Ideal Poultry - Shipping Wednesday *06/27/12* - Anyone Else??

[debir1966]

txchickie: I think I am addicted to ordering chicks already! Chicken math has definitely taken hold of my brain LOL.

I "think" I may have a Buff Orp going broody. We caught her in the nest box last night instead of on the roost but she got right off when we went out to shut them up for the night and gather eggs. Tonight, she is in the nest box again!!! We keep golf balls in the nest boxes... is that good enough to keep her going or should I start leaving some eggs under her (or adding plastic eggs?). I would LOVE if I could stick some chickies under her at the end of July! Or, maybe she is just being lazy LOL. This is the first time we have had one stay in the nest box at night, they have always all been up on the roosts.

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CandleGal: Woot! Thanks for the pics! I think that the two ameraucanas I have is one brown one and one yellow also! The brown one is starting to get puffy cheeks! Your yellow one definitely has puffy cheeks already. I still can't tell the welsummers from the speckled sussex or the russian orloffs! I did notice a couple of the brown ones seem more reddish, so I am thinking those might be the speckled sussex.

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I am going through a roll of paper towels a day LOL. I change the layers of paper towels in the morning, putting down 2 fresh layers and then one additional layer at night to cover the mess, then change it all again in the morning. I had to add another waterer (both are quart size) today because they are going through a quart pretty quick.

They are growing! The meat chicks are almost twice the size of the laying chicks and the turkeys are bigger than the meaties LOL. Some of the layer chicks look so dinky next to the turkeys and big meaties.

One of the meat chicks has a bald stripe on his head LOL. I know we shouldn't name our food, but we started calling him "Baldy". We did name the turkeys (yes we are going to eat them), but not individual names, they are "Stuffing, Drumstick, Gravy, Crazy Cranberry (so named by my daughter), and Spuds. They are all pretty much getting called Crazy Cranberry though, since that is my daughters favorite name and whichever one she picks up is "CrrraaaAAzy Cranberry!"

Hopefully I can get some individual/group pics tomorrow. It has been a long weekend, today we sawed up more firewood and still have quite a pile left to go. Tomorrow I am going to get my husband to pull the old pop-up tent camper out front so I can start to dismantle it. I still want these chicks outa the house in a couple weeks! I wouldn't mind building a little chicken tractor to let them out in the shade during the day to pick grass and bugs in the yard, but I worry about transferring them back into the house and having one of them get loose! I can't wait to have the new coop and run done so I can have a grow-out pen.

 

[debir1966]

Here we go!


This is one of the leghorns, but I am not sure if it is one of the California Whites or the Ideal 236.


Rhode Island Reds


Silver Laced Wyandottes


Salmon Faverolles


I think this is my one remaining Black Australorp


You can see the color pattern on some of the brown chicks. I don't know who is who, their patterns and colors are very simular.


It was a busy morning, chicks are bushed LOL.

 

[debir1966]

Here are some mystery chick pics!


#1


#2


#3


#4


#5

Any guesses??

 

[Panth]

#2 is a speckled sussex, I believe. I think they are the most beautiful of all chicks.
I can't see the comb on the #1 but it looks like it might be EE...it has greenish legs

 

[debir1966]

Hello Panth! I think you could be right on #2 - My mystery chicks are Welsummer, Speckled Sussex, Spangled Russian Orloff and Ameraucana!

 

[Panth]

nice mix! Then number one is your "Ameraucana" which is probably an Easter Egger.
# 3 is the Welsummer and the bottom 2 look like they are the same breed. I want an Orloff so badly!

 

[Adenium]

That little salmon faverolles is adorable. Just want to scoop her up!

 

[debir1966]

Adenium: The faverolles are too cute! They are small and very fluffy with little cheak poofs and little fuzzy legs! They are probably my favorite chick right now.

Panth: I need to read up on the difference between Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers. I have two, what I believe, are Ameraucana hens right now. They lay huge green eggs. They have poofy cheaks and a little bit of a beard. I was hoping the "Ameraucana" chicks I got from Ideal would be the same, I love the face feathers!

Here is some of the eggs we get from our chickens:


Other than the ameraucanas, I don't know who lays what LOL. Someone is laying small cream eggs and someone is laying small medium brown eggs. Someone is laying huge, odd-shaped cream eggs LOL. I am tempted to try the food coloring thing to see who is laying what and we are talking about getting a coop cam also. Because I want to sell eggs, egg production is pretty important. I don't want to shove my hens into producing and I don't mind feeding through molt, winter slow-down, etc, but I do not want to feed a hen who has stopped laying. I am hoping with the proper care my hens will lay for several years (my Moms hens never really stopped that I remember and some of them were 5 or 6 years old). Once a hen is no longer laying, she will go in the stew pot.

 

[debir1966]

How is everyone's chickies? Mine are starting to get their big wing feathers and tail feathers LOL. I took a better look at everyone today, made sure all the beaks were straight, etc, 'cause I had to call Ideal and report the one DOA. They are going to add a Black Australorp pullet to my next order. Everyone looks healthy, some of them are still so small compaired to the ones who are growing like weeds! I did figure out exactly who is the two ameraucanas, they both have dark legs, duh LOL. I never thought to check that. One is brown (#1 pic above just as Panth said!) and the other is yellow, I can't wait to see what their adult colors will be.

I changed around my 2nd order a bit. After noticing that alot of certain breeds will not be available for the July 25th ship date I asked her about it concerning a couple of the different assortments (long tail and cornish) and she said most likely they wouldn't have a great selection on those two assortments so I cancelled those two, but on the rare breed special they do hatch some breeders that should have extras of so I should get a better selection. I also added one more guinea to make 3.... no I still have not mentioned the ducks LOL. I think I am going to just surprise him!

She said I could fiddle with the order all I wanted up until they charge my card. I told her I would sincerely try to only call a couple more times LOL.

 

[CandleGal]

Now I want ducks! when I mentioned it to DH he just shook his head and left the room. I figure if he doesn't say no that means yes right?

I am going to hold off and let my babies grow up and maybe add some more creatures next spring. We may be moving to PA and DH told me if we did we would definitely get a few acres so I could bring home animals and he wouldn't have to worry about the neighbors reporting us. So by next year I may be able to actually start my hobby animal farm!!! Deb glad to hear your babies are growing well. You and I must have gotten siblings b/c I have a yellow and brown one as well~ I just call them EE's b/c my kids love the idea our chicks will lay eggs for the easter bunny to use.