So, I had a "nest" of eggs that I had 3 hens getting broody over - in a manure tub I hadn't dumped lately (when things got moved around, it got buried behind equipment - after the barn flooded)... Since I'd gotten the two roos - I left most of the eggs alone (especially the bantam ones since it was mostly the bantam hen setting on the eggs). Then Friday morning, while I was holding a pony for the farrier - we both heard "cheep, cheep".... and I checked it out. 2 heads poked out from under the hen when she "fluffled up"... When hubby joined us, he said "aww, there's only two...". A bit later - when I put that pony out - I picked up the hen and checked out the hatchings. There were 11 w/ 4 more eggs layed out under her. Several of those chix are 1/2 bantam (or they may be "pure" bantam) and I'm pretty sure that 2-3 are out of the Production Red hens & 1-2 are out of the Ameraucana hens. Several more large eggs to hatch - if they are going to... Not sure they will. Not sure which rooster sired (is that what it's called w/ chickens?) which chix - there is definitely some size difference. They are all just "barnyard chix".
Question - those of you who raise chickens all the time - how do you tell your chix apart? I don't even care about sexing at the moment. I just want to track which ones do well and how they grow. Later, it would be neat to see who turn into pullets and who is a little roo. Is this what the leg bands are for? I've done a lot of reading and a lot of research, but this is one of the things I'd seen little on. These all "look the same" to me... though I'm pretty sure some are "marked" a bit different and some are different sizes. If I get leg bands, can I weigh these along with taking pics & notes? Just practice, I guess for later when I get the birds I want...? Or a dab of finger nail polish on their backs in front of their tails? How do breeders tell their birds apart?????
Here's both of the possible dad's -
Roo - a bantam (know what variety?)
And Din-Din - an ameraucana x leghorn cross.
Question - those of you who raise chickens all the time - how do you tell your chix apart? I don't even care about sexing at the moment. I just want to track which ones do well and how they grow. Later, it would be neat to see who turn into pullets and who is a little roo. Is this what the leg bands are for? I've done a lot of reading and a lot of research, but this is one of the things I'd seen little on. These all "look the same" to me... though I'm pretty sure some are "marked" a bit different and some are different sizes. If I get leg bands, can I weigh these along with taking pics & notes? Just practice, I guess for later when I get the birds I want...? Or a dab of finger nail polish on their backs in front of their tails? How do breeders tell their birds apart?????
Here's both of the possible dad's -
Roo - a bantam (know what variety?)
And Din-Din - an ameraucana x leghorn cross.
