Eastern Tennessee Thread

[SistaChick]

I know I don't get on much and usually when I do I have questions so I hope ya'll don't mind too very much.

I just noticed that one of the two 25 week old black aussies MollyB the last 2 pictures down seems to have a pea comb (or at least the type of comb that looks squiggly and not standing straight up). Does that mean she is not a BA? I believe the other BA pullet is close to laying, 2nd picture her comb looks normal of a BA hen, her comb is red, she is squatting and the cockeral won't leave her alone. Both the BA's have the green sheen on their feathers and black legs.

Also, my only cockeral who is an EE, see 1st pic below and also 25 weeks old has yet to crow, he has been a big baby (pet) from since I got him at 2 or 3 days old. My fault LOL because he was so cute and I paid lots of attention to him, loving on him and picking him up. He is very gentle with me. Is it possible he won't ever crow?

Question number 3: I bought 3 hens off of a lady a few weeks back, she said they were close to a year old but not laying?? Their combs are not very red yet like the white EE pullet named Macaroni in pic, so is it possible that they are actually older and are out of laying age? Do their combs fade once they stop laying. I really am not very knowledgeable about chickens so sorry if the questions seem stupid.

Here are pictures of the aforementioned suspects

 

[tnchickenut]

I know I don't get on much and usually when I do I have questions so I hope ya'll don't mind too very much.

I just noticed that one of the two 25 week old black aussies MollyB the last 2 pictures down seems to have a pea comb (or at least the type of comb that looks squiggly and not standing straight up). Does that mean she is not a BA? I believe the other BA pullet is close to laying, 2nd picture her comb looks normal of a BA hen, her comb is red, she is squatting and the cockeral won't leave her alone. Both the BA's have the green sheen on their feathers and black legs.

Also, my only cockeral who is an EE, see 1st pic below and also 25 weeks old has yet to crow, he has been a big baby (pet) from since I got him at 2 or 3 days old. My fault LOL because he was so cute and I paid lots of attention to him, loving on him and picking him up. He is very gentle with me. Is it possible he won't ever crow?

Question number 3: I bought 3 hens off of a lady a few weeks back, she said they were close to a year old but not laying?? Their combs are not very red yet like the white EE pullet named Macaroni in pic, so is it possible that they are actually older and are out of laying age? Do their combs fade once they stop laying. I really am not very knowledgeable about chickens so sorry if the questions seem stupid.

Here are pictures of the aforementioned suspects

Molly is probably mostly Australorp... people cross either on purpose or out of a lack of knowledge that there is no telling if it was the person you got her from or someone else down the line. With the "chicken boom" a couple years back, there were alot of people who jumped on to breeding for money... unfortunately that has, imo, really made it hard to get quality purebred stock. You top that with the fact that old timer breeders that breed for show will secretly cross to improve something, and really almost anything you get is likely to be at least partially something else. (besides the fact that you cross to get these breeds, obviously)

Now, for your EE roo... Some are slow to crow, others hardly ever crow, and I have roosters who are submissive and never crow. However, they are in with other roosters who are over them. So, if he is your only rooster, chances are he is just quiet or slow to crow. Have you tried crowing yourself around him? I have noticed over the years that if you raise a cockerel and they never hear a crow, they often don't bother to do it themselves. Try crowing to him while you are doing chores... worth a shot. (and I do it for the heck of it sometimes lol just to get them all going)

Combs will fade if a bird is sick... and I just mentioned previously how almost all illnesses start with a lack of egg production. Happy hens lay, bothered or sick hens don't want to lay much or at all. Now, THAT SAID, macaroni looks young and just not ready yet. Her words were "Close to a year"? She probably just isn't ready yet. I have a hen who just started laying... she is 9 months old. Some just lay sooner than others... depends on the breed, the breeding, and also the weather.

Hope this helps.

 

[SistaChick]

Molly is probably mostly Australorp... people cross either on purpose or out of a lack of knowledge that there is no telling if it was the person you got her from or someone else down the line. With the "chicken boom" a couple years back, there were alot of people who jumped on to breeding for money... unfortunately that has, imo, really made it hard to get quality purebred stock. You top that with the fact that old timer breeders that breed for show will secretly cross to improve something, and really almost anything you get is likely to be at least partially something else. (besides the fact that you cross to get these breeds, obviously)

Now, for your EE roo... Some are slow to crow, others hardly ever crow, and I have roosters who are submissive and never crow. However, they are in with other roosters who are over them. So, if he is your only rooster, chances are he is just quiet or slow to crow. Have you tried crowing yourself around him? I have noticed over the years that if you raise a cockerel and they never hear a crow, they often don't bother to do it themselves. Try crowing to him while you are doing chores... worth a shot. (and I do it for the heck of it sometimes lol just to get them all going)

Combs will fade if a bird is sick... and I just mentioned previously how almost all illnesses start with a lack of egg production. Happy hens lay, bothered or sick hens don't want to lay much or at all. Now, THAT SAID, macaroni looks young and just not ready yet. Her words were "Close to a year"? She probably just isn't ready yet. I have a hen who just started laying... she is 9 months old. Some just lay sooner than others... depends on the breed, the breeding, and also the weather.

Hope this helps.

Thanks tnchickenut, yes it all helps, that makes sense about the Australorp or mostly Australorp LOL.

As for the roo, he was around another roo, a BA until around the middle of December. The BA had been crowing for quite a while and he was boss and would have most likely been the better roo as far as the job of roo but as I said in the other post, the EE roo was a pet. Actually, if he never crows it wouldn't necessarily bother me, just seemed odd that he doesn't. Maybe he will in time.

If macaroni looks young then I bet they all are because she actually looks like the oldest of the 3. What had actually happened was that a friend of mine advertised that she wanted some pullets at "ready to start laying" age up to around a year old. She recieved an email from this lady saying she had some that were about that age. I can't remember her exact words but for some reason I want to say she said they were going on a year old but she said she got them from TSC. It made me wonder if they had been bought around Easter since that is usually when the TSC sells chicks. So they may be coming around a year this spring. They seem healthy, look healthy and eat well, hopefully they will lay eventually and hopefully they are not sick! My EE from the same bunch that the roo came from has a comb the same color as the 3 I got from the lady.

 

[itsthelaw37801]

Your ee cockrel is GORGEOUS. I could look at him all day.

 

[Impress]

I am currently hatching out blue bantam Frizzles if anyone is interested. I have two hatching Monday, and have been setting the rest of the eggs in batches of six-eight as they are laid. They are a cross of Silkie and Cochin, both bantam breeds, so they will have extra toes and a dark complexion. I have had a pretty good Frizzle percentage with them, however, and they are truly beautiful little chickens!

 

[SistaChick]

Your ee cockrel is GORGEOUS. I could look at him all day.

Thanks Amy! He is so sweet, such a baby LOL.

Are you getting eggs from Cricket yet?

 

[itsthelaw37801]

Thanks Amy! He is so sweet, such a baby LOL.

Are you getting eggs from Cricket yet?

No not yet. They are my last group to be laying. I expect maybe March. They are too funny. They are getting braver. We saw them starting to venture down the driveway. They almost got down to the road (which is a good way when Tommy shooooo'd them back). Jimminie doesn't crow. I figure it is because the golden laced crows (and is our dominant rooster) and the little bantam we got from Terry crows constantly. I figure him to be a passive rooster so we may not get crowing from him. But he sure does love his little woman. When the weather gets a little better, I'll photograph them so you can see him.

Between him being head over heels in love with Cricket and our little bantam rooster, Duke, being crazy about his little woman (Daisy), there is a lot of gushy mess going on around here.

I found my missing guinea. I now have another one missing. They have ventured up into the woods to lay their eggs. I can hear them late at night. I'm glad they are alive, but we have looked and looked to no avail. They are DEEP in the brush. This is bad because they are horrible mothers. When the eggs hatch, they will come home and leave the babies. If they babies get wet (which they will in winter time), they will die. I've got to find those nest.

 

[SistaChick]

I found my missing guinea. I now have another one missing. They have ventured up into the woods to lay their eggs. I can hear them late at night. I'm glad they are alive, but we have looked and looked to no avail. They are DEEP in the brush. This is bad because they are horrible mothers. When the eggs hatch, they will come home and leave the babies. If they babies get wet (which they will in winter time), they will die. I've got to find those nest.

Wow they would surely be defenseless out in the woods alone, wouldn't last anytime. Shame on them for being horrible mothers!!! I hope you find them.

 

[luluann]

Where do you all buy your pullets from. I'm worried about getting them shipped. I would much rather pick then up.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

You should see my little 6 mo. old SG roo. He keeps grabbing the girls by the crest and this does this little wiggle dance. He is getting the idea just can't put the 2 together..it is quite funny!