Breeding and Raising and Hatching of Barnyard Chickens!!!!!!!!!!

[poult]

Hello,this is my barnyard chicken thread if you do not know what a barnyard chicken is its a mixed breed or mutt.I think my barnyards are the best and hope you do too this is where you can talk about all the breeds you've mixed and how they turned out from hatching to laying to all the rest.Feel free to share pictures and lots of info on your special mixes!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm just getting started on my flock. I got eggs from my sister to hatch, all barnyard mixes and just adore them. Had 13 hatch, 1 turken mix chick died just over a week old. The rest are all about 6 1/2 weeks old. (Plus my loner from the first hatch who is between 3 and 4 months.) I adore them. They are so different and so beautiful. Such a variety. I ended up with two turken mixes, two polish mixes, 2 silkie mixes and I couldn't tell you what the rest are mixed with...lol I plan to breed specific birds once they are old enough and play around with crosses a little. I think they are so much more fun than the majority of the purebreeds. Granted I've seen some pretty beautiful pures, but you have an idea what they are going to look like from day one.

 

[poult]

Totally purebreds look all alike unless their mottled or splash but you can't beat unique with mixes that's what makes them so special

 

[AmyLynn2374]

These are my mixes you can tell at least half the mix:

This is "David' my turken mix roo. No idea what he's mixed with. (My favorite out of the hatch with the Polish tying for 2nd. lol)


This is "Chaos" Not sure whether we are getting a roo or hen here. It's a NN/EE.


"Chocolate." I believe is a roo. Polish mix. He has a 'v-comb'. It starts like a single comb but splits off into two. Very hard to get a pic of because it's black and just doesn't show up well:


"Brownie" is my other Polish mix. Thinking mixed with Silkie since it has the 5 toes. Not positive yet on sex, thinking (and hoping) pullet:


My silkie mixed chicks have gotten almost impossible to tell apart now. I almost think one's a boy one's a girl, but I seriously have no idea. Been calling them "Gibbs' and "Silk".

 

[poult]

They are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So pretty!

 

[poult]

I'm not sure of their genders either lol but I can help you make it easier to identify them if you take a zip tie and zip it around their leg LEAVE PLENTY IF ROOM because they will grow and you will have to replace the zip tie as they grow but it can help I identify them that's what I do

 

[rebrascora]

I have a legbar roo and I've crossed him with a hen that I bought at auction as an araucana but she's obviously not pure, maybe some leghorn in there as she has a floppy comb although it's not very big and she lays little ivory eggs instead of blue. Anyway, she hatched 14 of her own eggs. They all inherited beard/moustaches from her and most of them are barred apart from 2 cockerels that are white like her with a bit of red on their shoulders. The 6 pullets from that mix have just started laying and I'm getting little blue/green eggs from them all. I find it difficult to tell them apart though with the barring and the facial tufts both being dominant characteristics.

My favourite mix so far is the cream legbar roo x RIR. I was lucky and both eggs hatched out pullets. They are about 14 weeks and I love both their temperament..... they are cheeky without being pushy.... and their looks. They are not quite as dark red as their mother but their hackle feathers have a slight golden glint to them and the feather shafts are slightly lighter coloured than the feathers which creates a pretty effect. They both have crests as well. One of them will come up behind me and tug on my trouser leg as if to say, "Excuse me, but I'm here. Have you got anything for me!"

When I get my new phone sorted I will get some photos.

I am also thinking of welsummer roo crossed with black and blue copper marans. Actually my young welsummer roo has suggested this to me as these are the first 2 ladies that he has been able to recruit to his harem. That should hopefully produce another nice dark egg layer.... maybe!
And my little broody Frances who appears to be a bantam silkie/cochin cross. I would like to let her hatch a couple of her own eggs next summer although I think my roos may be too big/heavy for her as they are both large fowl. I did let her try one of her own eggs with the clutch I gave her last summer and it was the only one that wasn't fertile.

In the meantime my little broody araucana mutt Tasha (because of her facial feathers) is stashing eggs again in her secret nest (she thinks it is, but I know it's there) up in the rafters. Will have to get the ladder and crawl board out and see how many she has accumulated so far. Both times she has gone broody, she has laid exactly 14 eggs in that nest. Little madam!

Anyway, lovely to read and see pictures of barnyard mutts, by people who obviously appreciate and enjoy the variety of cross breeding.

Many thanks for starting this thread. I will follow with interest.

Regards

Barbara

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Now these are the ones I have absolutely no idea! lol I know a good share of the breeds my sister has. (At least the names are familiar.) But I am not familiar enough to make any true hypothesies.
Starting with Peep. Peep was born from our first hatch attempt. It was basically a bum hatch due to a faulty thermometer. Out of two that hatched 3&4 days late, he was the one that survived. He is my pet chicken. An EE mix. He is still delayed especially with feathering. Born Sept 16th I believe- so 3 months now. He seemed like a completely healthy chick, but I am finding the older he gets he is showing problems I believe as a result of delayed development. (The bigger he gets the more his balence is off and the more active he gets the more you'll see him mouth breath.) But we love him and will baby him for as long as we have him. He gets more and more beautiful everyday. Greenish blue tail and wing feathers are becoming more prominent:

He's also a cuddler....lol

Ok, onto the chicks: "Willie". This big boy is all boy. I love his markings. Our plan is to keep him and David for the coop (once I get more hens...lol). I can't wait to see what he looks like when he matures.Pics just don't do him justice with the black/gray/brown markings:


"Chip" is another roo that will be going to my sister's. He's a pretty big boy too.


"Rollie" is slimmer than the other bigger boys, but he is a ferocious little man. I can't say I am sad that he is going...lol



"Chip" I was sure was a boy in the beginning, then the other boy's combs and wattles just got huge, so I started to think he was a she, but I'm kind of back to a he. The comb isn't as small as the ones I've pegged girls, but no where near the size of the boys either, but it is a pinker/redder than the girls. He's basically black with a little brown around the neck area.



"Mumble" (looked like a little penguin as a chick) I'm pretty sure is a girl.



And the last one (finally, right? lol) I am sure is a girl is "Angel" almost completely white-her wings look like angel wings when spread. She has lightly feathered legs and 5 toes though she has yellow feet. So I assume she has silkie in her genes.



And I will stop flooding the page with my flock now. lol I do need to get better pics in better lighting conditions of this bunch. But there they are. It's going to be hard to see the roos go as we are only keeping the two for the flock. I wish I could have seperate pins and coops and keep them all, but I don't have room for that...lol

 

[AmyLynn2374]

They are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So pretty!

Thank you. I think they are, and why I've decided I love the barnyard mixes...lol

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have a legbar roo and I've crossed him with a hen that I bought at auction as an araucana but she's obviously not pure, maybe some leghorn in there as she has a floppy comb although it's not very big and she lays little ivory eggs instead of blue. Anyway, she hatched 14 of her own eggs. They all inherited beard/moustaches from her and most of them are barred apart from 2 cockerels that are white like her with a bit of red on their shoulders. The 6 pullets from that mix have just started laying and I'm getting little blue/green eggs from them all. I find it difficult to tell them apart though with the barring and the facial tufts both being dominant characteristics.

My favourite mix so far is the cream legbar roo x RIR. I was lucky and both eggs hatched out pullets. They are about 14 weeks and I love both their temperament..... they are cheeky without being pushy.... and their looks. They are not quite as dark red as their mother but their hackle feathers have a slight golden glint to them and the feather shafts are slightly lighter coloured than the feathers which creates a pretty effect. They both have crests as well. One of them will come up behind me and tug on my trouser leg as if to say, "Excuse me, but I'm here. Have you got anything for me!"

When I get my new phone sorted I will get some photos.

I am also thinking of welsummer roo crossed with black and blue copper marans. Actually my young welsummer roo has suggested this to me as these are the first 2 ladies that he has been able to recruit to his harem. That should hopefully produce another nice dark egg layer.... maybe!
And my little broody Frances who appears to be a bantam silkie/cochin cross. I would like to let her hatch a couple of her own eggs next summer although I think my roos may be too big/heavy for her as they are both large fowl. I did let her try one of her own eggs with the clutch I gave her last summer and it was the only one that wasn't fertile.

In the meantime my little broody araucana mutt Tasha (because of her facial feathers) is stashing eggs again in her secret nest (she thinks it is, but I know it's there) up in the rafters. Will have to get the ladder and crawl board out and see how many she has accumulated so far. Both times she has gone broody, she has laid exactly 14 eggs in that nest. Little madam!

Anyway, lovely to read and see pictures of barnyard mutts, by people who obviously appreciate and enjoy the variety of cross breeding.

Many thanks for starting this thread. I will follow with interest.

Regards

Barbara

Smart girl to hide them!! lol