Reviews by familypendragon

Mine are currently only about 7 weeks old. They adopted all the younger chicks that have hatched and act like little baby sitters snuggling them, keeping them warm, showing them how to use the nipple waterers and what is good to eat. When I pick them up they stand up to let me slip a hand under them and don't mind being held. Very impressed. I got them to work on autosexing projects and look forward to the temperament they will lend to the projects.

I have 3 of these. My adult Blue Marans is one of the flightiest bird I have, and if I have to get ahold of her (at night is the only way) she flips out like I am killing her. I also bought 2 more for breeding and both of them from the very start have been bullies to the other chicks and bite me any time I have to handle them. I have around 30 breeds and the only ones with this type of personality have been the Marans and the Wyandottes. They are big, beautiful birds that lay lovely eggs - but definitely not one I'd get as a pet.

Of my 3 adult roosters my Lavender Ameraucana is definitely the most chivalrous, LOL! He woos the ladies rather than just jumping them. He dances, sings and brings them gifts. He also doesn't take treats for himself. Instead, when I bring scraps out he runs over and sounds a call to let them know to come get it. As they come he will actually pick up bits in his mouth to show them and lay them at their feet. He also keeps showing them how to use the nipple waterer. And he snuggles them on the perch at night. Seriously, I could use 10 more just like him.

My roo is a great forager and does more to ease my grasshopper problem than any other chickens.

Most of mine are not even laying yet - 14 weeks old. But I have been in love with my Brown Leghorns since they were sold to me as Ameraucana They greet me at the coop door and jump on my shoulders, head and arms demanding to be pet. The whites are as flighty as I'd heard but are extremely soft to the touch.

I have 3 of these, though one I think is crossed with a Jersey Gieant. The 2 that are definitely BAs are great birds. They started laying and rarely ever skip a day. Its kind of nuts. Serious egg laying machines! And they let me pick them up, pet them etc even though I bought them as nearly grown adults just before they started laying. One lays frequent double yolkers too.

I am doing my first hatch in one now. I got extra thermometers and hygrometers as advised. I found the room temp, removed the large top thermometer dial and adjusted it to match what it should say. I did the same to calibrate the hygrometer. Then I switched it on and found that even then it did not stay accurate once the numbers started to climb. For the most part the temp gauge reads 5 degrees low and the humidity reads 10 degrees high. I am doing a version of dry hatching and will not have my vent plugs in at all so I run the hygrometer probe down through the vent holes. I also punched an extra hole right in the center where I was using a basal body digital thermometer and running random checks. But the batteries ran out and I nearly fried my eggs because I believed the readings on it. So far it seems to hold temp fine. I am not adding water so no idea about humidity. I am using an LG still air as a hatcher since I have a staggered hatch going. The little stick thermometer on a plastic card that came with it was way off and changed the degree by which it was off depending on how hot it actually was. I tossed it. So far I am on day 15 of Batch A and I had 20 of 24 make it this far. 2 were non-fertile and 2 had blood rings and looked like they died about day 3. Batch B was 17 eggs and is on day 12 - most were shipped Welsummer eggs. 3 were not fertile and 2 were scrambled in shipping. But right now my FI Pro 4200 is delivering 32 of 34 fertile eggs. Still have a ways to go and I am adding a batch C on day 18 when I transfer Batch A to the hatcher. So we will see how they all do! I got mine at Tractor Supply Company here in Texas for about $125.