All My Chickens..... a coop opera!

[cavemanrich]

Yall, these poor babies can’t see a thing! I worry if they will ever find the food and water
Tina seems the most content… Farrah and Dolly look pretty stressed
I might actually attempt to trim the feathers around their eyes…

I had Polish in the past. I trimmed the hair-doo, so they could see predators somewhat easier. Another reason was,,,,, during winter, when drinking water, it acted as a mop. Then tended to freeze.

I used to trim Thing 2's crest so she could see. Basically took hair cutting scissors, pinched feathers between like for hair with 1 finger laying over the eye so I didn't hurt the eye (and hoping to minimize freak out) and cut. Repeat for other side. Then treat with mealworms, sunflower seeds or other goodies before going back to flock.

Thing 2View attachment 4219680

Her daughters went to in-laws flock. Granddaughter came to mine in last hatch

View attachment 4219679

I found easiest way to handle chicken services in head area is as follows.
Cut a small hole in bottom of bag. Slip chickens' head thru it. Wrap bag around body to snug fit. Chicken at that point does not try to struggle, and escape. I use this when I trimmed beaks.

 

[WhoDatChick]

I really only trim butts!
Looks like Cookie has her topknot out of her eyes naturally. At least for now.
View attachment 4219711

Awwwww, that’s perfect!! I wish theirs were like that!
She’s a cutie! What is she?

 

[WhoDatChick]

Some of my birds went after Thing when her crest blocked her sight. A blind bird is a threat to the health and well-being of a free-range flock. If I kept her crest well trimmed (not mohawk) she interacted in peace.

Aw, poor thing… I am letting them live with the bantams so hopefully that will work out perfectly

 

[RoyalChick]

Awwwww, that’s perfect!! I wish theirs were like that!
She’s a cutie! What is she?

She is a proprietary mix from Meyers hatchery. They call them Cookies & Cream.
@rural mouse who is good at this sort of thing says she is likely to be a mix between a mottled Houdan and a mottled Cochin. She has 5 toes although sometimes I think it looks like she has dozens of toes because of all the feathers!

 

[WhoDatChick]

She is a proprietary mix from Meyers hatchery. They call them Cookies & Cream.
@rural mouse who is good at this sort of thing says she is likely to be a mix between a mottled Houdan and a mottled Cochin. She has 5 toes although sometimes I think it looks like she has dozens of toes because of all the feathers!

Oh, she sounds lovely! Is she full bantam or half? I don’t know much about Houdans…

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh, she sounds lovely! Is she full bantam or half? I don’t know much about Houdans…

They say she is a regular size chicken not a bantam, but she is smaller than the others I got at the same time.
My guess is she will grow up to be about the same size as my Legbars - who are small large fowl (if you see what I mean!).
Here she is ‘sharing’ peaches with two of the others of the same age. You can see she is smaller than the other two, but not tiny. I assume bantams at 6 weeks would be much smaller than a regular sized chick but I have never had bantams so have no idea!

 

[rural mouse]

Oh, she sounds lovely! Is she full bantam or half? I don’t know much about Houdans…

Houdans are larger than Polish... lemme go check breed standards where I got Thing 2....males 8 pounds, females 6.5 pounds

5 toes, bearded and crested, white skin, clean legs....mottled mixed with anything else hides the mottled marks. No black skin in Cookies and Cream, so no silkies. Feathered feet have to come from somewhere....smaller size than Houdans....houdans x mottled cochin BANTAM makes sense. There's likely a few that grow close to full houdan size and a few that go close to bantam sized.


@RoyalChick

found a pic of Nox or Mera at....um...May 3, they were feed store purchased early March, so 8-9 weeks?

 

[RoyalChick]

Houdans are larger than Polish... lemme go check breed standards where I got Thing 2....males 8 pounds, females 6.5 pounds
View attachment 42200345 toes, bearded and crested, white skin, clean legs


@RoyalChick View attachment 4220035found a pic of Nox or Mera at....um...May 3, they were feed store purchased early March, so 8-9 weeks?

8-9 weeks?!
Well that really does make it a certainty in my mind.
Compared to my Chippy at only 6 weeks. Sigh.
My journey with a rooster begins today. @WhoDatChick, like you I believe, I never wanted a rooster. But it seems I have an accidental rooster and am stressing about what to do.
Likelihood is I will keep him, but am a bit nervous about the whole thing.

 

[WhoDatChick]

They say she is a regular size chicken not a bantam, but she is smaller than the others I got at the same time.
My guess is she will grow up to be about the same size as my Legbars - who are small large fowl (if you see what I mean!).
Here she is ‘sharing’ peaches with two of the others of the same age. You can see she is smaller than the other two, but not tiny. I assume bantams at 6 weeks would be much smaller than a regular sized chick but I have never had bantams so have no idea!
View attachment 4220036

I do see… like you said.. she may be a little smaller as she is half Cochin

 

[WhoDatChick]

Houdans are larger than Polish... lemme go check breed standards where I got Thing 2....males 8 pounds, females 6.5 pounds
View attachment 42200345 toes, bearded and crested, white skin, clean legs....mottled mixed with anything else hides the mottled marks. No black skin in Cookies and Cream, so no silkies. Feathered feet have to come from somewhere....smaller size than Houdans....houdans x mottled cochin BANTAM makes sense. There's likely a few that grow close to full houdan size and a few that go close to bantam sized.


@RoyalChick View attachment 4220035found a pic of Nox or Mera at....um...May 3, they were feed store purchased early March, so 8-9 weeks?

Oh, so Houdans are pretty large!