The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

Eps32 said:

It's Valentine's Day oops I guess I should go get flowers and stuff instead of walking around tractor supply buying things I think I need ya my girlfriend would probably appreciate that lol

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Possibly. I would love a few chicks to hatch.

chickendreams24 said:

Would love to see pics of your favorelles if you don't mind sharing. They're kind of on my wish list this year to get a pullet or two, so I would love to hear all about them. Sadly I don't think I'm going to get them as we can't really take 5 pullets- I've been given a max bird number by this fall of 40- I'm hoping I'll get some wiggle room with that but anyway I have heard so much about how dociel and good in a mixed flock they are, which we're looking for as many of our more docile birds get picked on. I wouldn't care but I think some of the flock just doesn't fit with some other parts of it. I haven't heard much about their laying abilities though. I also just love the beards and muffs.

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If you want a productive breed that gets along well with other breeds, and lays pretty green eggs as a bonus, you need to look at Isbars. They are by far the easiest of my breeds to integrate new members into and are very intelligent about staying out of the way of the more aggressive breeds. They are sweet and easy-going, but are not pushovers.

Eps32 said:

NotAFarm said:

 [COLOR=FF0000]Happy Valentine's Day Hatchalong Peeps![/COLOR]

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It's Valentine's Day oops I guess I should go get flowers and stuff instead of walking around tractor supply buying things I think I need ya my girlfriend would probably appreciate that lol

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Buy her some chocolate chicks instead.

LadyCluck77 said:

I got mine from BYC breeder YankeeBelle. I drove over to get the eggs, every single one hatched for me, and I kept the friendliest ones. The cock I kept is the sweetest, easiest rooster I've ever had. The hens are decent layers of a medium sized pink egg, and they seem to handle the cold pretty well. They do get picked on a little by the leghorns, and even the silkies.
Here is what a hen vs a cock look like:

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They're so beautiful. We don't have any leghorns right now but I'm surprised that the silkies pick on them a little. I love that they're so docile. Maybe we'll have to wait on them if the feed store doesn't order extras but I hope they do. Would love to hear anything more your like to share if you feel like it. Thank you.

@nate1the1great1
Idk where you are located but you might try here for some show girl egg.
http://countylinehatchery.com/index.php?p=1_15

Happy Valentine's day everyone!!!!

KYTinpusher said:

If you want a productive breed that gets along well with other breeds, and lays pretty green eggs as a bonus, you need to look at Isbars. They are by far the easiest of my breeds to integrate new members into and are very intelligent about staying out of the way of the more aggressive breeds. They are sweet and easy-going, but are not pushovers.

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Thanks. Yeah I have looked at isbars some I think they're stunning of course in blue and splash especially, but I had heard that they were a bit flighty, has this been your experience?
I love their eggs especially the green with brown flecks overlayed, sadly DH2B thinks I want to own the whole of Chickendom in our first two years. He wants me to spread breeds out a bit more so we don't get them all at once. Of course I don't think one or two of each breed count against my total chicken math number anyway, and I'm trying to find out what works and what we like.
But in truth I'm very lucky since May of last year we went from ordering 5 Buff Orpingtons to 30 chickens.
Eventually we want to have one or two main heritage breeds for eggs and meat and then we'll add in birds as we please for enjoyment, hobby, trying new breeds etc.

casportpony said:

@Happy Chooks, @ronott1 and everyone else, I just looked at the list again and the ivermectin mentioned is a combo of ivermectin and lincomycin, it's a feed additive for swine, so fear not, pretty sure you'll still be able to get ivermectin. Also, if I read the article correctly, it looks like the only drugs affected are the water solubles and the ones meant for feed, so maybe one will still be able to buy injectables?

-Kathy

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Well, that's good. It would be a pain if we needed vets for wormers. I have a pretty good supply of ivomec and valbazen, so I would be good for a while anyway.

I only had 1 Isbar, but she was not flighty.

Now my true Ameraucanas that I had were flighty as heck! The only one that wasn't got eaten by a bobcat, ever see a full grown hen squeeze through a 2x4 section of field fence to try to get away from you? I couldn't believe it when I saw it.

chickendreams24 said:

Thanks. Yeah I have looked at isbars some I think they're stunning of course in blue and splash especially, but I had heard that they were a bit flighty, has this been your experience?
I love their eggs especially the green with brown flecks overlayed, sadly DH2B thinks I want to own the whole of Chickendom in our first two years. He wants me to spread breeds out a bit more so we don't get them all at once. Of course I don't think one or two of each breed count against my total chicken math number anyway, and I'm trying to find out what works and what we like.
But in truth I'm very lucky since May of last year we went from ordering 5 Buff Orpingtons to 30 chickens.
Eventually we want to have one or two main heritage breeds for eggs and meat and then we'll add in birds as we please for enjoyment, hobby, trying new breeds etc.

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My isbar are some of the calmest birds I have, second only to SFH's. They are low key, but as @KYTinpusher said, they are not push overs and great layers. I have isbars growing out with my leghorns to help them be calmer. The leghorns look at them like "don't you know you are supposed to go crazy when you see her?" It seems to help some.
My DH doesn't count chickens and neither do I! Estimation of numbers of chickens work just fine....like "more than 2". In actuality it's closer to 200 right now with all this hatching, but whose counting! Not me!

UGLYFOOT said:

I was wondering that too.
Chocolate colored chickens.. Hmmm wonder how they taste? Lol

Best use of checking fertility!!
I don't know they were a breed either. Hopefully mine will hatch only showing development on 6 out of 17 shipped. Lockdown in two days

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They haven't been entered into the Standard of Perfection yet but they are working on it. One breeder in California is nine or ten generations deep. She sells on Ebay a showgirl chick beside a green gourd is her lead picture.

KYTinpusher said:

I know my Svarthönas are not as dark as some, especially the culls, but there is a definite difference in the color, even cooked. The 2 culls that I brought home from the processor were more of a dark gray (meat and bones) and sat in the frig for a week after cooking because I lost my appetite when I looked at them. LOL I finally fed the meat to the dogs. They didn't seem to mind the color difference. Someday I may give it a try again, but for now my processor is happy to get them. If you go to the Ayam Cemani thread (kissing cousin to the Svarthöna) I would bet they have pictures of the dressed carcasses.

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I bet he has a brisk business selling to people of Asian decent because black chicken meat is considered medicinal in Chinese culture. Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern had an episode on cooking black Silkies into a dish.