Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[kook8]

I have been enjoying looking at everyone's pics of their mixed flocks. It's so interesting seeing all the different plumage that chooks come in.
My 4 will (hopefully) each lay a different coloured egg so I can tell who layed what.

I have been scouring through the breeds available in Oz. Keep coming back to Wyandotte Fella I visited with in Maryborough had many different breeds, and bantams of all sorts. My originals are LARGE and I guess that has shaped my thinking more than anything. We get snow here, so cold climate breeds are a must for me.

Cheers

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Wyandottes are stunning looking birds!

.....but that's pretty much all I know about them

 

[Hugz21]

Has anyone used Barter & Sons hatchery? I am looking into getting some new day-old chicks in spring and this company have a 90% success rate of sexing day olds. They only sell "production" birds - Red, Black and White, but I'm not after show birds, just pets and a few eggs. I'm leaning toward getting sexed hens because getting rid of roosters was kinda traumatic for my kids and upsetting for me. Thoughts?

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Has anyone used Barter & Sons hatchery? I am looking into getting some new day-old chicks in spring and this company have a 90% success rate of sexing day olds. They only sell "production" birds - Red, Black and White, but I'm not after show birds, just pets and a few eggs. I'm leaning toward getting sexed hens because getting rid of roosters was kinda traumatic for my kids and upsetting for me. Thoughts?

I didn't know about Barter and Sons Hatchery. Thanks for the insight!
I've been pretty lucky with getting hens (sexed at a day old) from my local saddlery.
I agree, having to "rehome" a rooster would be very distressing. Something to be avoided if possible.
Have you thought about getting any other "heritage" breeds?
I'm very much looking forward to my olive egger and my Araucana producing their first green and blue eggs respectively!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Also the "Easter Egger Club!" thread has discussions on different cross breeds and coloured eggs (shades of white, brown, pink, green and blue!) if you are interested.

 

[aussiejbl]

Hi,
Adelaide here.
Just started a new flock. I used to have 7 chickens, 2 ended up being roosters, they were so beautiful and 2 Muscovy ducks. I ended up rehoming the entirety of my birds because I was moving house and just could not find anywhere that would let me keep ALL my birds. I loved them all so much. Got all chickens from little biddy size, so they were all handled constantly, really friendly, would come and sit on our laps. All had names, Sophia, Khaleesi, Octavia, Michonne, Eowyn, Gloria and Lee Loo. Gloria and Lee Loo both ended up being Rosters. They still go by their names now at their new home. My 2 ducks, 1 female (Beatrix Kiddo) and 1 male (Claus Von Stauffenberg (he had only 1 eye)). Anyway I loved those birds.

I work in aged care and lifestyle decided to get the Henny Penny Hatching so that the aged residents could watch them hatch etc. I found out what was going to happen to those birds once the week was up and the man came to get the birds, so I took 10 home, 3 of which went to my mother in-laws.

They are such beauties, but I know that I have at least 2 roosters amongst them. (They all around 6 weeks old). I don’t want to rehome the roosters but I know I’m going to have to. Just gotta look into that early, so I know those 2 go somewhere safe.

Anyway, nice to meet some aussies on here.

Ps. Oh and yes, I have named my new flock. Starting with the Queen of the North, Sansa. I also have a Mavis (named after a resident at my job), Cersei, Lady Lyanna Mormont, Ygritte, 1 that I believe is a rooster, his name is Brienne of Tarth (kinda apt lol) and the other that I know is a rooster, his name is Marty McFly

Nerd alert lol

 

[MaryJanet]

Hi @aussiejbl I'm also in Radelaide and into GoT big time v disappointed in the way it finished up

What type of chooks are they? White or red? That's a very cool thing to do with your aged care people too.

 

[kook8]

Hi,
Adelaide here.
Just started a new flock. I used to have 7 chickens, 2 ended up being roosters, they were so beautiful and 2 Muscovy ducks. I ended up rehoming the entirety of my birds because I was moving house and just could not find anywhere that would let me keep ALL my birds. I loved them all so much. Got all chickens from little biddy size, so they were all handled constantly, really friendly, would come and sit on our laps. All had names, Sophia, Khaleesi, Octavia, Michonne, Eowyn, Gloria and Lee Loo. Gloria and Lee Loo both ended up being Rosters. They still go by their names now at their new home. My 2 ducks, 1 female (Beatrix Kiddo) and 1 male (Claus Von Stauffenberg (he had only 1 eye)). Anyway I loved those birds.

I work in aged care and lifestyle decided to get the Henny Penny Hatching so that the aged residents could watch them hatch etc. I found out what was going to happen to those birds once the week was up and the man came to get the birds, so I took 10 home, 3 of which went to my mother in-laws.

They are such beauties, but I know that I have at least 2 roosters amongst them. (They all around 6 weeks old). I don’t want to rehome the roosters but I know I’m going to have to. Just gotta look into that early, so I know those 2 go somewhere safe.

Anyway, nice to meet some aussies on here.

Ps. Oh and yes, I have named my new flock. Starting with the Queen of the North, Sansa. I also have a Mavis (named after a resident at my job), Cersei, Lady Lyanna Mormont, Ygritte, 1 that I believe is a rooster, his name is Brienne of Tarth (kinda apt lol) and the other that I know is a rooster, his name is Marty McFly

Nerd alert lol

First off. DO NOT 'NAME' young chooks , bad, bad idea!
Better to wait till you know for sure what you have, and what has to go.

I had 7 hatched by one of my hens. Four young roosters that I could not rehome or kill. Took me a year of torment, fights and feathers to face up to reality. Killing 4 magnificent GLW's was horrible despite the fact that I grew up routinely butchering birds for the table!!

In retrospect, should have acted as soon as it was apparent they were males.

 

[aussiejbl]

First off. DO NOT 'NAME' young chooks , bad, bad idea!
Better to wait till you know for sure what you have, and what has to go.

I had 7 hatched by one of my hens. Four young roosters that I could not rehome or kill. Took me a year of torment, fights and feathers to face up to reality. Killing 4 magnificent GLW's was horrible despite the fact that I grew up routinely butchering birds for the table!!

In retrospect, should have acted as soon as it was apparent they were males.

I’m a vegan. I will never kill those birds. I have already got somewhere lined up to take them but will wait until they a little older. But killing. Nope that won’t happen.

 

[aussiejbl]

Hi @aussiejbl I'm also in Radelaide and into GoT big time v disappointed in the way it finished up

What type of chooks are they? White or red? That's a very cool thing to do with your aged care people too.

I’m actually not sure what type birds they are. One looks like a leghorn.