Have you a bone to pick!

Have you a bone to pick!
In the icy weather that we are currently having, the Accident and Emergency Departments in the hospitals are likely to be treating an increased number of people with broken bones. It is likely that there will be more elderly people with broken bones than young ones. Bones can become more fragile as we get older. We don’t bounce so well! Broken bones are also found in your laying hens especially when they get towards the end of their laying life. It is at this time that the risks of the bones becoming broken are increased, partially because we have to catch the hens. Clearly egg producers are well aware of the risks. However it could be useful to discuss whether it is possible to prevent or minimise breakages during the time when on the laying farm.....

We know that fluoride is added to our water supplies to increase the strength of teeth in children. I wonder if there is any evidence to show that the incidence of broken bones in hens is reduced in the areas where their water has had fluoride added?.....The implication of what I have been saying is that hens and female humans are remarkably similar. Certainly, there are some common factors in the digestive system of humans and hens and the quality of the bones. However, I fall short of saying that our female loved ones are just overgrown hens! I wonder which of the two go broody the most frequently? However, we males do not object to being ’clucked over’!


Or increased?