Poultry Breeds of Spanish Ancestry

[ronott1]

looking good Ron

I have more going to lockdown tonight, with some Pita Pintas. I hope they hatch!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I hope they hatch for you Ron! Good luck!

 

[ronott1]

I hope they hatch for you Ron! Good luck!

Thank you Lacy!

I hope to see pips soon.

 

[ronott1]

I hatched out one Partridge Penedesenca and three Pita Pinta chicks. I am so happy to have some Pita Pintas hatching!

I am leaning towards a boy for the Penedesenca. There is a chipmunk pattern but it is too light in color.

I set 11 yesterday so here is hoping for some more pullets! I have four boys now and two pullets. I need to get more for next years breeding.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Little spotty things! How CUTE! Good luck on getting some pullets from your next setting.

I have chicks due in the next day or so. I was really bad and didn't write down the date when I started them but I know they're really close so they're in the hatcher, waiting for inspiration to strike!

I got my grow out hoop coop finished and all my birds that are growing out now (large fowl and a few bantams) will be going into it. It's finished enough to put them in there but there is still some work that needs to be done and some modifications that need to be made... neither of which will be impeded by having chicks inside already. Today is the day they get moved!

 

[ronott1]

Little spotty things! How CUTE! Good luck on getting some pullets from your next setting.

I have chicks due in the next day or so. I was really bad and didn't write down the date when I started them but I know they're really close so they're in the hatcher, waiting for inspiration to strike!

I got my grow out hoop coop finished and all my birds that are growing out now (large fowl and a few bantams) will be going into it. It's finished enough to put them in there but there is still some work that needs to be done and some modifications that need to be made... neither of which will be impeded by having chicks inside already. Today is the day they get moved!

I hope you have a great hatch!

Good job on the new hoop coop!

 

[Lacy Blues]

19 out of 22 eggs put into "lock down" hatched. One had to be culled as it hatched late and very wet and it had not absorbed its entire yolk. I didn't think it would make it but I left it in there to see. Today, it was up on its feet looking around and when I took it out and checked its navel, it looked pretty bad so I culled the poor little thing. That's always sad. All the others hatched without a hitch. I can't understand what happened to this one.

Anyway, I now have 18 more large fowl chicks, out of which I think 12 are blue! Yay! I'm just about finished for the year. I'm still collecting eggs from my senior hen. I put 3 of her eggs in the incubator about 6 days ago. I candled them on day 4 and one of them is fertile! I'm still collecting eggs from her for another week or so and then it has to stop.

I had two broodies kill chicks this week so they've been tossed off the nest and locked out of it. Grrrr!!!! I have about a dozen bantam hens that will be receiving the hatchet award this week and a few large fowl girls too. Need to make room for those that are following behind. I'm only keeping the best of the best of the older birds which is what I need to do every year but just haven't been able to provide much attention to things the past 3 years. This year is finding me very focused and determined to do better, to be tougher, and hopefully reap the rewards of good selections.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I'm wondering... is it only Mediterranean breeds that have chicks from about 3 days to 7 days old that go after the eyes of their hatch mates? These little brats drive me crazy... everybody is trying to sleep and one little booger has a thing for eyelids and goes around biting eye lids. Means no peace in the brooder box for anybody and none for me either as I can hear them squeal in pain and it just irks me! I've never seen dual purpose birds do it nor have I seen my daughter's campine chicks do it. Is it just the Mediterraneans?

I think I have fixed the problem. Sometimes, dropping chick crumbles onto the floor wherever they are will stop them from biting toes and eyelids. But other times, nothing helps... til now. I was so mad at this little chick that I grabbed him out of the box and got my hand wet and mussed up his fluff and put him back in the box. That helped for about 5 minutes... then back at it!!!! Next time I grabbed him and put a bright yellow little 4" zip tie on one of his legs (don't worry, it's loose but not so loose it falls off) and I did NOT trim the end off, just put him back like that. That was pretty humorous, poor little thing, but it worked... he got so exhausted trying to get away from it that he took a nap with the rest of them. A while later, I was checking on him after he woke up and I saw him do it again. So, I pulled him out and took some super red nail polish to the zip tie. I painted about 1/2" on the end and then a couple of little spots along the length on the upper and lower sides. After it dried, I put him back. I haven't heard any squeals of pain since. I'll leave it on til I know this bird is eating and drinking well and then take it off.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

I'm wondering... is it only Mediterranean breeds that have chicks from about 3 days to 7 days old that go after the eyes of their hatch mates? These little brats drive me crazy... everybody is trying to sleep and one little booger has a thing for eyelids and goes around biting eye lids. Means no peace in the brooder box for anybody and none for me either as I can hear them squeal in pain and it just irks me! I've never seen dual purpose birds do it nor have I seen my daughter's campine chicks do it. Is it just the Mediterraneans?

I think I have fixed the problem. Sometimes, dropping chick crumbles onto the floor wherever they are will stop them from biting toes and eyelids. But other times, nothing helps... til now. I was so mad at this little chick that I grabbed him out of the box and got my hand wet and mussed up his fluff and put him back in the box. That helped for about 5 minutes... then back at it!!!! Next time I grabbed him and put a bright yellow little 4" zip tie on one of his legs (don't worry, it's loose but not so loose it falls off) and I did NOT trim the end off, just put him back like that. That was pretty humorous, poor little thing, but it worked... he got so exhausted trying to get away from it that he took a nap with the rest of them. A while later, I was checking on him after he woke up and I saw him do it again. So, I pulled him out and took some super red nail polish to the zip tie. I painted about 1/2" on the end and then a couple of little spots along the length on the upper and lower sides. After it dried, I put him back. I haven't heard any squeals of pain since. I'll leave it on til I know this bird is eating and drinking well and then take it off.

I do not have luck with white empordanesa chicks as they seem to get killed. hatch yellow. others seem to be fine

 

[ronott1]

I'm wondering... is it only Mediterranean breeds that have chicks from about 3 days to 7 days old that go after the eyes of their hatch mates? These little brats drive me crazy... everybody is trying to sleep and one little booger has a thing for eyelids and goes around biting eye lids. Means no peace in the brooder box for anybody and none for me either as I can hear them squeal in pain and it just irks me! I've never seen dual purpose birds do it nor have I seen my daughter's campine chicks do it. Is it just the Mediterraneans?

I think I have fixed the problem. Sometimes, dropping chick crumbles onto the floor wherever they are will stop them from biting toes and eyelids. But other times, nothing helps... til now. I was so mad at this little chick that I grabbed him out of the box and got my hand wet and mussed up his fluff and put him back in the box. That helped for about 5 minutes... then back at it!!!! Next time I grabbed him and put a bright yellow little 4" zip tie on one of his legs (don't worry, it's loose but not so loose it falls off) and I did NOT trim the end off, just put him back like that. That was pretty humorous, poor little thing, but it worked... he got so exhausted trying to get away from it that he took a nap with the rest of them. A while later, I was checking on him after he woke up and I saw him do it again. So, I pulled him out and took some super red nail polish to the zip tie. I painted about 1/2" on the end and then a couple of little spots along the length on the upper and lower sides. After it dried, I put him back. I haven't heard any squeals of pain since. I'll leave it on til I know this bird is eating and drinking well and then take it off.

I have not had the Partridge Penes, Crele Penes, Wheaten Pen, EO Marraduan Basque or Pita Pintas do that. When they start chirping a bunch, I give them a drop of poly vi Sol.

You are using red light bulbs? I use Brinseas Eco Glow brooder plates so they have a dark place to hide out it they want to. They are also in the dark at night so they get a dark and light cycle. Chicks seem to be better behaved that way.

Another thing the chickens are sensitive to is Compact florescent lights. They slight flicker makes them hyper and antsy. LED and incandescent bulbs do not bother them. Yes, this comes from a University Poultry study.