These chicks have to be split for mottling, but it’s hard to remember that when you’re looking at two of them. I’m assuming the mottling will molt out of their feathers eventually? Has anyone else experienced this before?
Here are their parents:
The rooster is half Ameraucana (purebred...
Has anyone ever had this problem before and been able to resolve it?
My current flock consists of 5 hens (1-3 years old) and 1 rooster (2 years old). I have been trying to hatch eggs all spring with no luck at all. One of the oldest hens, my Speckled Sussex, finally started laying again a...
Anyone here familiar with the color genetics of White Marans? I found one website that says they are recessive white, but I can't find any information about what color genes they are likely to carry under that. I'm looking for a not-black Marans variety to add to my small backyard flock and...
We’ve had a lot of “is it safe to mix chicks of various ages?” posts lately, so j thought I’d share a success story. I took this today in my brooder. The Bielefelder is 5 weeks old, and the Sapphire Gem and Easter Eggers are 2 weeks old. They have a brooder plate but prefer the “real thing”, and...
Any ideas on this little one? It came from McMurray yesterday and is supposed to be a Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner, but the color is wrong for that. It isn’t my “free surprise” chick, either, as that one is a very obvious Easter Egger. It appears to have a single comb and clean yellow legs.
I heard an awful racket coming from the brooder this morning and thought for a minute that one of my chicks must have been killing another. A few seconds later, I realized that what I was hearing was a baby attempt at a crow! These chicks are 10 DAYS old! The youngest I’ve had crow prior to this...
Here's a fun one. I have a three-day-old Olive Egger pullet purchased from Hoover's Hatchery. The hatchery's description of their olive eggers says:
My chick looks like this (ignore the caption; I labeled the photo before I realized she was definitely my Olive Egger and not my Welsummer)...
Okay. Not Really the question; I can calculate the odds. But a mini vent/laugh for this Friday afternoon.
I received my Hoover's order today, and it included 3 BBS Andalusian chicks. I received...2 blacks and 1 splash. They're straight run, so I REALLY hope the splash is a pullet, as I...
This isn’t quite your typical “when will my pullets start laying?” thread. I have a small mixed flock, consisting of 1 mature EE hen (18 months old), 4 pullets of about 27 weeks of age (EE, RIR, Delaware, and Salmon Faverolles), a 20 week old Wheaten Ameraucana pullet, and a 23 week old Splash...
Almost 10 weeks old. When it first started feathering in, I assumed a pullet. But the red splotches and comb development suggest cockerel to me now. Is Delilah really a Samson? I know the photos aren’t ideal, but it’s not fond of me right now, so this is the best I could do. Starting to suspect...
I feel like all we ever talk about here are the integration horror stories, so I thought I'd share a story about the other kind. :D
After repeated raccoon attacks last winter, I was down to one pullet and one cockerel, so I sent the pullet to crash with a coworker's flock and gave the cockerel...
Yes, I realize this is a cockerel. Never have I had one be so obvious so early (5 weeks). I can’t decide if the puff of feathers I’m seeing on his head is a crest or just an awkward feathering phase. He’s supposed to be a Favaucana. Now, funny things can happen with mixed breeds, but I’m getting...
Just curious to see if anyone has photos of adult Delawares from Hoover's Hatchery stock. They only have one poor-quality photo on their website. I ordered two Delaware chicks from them in April. One died shortly after arriving, but the other is doing well. In fact, she's HUGE compared to her...
This is purely a curiosity/academic question, as it will be months before I can begin to have solid answers, but I wondered if anyone here might have insight.
I have two chicks who hatched yesterday from Favaucana (yes, I realize that’s just a fancy mixed breed) eggs ordered from My Pet...
Argh. I swear, this group of chicks will be the death of me. Usually, I'm able to let my young birds out into the run, which is fenced in electric poultry netting, by 7 or 8 weeks of age without worrying about them making a break for it. Not this batch, though. :he They're 11 weeks old this...
I just hatched my first batch of homebred chicks! :celebrate All of them were sired by my Blue Wheaten Ameraucana rooster. Four of the chicks came out of eggs from my Salmon Faverolles, and one came out of an egg from my Rhode Island Red.
If I've put the correct information into the color...
My very first broody is sitting on her first clutch of eggs. I gave her the eggs 20 days ago. Tonight I noticed a small hole on one of the eggs. How can I tell the difference between a pip by the chick and a peck by the hen? Other than the wait and see method?
Has anyone here ever had any experience with these? I have an Easter Egger pullet (only 9 months old!) who has gone so determinedly broody on me that I decided to order half a dozen fertile eggs and let her sit. The cheapest and quickest option I could find was through My Pet Chicken. I just...
Minor SOS situation here...
I have chicks coming from Meyer Hatchery this week (due to hatch/ship tomorrow). I was setting up the brooder this afternoon and realized that my chick waterer is leaking like crazy! I have a couple of small bottles (orange juice jugs, actually) with horizontal...
I've read a few different times on here that it's not uncommon for new layers to lay the occasional soft-shelled, shell-less or otherwise odd eggs. My question is, does anyone here have an opinion/experience regarding how long it typically takes for a pullet to get the kinks worked out and...