitchen style.

[Hilary B]

I don't wash up so very often (OH mostly does that) but when I do, I need to feel whether things are clean, and I don't let the lack of gloves stop me using VERY hot water! (as hot as the tap will produce).
Treatment for 'gardener's hands' (dirt getting in tiny cracks). in a jar mix 4 parts plain flour, 1 part salt by volume, add cheap cooking oil enough to make a stiff-but-sticky goo (it seems to be about 2 parts by volume, but the mix is more important than the proportion).
Use this to clean hands, as follows. Apply a little to wet hands, and rub in well. You should get a doughy effect soon, which will change colour if your hands were really dirty. Rinse off slowly, 'washing' all the time; make sure you rinse off every visible trace. Dry hands on a nice towel.
Do this a couple of times a day, throughout winter, and whenever you finish gardening all year round. It really works! (I developed this one while sheep farming, sore hands are VERY much normal at lambing time!)

[chris]

Sorry I didn't see your reply - thanks for the tip. I'm using some special cream at the moment, almost had them sorted - but started washing up without gloves again (like you, I do feel to see if they're clean too)... with gloves on I can't feel as... for want of a better word 'intimately'.. as I can without gloves. It's definately the disinfectant though, they were fine until I started to scrub the worktops with ajax (vim? - whatever it is now) and then wipe down with disinfectant - oooh boy ouch