Blue Andalusian thread!

[bramblefir]

Thanks! We'll be getting some oyster shell on our next trip to the feed store as some of the pullets are nearing point of lay. Currently they're being fed fermented Payback A/P Poultry Pellets. I also throw alfalfa pellets into the ferment bucket and they have 10 acres to roam during the day.

The blue pullet is rather camera shy, but is not quite as squat in person as she appears in her side picture. She still doesn't have as much leg as the others though.


I have a third cockerel that is much larger than the other two, but has only grown one wattle. At this point I doubt the other is going to ever grow in and so he's been added to the cull list.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, she looks much better in that photo. Do you have plans for them or are they just eye candy for you?

 

[bramblefir]

The Andalusians really can't help but be eye candy even if they're serving other purposes! My plans right now are for a productive, free-ranging farm flock that I will also use to learn more about breeding and selection. At the moment the flock consists of quite a few breeds and I will add a few more breeds next year that I was not able to acquire this year. In about 2-3 years I would like to take what I've learned and focus on only 1 or 2 breeds.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Excellent! Good for you and good luck in your decisions and I hope you get some good examples of whatever breeds you are hoping for.

 

[bramblefir]

Thanks!

 

[jtn42248]

I have 5 Andalusian hens and one Rooster. The Rooster is black. Two of the hens are black, two are the blue (slate grey) and one is white with grey splotches. My question is as to the egg song an Andalusian makes. All my other hens sound about the same when they lay. The Andalusians, though they have not started laying they are very close and are 21 weeks old, make a sound that is like between a moan and a scream. Is this their egg song? If it was only one of them I would worry but it is all five making the same/similar sound.

 

[Lacy Blues]

probably. They're pretty vocal!

 

[jtn42248]

Yesterday was a big day in the lives of my Andalusians. They finally laid their first eggs...at least two of them did. I did see one of the black ones in the nests, don't know which laid the second egg. They are my only white egg layers so it was easy to know it was them. Also, their egg song is distinctly different from the other hens. While the other hens have a buck-buck-buuuuuck egg song the Andalusians have a sort of buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk!!!!!! egg song. The first time they made the sound I grabbed one of my dogs and went running out to the chicken coop thinking that something was attacking the chickens. By the way, the eggs were perfect, small, clean white eggs. Now they will start to get larger...wonder if the egg song will get larger as well.

 

[Manningjw]

probably. They're pretty vocal!

Vocal indeed. My mom informed me that our now 4+ year old Andalusian Hen (who is still laying eggs btw) now crows like a rooster on occasion. She has always been special, now she is just even more so

.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I've had hens crow. They sound like a rooster that is being strangled and its very amusing!

I have an older hen too and she still gives me 4 eggs over 6 days. She's a good layer. She has slowed down just a little during this summer heat we're having!