Java Thread

[KittieChick]

I have my first mottled javas this spring. They came out of New Mexico, through Strombergs. Not sure exactly who/where. They are great, three weeks old and doing well, but I wanted to know if being really vocal is common to the breed? They chirp and warble pretty much all the time. Only other chicks I have had are barred Plymouth rocks and they were super quiet. It is not a question of hot/cold, I think, because both breeds had the same Brinsea ecoglow heaters.

That's so funny! I have my first Javas, and I'm surprised at how quiet they are. Well, all my other chicks have been Dorkings and mongrels. Lots of verbalizations and whining and moaning. The Javas just seem so happy all the time!

 

[KittieChick]

Is there a tell-tale indicator of sex in Java chicks? I've noticed that some of my chicks have white chests and others have gray/ black chests. Other than that, they're pretty uniform.

 

[MagicChicken]

Is there a tell-tale indicator of sex in Java chicks? I've noticed that some of my chicks have white chests and others have gray/ black chests. Other than that, they're pretty uniform.

None that I've been able to figure out.

Some the males are obvious when they are a couple of weeks old, but the rest can be problematic. One time I had a bird that was 16+ weeks old with no comb development to speak of. A friend of mine who had been working with Javas for several years came over to help me evaluate them. He said no-comb bird was a pullet. The pullets from that same hatch were starting to lay so I moved them in with the hens. I put no-comb bird in with them. A few days later he started to crow. The rest of his brothers had already been crowing for a couple of months.

This year I have one bird I was convinced was male from the day it hatched, based on its stocky legs, relatively large comb, and general attitude. Every time I evaluated the chicks I wrote it down as a probable male. It is now four months old and getting ready to lay eggs. I can't win.

 

[haTHOR]

UPDATE: customer reports it might be one of their OWN blue Marans. [\B]

One of my customers reported hatching out this chick. I have never seen this color but read that Garfield Farms (the breeder I bought from got all his there) hatched out a gray and white chick that feathered out all white.

Anyone have experience with this?

I have a careful breeding program; my BJs were in a separate pen with ten foot high fences and there were no oooops. (My other Roos: wheaten Ameraucana, cream Legbar, FBCM--nothing that would account for a blue baby.)

 

[Debs55]

Just sharing an updated pic of my Java grow outs I have some more hatching right now too!

 

[bnjrob]

One of my customers reported hatching out this chick. I have never seen this color but read that Garfield Farms (the breeder I bought from got all his there) hatched out a gray and white chick that feathered out all white.

Anyone have experience with this?


I have a careful breeding program; my BJs were in a separate pen with ten foot high fences and there were no oooops. (My other Roos: wheaten Ameraucana, cream Legbar, FBCM--nothing that would account for a blue baby.)

Don't know what to tell you. Have not had that come up in any of our hatches of Mottled or Black. But it seems like every time someone comes up with a different colored chick, they almost always are traced back to GF at some point.

 

[KittieChick]

None that I've been able to figure out. 

Some the males are obvious when they are a couple of weeks old, but the rest can be problematic.  One time I had a bird that was 16+ weeks old with no comb development to speak of.  A friend of mine who had been working with Javas for several years came over to help me evaluate them. He said no-comb bird was a pullet.  The pullets from that same hatch were starting to lay so I moved them in with the hens. I put no-comb bird in with them. A few days later he started to crow.  The rest of his brothers had already been crowing for a couple of months.

This year I have one bird I was convinced was male from the day it hatched, based on its stocky legs, relatively large comb, and general attitude. Every time I evaluated the chicks I wrote it down as a probable male.  It is now four months old and getting ready to lay eggs.  I can't win. 

Well, I guess I'll tag the ones I think are boys and see what happens. They're 2.5 weeks old and just as active and robust as they can be. I'm very pleased with these chicks!

I have two gorgeous Dorking cockerels that I tagged as pullets based on the eyeliner. Sheesh. I need some really nice pullets, not more freezer birds!

 

[KittieChick]

My baby Javas are 2.5 weeks. They are so active, already flying inside their brooder crate. Sleeping all flopped out around the heat panel! Too funny.

My question, are they able to go outside in the grass and dig around, or do they need to be in the brooder for a longer period of time? We're in the process of setting up protected pen and box inside a grow out pen, but right now I'd be transporting them back and forth for playtime.

 

[n3kms]

My four 6 1/2 week old BJs are quite the little go-getters. They are wary of the grown chickens but they are fast and unafraid. Compared to some 2 week older cream legbars that are scared of their own shadows. Wonder if it's the breed or being raised by a broody hen that makes the difference.

 

[Debs55]

Hi y'all so I have finally gotten into mottled Javas, I have a trio that is about 3 months old, 1 chick about 3 weeks old and 7 (..or 8) that just hatched yesterday. Now here is mu delemia, in the same incubator I hatched mottled Javas and Lemon Cuckoo orpingtons, figuring they would be super easy to tell apart. And they were. I was convinced at hatch that I had 5 orps and 7 Javas. Well one of the "orps" definitely resembles a Java more except for it is solid white/yellow with 2 very tiny patches of light light grey, not even spots just a couple little tips of the fluff if that makes sense. It is a different shade of "white" than the orps who have a more tannish shade over their white. SO I think I have a white Java!!

Now on to the questions, should/can I breed this with my mottleds? I assume I shouldnt because then the resulting birds that show mottled would be carrying white...correct?

And then, could I start a white project with this bird?