Paint Project

[Fur N Feathers]

Oh yeah! That chick is going to have nice large spots! I think they call them "loud", when the spots are that big and dark at hatch. That baby is beautiful. My favorite so far!!!

Salsa is a great name too! I am not very good with their names.

I don't understand chicken genetics. I just do trial and error breeding as you can probably tell.

 

[MumsyII]

Oh yeah! That chick is going to have nice large spots! I think they call them "loud", when the spots are that big and dark at hatch. That baby is beautiful. My favorite so far!!!

Salsa is a great name too! I am not very good with their names.

I don't understand chicken genetics. I just do trial and error breeding as you can probably tell.

Yes. LOUD spots! That is a good description. My first horse when I was ten years old was a POA. He was like a salt and pepper appaloosa. This chick is like a loud colored leopard appaloosa horse.

You can breed Tabasco x Salsa and get a whole mess of little Paprika's! I love it!

Yes. I am a reader but need visuals to go with the genetics. Genetic literature is a lot of *Blah blah balh* that doesn't make sense until I put X with Z in the breeding pen and see for myself. The science is crucial along with good record keeping in poultry breeding but hatched chicks gives the answer.... Most of the time...Hah!

This last paint chick is what I'm after. One in seventeen is alarming but I know which recessive hens are giving me this. I can narrow my Paint boys choices in the knowing.

Having these two chicks in a staggered hatch is going to be tricky integrating them with the older hatched. The best way to achieve vitality and good health in new hatched is giving them ample time to sleep and grow without being molested from the bigger kids.

I use a large size suet feeder with hinged lid to separate. In three days when they are eating and drinking, they will go in with the first hatched.

#9 is the last hatched and the new kid. I see buff/red in the down. This will be one to watch for the Partridge project. This chick has super feathered toes.



How I keep staggered hatch babies thriving. I line the suet cage with wee papers for puppies. My heat source are ceramic bulbs for reptiles. This is the small size. Just right for two chicks.

 

[MumsyII]

When breeding pens do not get an opportunity to free range, I pull lettuce from the garden that has begun to bolt. The Silkies relish the fresh greens.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

Mumsy be sure and check out Suzierd's last post of her paint youngster The color on that baby is incredible. The father was a paint and the mother, get this, BLUE!!!! It's the most recent post on the American Silkie thread. I have several blue girls that I show and two babies that will be going into the show pen as well. I am going to have to try that combination for sure!!!!

My chicken children enjoy most fruits and vegetables. They get them as treats quite often. That is quite a stalk of lettuce. Has it already grown that big from this season?

 

[MumsyII]

Mumsy be sure and check out Suzierd's last post of her paint youngster The color on that baby is incredible. The father was a paint and the mother, get this, BLUE!!!! It's the most recent post on the American Silkie thread. I have several blue girls that I show and two babies that will be going into the show pen as well. I am going to have to try that combination for sure!!!!

My chicken children enjoy most fruits and vegetables. They get them as treats quite often. That is quite a stalk of lettuce. Has it already grown that big from this season?

Thanks for the heads up. I'll head over to check it out.

I planted a couple four paks of lettuce the beginning of June. We've had a run of hot weather and the last few in the bed started to bolt. I pull them up with root ball and they last a few hours. Five silkie hens can finish it off in less than an afternoon.

 

[MumsyII]

I have a question about the fertility of Paint males. Here and there I've read some Paints lack in the good fertility ratio's. I've notice my male is very particular to my BRIR and will chase them all day if given the chance. And then I've watched him ignore Silkie hens that just about squat right under his nose.

It seems some years ago I've read from long time silkier breeders on BYC that warn of males that look more female than male. That these males not only are less interested in mating but lack in protecting the flock attitude as well. My male will drop his wing and do the dance for a few hens but he doesn't seem interested in his harem as a whole. He is getting the job done with some. But half my eggs are fertile. The other half are blanks. From what I understand if the crest on a male is large, his comb will be small and this affects fertility. My guy doesn't have a large crest or a small comb but he does seem uninterested. Maybe it's just because it's summer and hot out?

I'm wondering if this is an issue for just Paints or other silkier varieties as well. Any suggestions on how to encourage them? Separating him for 48 hours from his girls isn't affecting his libido.

 

[MumsyII]

I did the seventh day candling of eighteen eggs in the incubator. Ten were infertile. *ugh* Not good percentages for my Paint male. I'm going to have to set twice as many eggs for a decent hatch.
I started removing him from the pen every other day and feeding him a can of cat food daily. Trying to up his protein and spark his appetite. He is feeling light.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

I have a question about the fertility of Paint males. Here and there I've read some Paints lack in the good fertility ratio's. I've notice my male is very particular to my BRIR and will chase them all day if given the chance. And then I've watched him ignore Silkie hens that just about squat right under his nose.  

It seems some years ago I've read from long time silkier breeders on BYC that warn of males that look more female than male. That these males not only are less interested in mating but lack in protecting the flock attitude as well. My male will drop his wing and do the dance for a few hens but he doesn't seem interested in his harem as a whole. He is getting the job done with some. But half my eggs are fertile. The other half are blanks. From what I understand if the crest on a male is large, his comb will be small and this affects fertility. My guy doesn't have a large crest or a small comb but he does seem uninterested. Maybe it's just because it's summer and hot out? 

I'm wondering if this is an issue for just Paints or other silkier varieties as well. Any suggestions on how to encourage them? Separating him for 48 hours from his girls isn't affecting his libido. 

Does he have any competition? I haven't noticed any disinterest in my roosters, but they all have other roosters they can see that might turn their girls heads. I haven't seen or read the female looking males being less interested. I have read that if they are extreme in their "S" shape with the head that touches the cushion and the large jutting chest, they don't seem to be interested in mating. Possibly because they can't or it's painful or who knows what. My paint paint boy is very randy.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

Here is my little one. I was hoping for some new siblings, but I found two babies that didn't make it yesterday morning. These were under a couple of paint mommas. I have some due tomorrow in the incubator. My fingers are crossed.

 

[MumsyII]

Oh that's so awful when the babies don't make it. I lose them too under the broody's. Usually when two hens squabble over eggs while they are hatching.

Your grow out babies are gorgeous. I love them!

I had four hatch this morning from a different recessive white hen and one cross with a bantam RIR. They surprised me. Especially the last hatched. A paint chick that is wildly spotted and tiny tiny!


The first three hatched. TWo white and one buff from the BRIR hen. It will go in my Red Silkie Project pen if it's female.


Tiny tiny paint baby. I'm in love.

Wild spots. Crazy cute.