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I totally agree. None of my five original hens was pure anything, but a few were naturally broody, probably because of their game cock blood. I've never had to buy another chicken over these five years, as despite my efforts to prevent, a mom will manage to hatch out a hidden clutch every so often. They are excellent mothers and foragers (we free range all day every day in mild Mexico) and in one unfortunate incident, a mom who was expertly managing a clutch of fifteen chicks took them through the fence to an adjoining field, just when four stray dogs were passing by. Only six chicks survived. Amazingly, even though they were only ten days old, they already knew how to forage, and come to the coop at night. They slept huddled together on the floor behind the feed bin where they had slept with the mom. When they started crowing, I gave away the three young roosters, and after that, the girls started sleeping in the roost with everyone else.Just found this thread and so happy there are people out there that love "barnyard" chickens as much as I do! I really have enjoyed going through these pictures and seeing just what new breeds different people "concoct" I just hatched the 4th generation of my barnyard mutts, and am weirdly proud of them, even though some are a mix of 5 or 6 different breeds. There's just something that seems super special about raising a chicken that is kind of "your own" breed, and I love being surprised with new feather patterns/body shapes as they grow! There's not one that's exactly alike
That big white chick in the middle looks a bit different. White leghorn??? (JK)
How many generations has Pierre fathered? My avatar roo is in similar position. He's an excellent Daddy! This will be his second breeding season. I've heard that you can get by with the same roo x 5 years, or when his potency starts to wane. Even then, if he's a good boy, as my Jack is, I expect to replace him with one of his sons when the time comes. As long as the chicks remain strong, and there are no issues that crop up, I'll not be in a hurry to bring in a new roo. Jack's dtrs are bigger and of better conformation than their mothers were!I totally agree. None of my five original hens was pure anything, but a few were naturally broody, probably because of their game cock blood. I've never had to buy another chicken over these five years, as despite my efforts to prevent, a mom will manage to hatch out a hidden clutch every so often. They are excellent mothers and foragers (we free range all day every day in mild Mexico) and in one unfortunate incident, a mom who was expertly managing a clutch of fifteen chicks took them through the fence to an adjoining field, just when four stray dogs were passing by. Only six chicks survived. Amazingly, even though they were only ten days old, they already knew how to forage, and come to the coop at night. They slept huddled together on the floor behind the feed bin where they had slept with the mom. When they started crowing, I gave away the three young roosters, and after that, the girls started sleeping in the roost with everyone else.
The interesting thing is that the most recent generation look very similar to each other - reddish with a beautiful pheasant type pattern. They lay well, with eggs ranging from pale cream to deep speckled brown. Since all are related to my rooster, I know it's time to bring in a new rooster, which will be sad, as Pierre is doing an excellent job in every way.
Pierre has now fathered three generations and the hens all love him. Chicks have been healthy and strong. I seem to always have several hens that are determined to be moms, though, and end up with less egg production. It's the fighting breed/game bird influence, I believe. It would also be nice to introduce a different color so it would be easier to tell them apart. I would love to have only one batch of about 12 chicks per year, preferably in the summer rainy season when there is green grass and plenty of bugs for them.That big white chick in the middle looks a bit different. White leghorn??? (JK)
How many generations has Pierre fathered? My avatar roo is in similar position. He's an excellent Daddy! This will be his second breeding season. I've heard that you can get by with the same roo x 5 years, or when his potency starts to wane. Even then, if he's a good boy, as my Jack is, I expect to replace him with one of his sons when the time comes. As long as the chicks remain strong, and there are no issues that crop up, I'll not be in a hurry to bring in a new roo. Jack's dtrs are bigger and of better conformation than their mothers were!
They turned out beautiful! He has quite the comb there. Congrats!
With March coming up, I thought I'd share what my first two barnyard mixes look like now. They'll be a year old next month & I'm extremely happy with how they turned out. Thank you to everyone on this thread for helping me during the their hatch & while they were chicks. Seeing how well they turned out has me thinking of hatching more!