I was never told how old they are. However, when I purchased them last year, they were "young, and would get better with age." Hen lays, and I had 100% fertility last year. Haven't checked this year, but I would almost guarantee it is also.
First off, this pair is show quality. I purchased them from a reputable seller/buyer/breeder here on BYC. Also, you dont see this breed often, so I would only sell to someone very serious about breeding these birds. These two are skittish, because one of the very first owners didnt handle...
If the chickens being tame or pet-like matters to you, then I would not recommend getting older birds. Honestly, once you buy them at that age, especially when they haven't been handled, they are not real friendly and usually flighty. I have some friends who bought started pullets from a local...
It's true, Booted Bantams do not have beards like d'Uccles. However, your hens still look to be d'Uccles to me. If your hens were Booted Bantams, you could see wattles:
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww310/chsfairy2007/Chickens/IMG_1341.jpg
Sometimes, other d'Uccles will just have thicker...
My chickadees have a sandbox. They'll dust bathe in it, and eat the sand for grit. It's definitely the popular spot in my run. I also planted some grass in my actual coop, with chicken wire covering it. As the grass grows, the chickens eat it down, and have green most everyday. Besides that my...
What ~*Sweet Cheeks*~ said. Once I stopped free-ranging - I stopped losing chickens. Now they have just have a grassy run, and they are fine with that. I'm sorry for your losses.
I've been there too... desperate enough to think of using antifreeze (no one wants to teach me how to shoot a gun!). Never done it, though, and I wouldn't recommend it. Too painful.... I agree with citrusdreams. You seem to be worried about your relationship with your father's friend, but this...
I, personally, would not use use for breeding. As someone else already said, if it is hereditary, it may not show up in her initial offspring, but it could later down the line... and that would be a big disappointment. Just like now, you could get a great bird, but with crossbeak again. However...
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I've read that chilling the eggs before incubation might contribute to defects, but, I've also seen people on this forum hatch lots of healthy babies from refrigerated eggs! If a person keeps a relatively warm fridge, the eggs shouldn't suffer. I just had an 8 out of 10 hatch with...
<--- Pembroke Welsh Corgi! I love my Tink. Gonna get another soon.
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I also really like Akitas, and Shiba Inus. I once owned an Akita, and he was a very intelligent dog; very human-like. I hope to own one again someday.
My friendliest chickens are my young Buff Orpington pullets. Almost every time I am feeding, they hop onto my shoulders and proceed to go to sleep. My smartest? Definitely my Black Australorp, she's always way ahead of the rest.
I'm with you, deerman. There's plenty of dogs in this world, too many, in fact, and one that does something like this doesn't deserve to take up room. I don't understand people anymore. It's just a dog. Don't get me wrong, I blame the owners too, but any dog with a history of violence is not...
Why am I finding your threads late?! I will pray for you, Robin! It sounds like you are having a rough time with a lot of different things. I'll also tell my Nan to pray as well. When she prays, things always get better. She has connections or something.
I just know that you are the nicest and...
Ahh! Responses I was hoping for! Thanks, everyone. I kept reading in most places that they were poor layers, but I wanted to know y'all's experiences. I really love the Bantam Cochin chicks I just hatched, so as long as the Standard Cochins lay fairy well (since eggs are still a goal!), then...
I am so sorry, Robin! Losing chickens to predators is just the worst feeling, we all know that. I hope the rest of your birds won't be harmed, and that your new Cochins will be just as special to you as the last ones.
OK, I have read that Bantam Cochins lay pretty well (I'll have to wait until mine get older to see for myself!), but what about the Standards? How do they compare?