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Officially six weeks. The smallest has the best camouflage, but she's half the size of her siblings so I don't think I'll keep her. This group really prefers foraging. Whether that's due to Mama's teaching or a natural inclination, they don't even look at the food in the morning but just go out...

Biel x Jersey Giant Biel x Jersey Giant x BA (currently six weeks)

Did she start laying young? Could this be my layer?

I thought they were a hybrid of BCM and Cuckoo Marans? Midnight Majesty rather than Mystic Marans, I mixed it up.

Maybe Mystic Onyx? I hope not, I specifically wanted large chickens that will go broody.

I thought of that, but Hoovers doesn't carry that one.

Did you ever figure out breed? Mine looks basically the same, also from Hoovers. No feathered legs, black comb, black eyes.

She was supposed to be a Mystic Marans (correction, Midnight Majesty Marans) from Hoovers Hatchery. I have 5 16 week old pullets in this coop and at least 1 is laying. The colors and shapes of the eggs are distinct enough that I suspect 2. However, none of the girls look old enough. The two...

Apparently laid an egg in a space she couldn't get out of. Couldn't go forward, couldn't go back, couldn't turn. I don't think she could breathe either, the way she was wedged in.

I found the other hen I thought was sitting. She gave herself a Darwin award. So a total of 5 chicks for this season, and down by one adult hen. I let one of the JGxRIR boys out of confinement. They are 20 weeks old. No forced matings that I've seen, and he's ignoring the young pullets. At...

The young cockerel hasn't figured out tit-bitting. 😅 I gave them blueberries today as a treat. He found one and excitedly called the girls, then ate it before they could. The three older girls want nothing to do with him, but the POL pullets are acting like his groupies.

At 4 months I would say definitely pullet. However, could you get a full body shot to verify?

See butcher data on the Biel x JG cockerel here if interested. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mixed-breed-data-for-reference.1627922/

Last night I slaughtered a 36 week old Biel x JG cockerel. Weight fully feathered and before processing 6.5 lbs. Dressed weight, 3.75. Narrow body, I almost couldn't get my hand in the cavity. Narrow breast. They were free range birds, so very little fat and muscles well developed. I forgot...

The Biel x JG/BA chicks have access to food but much prefer foraging. Yay, Mama! Even in 5 weeks she did such a good job. I see them out there, chasing bugs, scratching and playing while the brooder raised birds sit in the shade and wait impatiently for me to bring their dinner.

Broody 2 only hatched 1 chick, a tiny yellow. I'll see if I can find a few more chicks for her tomorrow. She abandoned the nest with her baby so I pulled the remaining eggs into my incubator. Looks like they all made it to lockdown at least. Some still show veins. I didn’t see any internal...

By 4 days old the chicks are generally trying to dust-bathe, either in their bedding or in the food dish. If they were being raised by a broody she would be leading them outside by this point. I dig up a couple cups of yard dirt and dump it in the corner of the bin. Roots, bugs, grass and all...

I did the panels instead of hardware cloth because we get some vicious winds. There is ventilation, of a sort, created by the roof structure itself, and during one snowstorm my first year it was snowing in the coop. Literally, snow was being forced up under the eaves through those spaces and the...

I read somewhere a while back that for some breeds green eyes are a disqualification in competition. So it must not be too uncommon. One of my RIR's had green eyes.

Dirt from your yard.