APRIL Hatch-A-Long 2015: PLEASE READ FIRST POST

[katatonic123]

Anyone getting eggs from their April hatches?

 

[blkjak]

Not yet.

 

[Shahann]

No eggs from my April hatch yet. Some of them started "fighting" yesterday. I think I got at least four roos and three hens... Every day I look at them and don't know if they are male or female... I'm a rookie.

 

[katatonic123]

Pics @Shahann ???
Here are my two roos from the April hatch.
Mr. E (EE silkie mix)

Mr. Obvious (Japanese bantam silkie mix) Named so because he was an obvious male from about 2-3 weeks old.

 

[Shahann]

Here are the pics of my chicks that hatched 5/22 (I joined this thread when I thought my hen was broody and had to wait a bit and set eggs again...) The rooster was a Lavender Americana. The hens were either an Orpington or a Red Sex Link. Every day I try to guess if they are pullets or roos, Every day I change my mind. If you have any insight for me, PLEASE let me know.

Here they are with the brood hen. None of them are her eggs.



Here's a pic of some of the possible mother hens. The chicks are getting so big!



This one took a moment to pose on the sundial. I think the one on the sundial is a hen? Most of the chicks are pretty timid. I LOVE the coloring of the variegated chick in the background. Many have told me that it is a roo?



I think this gentle one below is a hen.



The little light colored one in the center hatched about 3 weeks later than the others. It was a free Americana egg that I got when I bought some dud Maran eggs on Craigslist. BUT the seller was very nice about the whole thing and replaced the six Maran eggs that I purchased from her. She wasn't sure if the roosters were in the pen long enough when I got them. The replacement eggs hatched 8/1.

 

[katatonic123]

Being crossed with ameraucana/ee look for red patches on the wings and 3 pea combs for roos. I agree with the gentle one being a pullet. At 11 weeks anyone with bright red combs are probably roos. Without up close and personal pics that's about all I can tell you (probably even with closer pics). I'm by far no expert. They are good looking birds though.

 

[Shahann]

Here's an up close and personal pic of one of the chicks I'm not sure of the gender yet. I'm guessing it's a roo too. It's 11 weeks old now. Americana/Orpington mix.

 

[katatonic123]

Had my first baby egg. I think it was from one of my ee white silkie crosses that were hatched 3/31 and 4/1. However, my brother got a new egg today and he has one of my ee buff silkie crosses that hatched 4/24 so it could have been one of them. I still have 2 of those mixes from that hatch. Either way that's 1 more egg a day!

 

[Purpletie3]

Had my first baby egg. I think it was from one of my ee white silkie crosses that were hatched 3/31 and 4/1. However, my brother got a new egg today and he has one of my ee buff silkie crosses that hatched 4/24 so it could have been one of them. I still have 2 of those mixes from that hatch. Either way that's 1 more egg a day!

Congrats! It's great when they start to lay...especially the silkies...I still have some that are not laying and they are from last year!!!

 

[katatonic123]

DJ and PJ are both laying! Got a new green egg in their coop this afternoon. The bigger one is the new one. It amazes me how different 2 different hens' eggs can be even if they both have the same parents.

Momma's egg is the top one, middle is the new one from today, and the bottom is one of the ones we have been getting.