Recent content by NatJ

  1. NatJ

    Giant Silkie Project.

    I really don't know what is going on here :confused: but I'm continuing to watch to see what happens.
  2. NatJ

    Giant Silkie Project.

    Are yours changing color seasonally? Or getting progressively more white as they get older and never going back? Or getting more or less white with different molts, presumably affected by something that happens at the time they are regrowing their feathers that year?
  3. NatJ

    Giant Silkie Project.

    For the number of unrelated birds you are finding with this, I think it either must be caused by some genes that are pretty common in quite a few different breeds, or by something in their environment. That could be something specific that is present or absent in the feed or water or air, or it...
  4. NatJ

    Are they eating the dirt?

    You could give them a small night light, so it's less bright than the room light or a heat lamp but not totally dark. Maybe leave the night light all night for one or two nights. Then try giving them the night light for just an hour or so, which lets them realize it's "getting dark" and get...
  5. NatJ

    My duck is sitting on chicken eggs

    Thanks for the update. Hopefully it will all go well!
    • NatJ
    • Post #8
    • Forum: Ducks
  6. NatJ

    Are they eating the dirt?

    They would have hatched on Monday or Tuesday of that week (or possibly Wednesday, but that's less likely.) Hatcheries follow a pretty consistent schedule, so the chicks get mailed early in the week and arrive before the weekend. Based on the amount of feathers, they were less than a week old...
  7. NatJ

    Why are grey chickens called every other color but grey?

    For showing purposes, the appearance matters and the genes do not. So the even color all over would be considered Self Blue, no matter which gene actually causes it. Just like white all over would be "White" or "Self White," even though there are at least three different genetic ways to cause...
  8. NatJ

    Why are grey chickens called every other color but grey?

    As best I can tell, at one point there was just one kind of "blue," caused by the gene we call blue. It was most often seen in Andalusians, which have pretty obvious lacing (dark edges on the feathers). So when gray chickens ("blue") started showing up with a nice even shade all over, caused by...
  9. NatJ

    firmer yolks?

    It is sometimes printed on the bag, other times on a tag that is sewn to the bag (which sometimes comes off and gets thrown away when you open the bag.) As a long-term strategy, it is usually cheaper to buy a higher-protein chicken feed than to supplement with human-grade things, if you decide...
  10. NatJ

    firmer yolks?

    How many days old are the eggs you are using? If you have tried using eggs the same day they were laid, were the yolks any firmer then?
  11. NatJ

    When can my 4 week old chicks move to the coop officially?

    Yes, if they are cold enough to have problems, they should be loud enough that you will have no trouble hearing them if you and they are in the same house.
  12. NatJ

    When can my 4 week old chicks move to the coop officially?

    I suggest you unplug the brooder plate but leave it in the brooder, then see how they sleep for a night or two after that. If they sleep on top of the brooder plate and seem content, then they do not need the heat. At that point, if the night lows outdoors are within about 10 degrees of your...
  13. NatJ

    First layer in new flock will not eat calcium supplement.

    Probably yes. If your chickens like wet mash (chicken feed + water), you can add oyster shell or other calcium supplement to a small amount of the mash for her, and let her eat it separately from the others. That probably takes longer than popping a pill down her throat, but might be more...
  14. NatJ

    Huh. That's definitely interesting. Blue & splash are not among my favorite colors, so although...

    Huh. That's definitely interesting. Blue & splash are not among my favorite colors, so although I've learned the basic breeding patterns, I've never paid attention to the finer details like getting the correct shade. So I just don't know :confused:
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  15. NatJ

    In that case, I really don't know. What happens if the dilutes are bred together?

    In that case, I really don't know. What happens if the dilutes are bred together?
    • NatJ
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