CHICKEN BREED DISCUSSION THREAD!!

[keesmom]

Roo or hen 18 weeks old checks out the best box but I'm confused.

Cockerel. He could be lying low to avoid your dominant male.

 

[ronott1]

@ronott1 It seems you are always sexing based on the feathers, what are different about them from a hens?(other than the tail)

It depends on the age. Age at this point is where you can see the feathers. Also the color of the barred breeds.

Like this, you can see pointy feathers at the neck--hackle feathers. and the pointy feathers at the back, saddle feathers. Notice that the hen in the picture does not have them and she is darker because she only has one set of barring genes.

 

[Beer can]

What my TSC 'silkies' look like grown, definitely not show birds, but serve my purposes.
Not much for fluff on the heads, and no beards.

 

[holm25]

A good rule is to let it go 24 hours before assisting the hatch.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Here he is the little fluff butt

 

[DesertChic]

Eleanor from gone in 60 seconds was awesome.
I love these also

Cobra? A guy who lives near me has one, and another guy has the "kit" version that he tries to pass off as the real deal. Unfortunately for him there are too many car enthusiasts around here for him to get away with it.

My husband is in the process of restoring his dream car...a 1974 Pantera.

 

[hellbender]

You sent it on a weekend. No one is in the office. I am not sure how PA works, but here in MA the state tester is only in the office one day a week. I leave a message for her and she will call back. Sometimes it can take up to a week depending on what day I call and what day she is in the office.

I well remember the impatience of my youth.

 

[Beer can]

Parked next to a sweet '53 Chevy today at WalMart. Looked completely original unrestored, even the interior was all there and nice. I love seeing them like that.

 

[keesmom]

O are u certified I would like to know how they do it because on the website I was reading about they say ey have u help do something are they ruff with the birds

Well, you do have to help by catching your birds one by one to be tested. Either crate them or coop them the night before the test so you aren't chasing them all over the place. I have a few spazzies that must be crated or I can't get them even if they are in the coop.

I am sure the birds are not too thrilled at the procedure. The tester nicks under a wing, fills a vial with some blood, then bands the bird. The number on the vial is the band number so if something is wrong they know which bird it is. Some birds bleed more than others (usually the white ones) so wear old clothes. Then the blood goes off to a lab for testing.

Each state tests for different things. How many of your birds need to be done also varies by state. Here in MA they check for avian influenza and pullorum-typhoid. Every bird (except waterfowl) must be done every year. I generally get my results in 3-4 days by email.

 

[hellbender]

Ya I don't have the patience for something like that but I can check the discard junk pile for any ply wood or something but if they have any 2x2s for the wall framing then I will maybe look at those but I will have to see the next time we go down town which will probably be here this weekend

I tried to sit on my fingers but they slipped.

Breeding chickens is nothing if not an exercise in patience and indeed, endurance.

RON