Blue Laced Red Wyandotte THREAD!

[DMRippy]

Check the legs on that Marans,,,,, are they YELLOW?

you need to condition them some how to the lower temps. I take mine from a warm brooder room at 4-5 weeks after lower the heat every week. To a heat brooder in a uninsulated barn. I usually grow them out there for 3-4 week and may remove the heat during that time. I have a top on that brooder and can open or close it based on the temps. the next brooder has not heat or top so they are on their own. I don't usually move mine out side till they are 3 months old. I tried one year to move them out EARLY and lost a bunch because they roosted on the ground and got too cold.

KNOWING how to roost helps TONS. It sounds like you are doing ok and might only want to add heat on cold nights for a month. BUT that is just me.

Do not take them from 70 to 30 without weaning them off heat.

 

[Horseshoe]

There legs ligthen as they get older they were yellow at a younger age.
Stering Sue and Foley I have been breeding them for a few years.
Critique is fine I know there some flaws as all do.

Thanks,
Very Much Ray,and Happy New Year,

 

[DMRippy]

There legs ligthen as they get older they were yellow at a younger age.
Stering Sue and Foley I have been breeding them for a few years.
Critique is fine I know there some flaws as all do.

Thanks,
Very Much Ray,and Happy New Year,

I know that some of my YELLOW skin breeds yellowness varies. I think you can feed some things to bring the color out. My Leghorns for one don't really look like they have yellow legs.... some do some don't. Same with my dottes.... some have better color than others. Yellow is recessive to white skin.

 

[ki4got]

Hey... I know this is the Wyandotte thread, but you guys have been so helpful. I was wondering if I can ask for unrelated advice?

I am preparing to move my chicks outside after raising them inside. My DH just built them a brand new coop -- well, it will be finished very soon. It is insulated and completely sealed. The floor is sand and they have 2 roosts (they sleep on the floor currently). They will also have a large enclosed dirt run which is covered by a tarp for the winter rainy season.

They are accustomed to about 70 degrees inside my house. At night, they pile up and they look hot, some of them open mouth pant. I think they are ready to go outside, but I have never made this transition before. Right now, our nights are not freezing, but very close (about 33-35 degrees F). The days are about 45-50 degrees F.

• Are they feathered enough? Is it too soon?
• Should I give supplemental heat?
  I use EcoGlow 50-chick brooders, not heat lamps. I do own heat lamps, but I would prefer not to use them because of fire hazard. I could plug the EcoGlow in inside the coop, but it would not realistically be big enough for more than maybe 8 birds at this size (I have 20). I have 2 EcoGlows but only 1 is available (1 week old chicks using the other).
  I could also put a space heater in there for a little while? Thoughts?
• Will it be OK to make this temp drop at night without much of a transition?
  it's going from 70F to 35F overnight, although it is insulated. And they will pile up for body heat.

Silkies = 7.5 weeks
BLRWs = 6.5 weeks
Welsummers = 6 weeks
Marans = 6 weeks

I would say it entirely depends how many chicks you're moving into each pen... any fewer than 6 or 8 might be cold, any more than 15-16, they might pile too hard and suffocate whoever's on bottom... but at those ages, put them out during the warmest part of the day, give them food and room to move around, and keep an eye on them.

my last guys (sfh mostly) went out with similar temps at about the same age range, and they piled and huddled at night but if they got too warm they spread out. the first night it was 22, I went down to check on them, they were spread out on the floor of the house in nice fluffy shavings and putting my hand on them they were all toasty.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Check the legs on that Marans,,,,, are they YELLOW?

Hmm.. I don't think so? Their feet were white, but they are starting to come in black. The roo's feet are pretty white still, but here is a picture of a pullet FBCM's feet, what do you think?


FBCM Roo:

his toes were curled when hatched and he had to wear sandals. Pretty proud of these straight toes

I am holding his body up off the ground a little for the photo, not sure if they are really crossed like that normally..

 

[DMRippy]

I knew you gals would come through!!! thank you both!!

I have 20 chicks total. I do have the ability to split the coop into 2 (for future flock introductions) but was hoping to keep them all together as they are now. The piling thing scares me. The Wyandottes are so much bigger than the Welsummers! The wellies seem delicate while the Dottes are big and hardy.

I could also put them outside in the dirt run during the day tomorrow, bringing them in at night. I could introduce them to outdoor temperatures for a few days this way, letting them sleep inside.

I REALLY don't want to have losses like you described DMRippy. I think I will put a space heater in there with them, at least at first. This is also my first time using sand as flooring, I'm not sure if it's very heat conducting. Maybe cold at first, but I hope the sand will hold some heat once they warm it up. I could put shavings in too if they would be any better(?)


Quote:
I can't really tell... the top pic looks more green and the bottom looks lighter. The legs really should be darker slate so watch for wheaten influence.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Ok thank you! The Roo will be dinner as I'm only keeping the marans & wellies for egglaying, not breeding. Silkie crosses are being sold off.

With slate legs, do they hatch that way or are the expected to change over time?


they are outgrowing the chick legbands you sent me. any recommendations for adult bands?

Edit: I wanted to add, they have a roost in their brooder but they tend to sleep on the floor. I will see some of them on the roost napping throughout the day, but at nighttime they are all on the floor of the brooder. At least they know "how"

 

[DMRippy]

Ok thank you! The Roo will be dinner as I'm only keeping the marans & wellies for egglaying, not breeding. Silkie crosses are being sold off.

With slate legs, do they hatch that way or are the expected to change over time?


they are outgrowing the chick legbands you sent me. any recommendations for adult bands?

Leg color would not matter for layers so don't worry about it. Leg can darken as they get older but those are pretty light.

Hum.... I use velcro and pipe cleaners.... They stay on well and you can adjust them. When I twist the pipe cleaner on i put that rough part on the outside not near the leg. You may not need the pipe cleaners.... velcro come is ALL KINDS of COLORS too. I think they are about $1.50 each pack.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Leg color would not matter for layers so don't worry about it. Leg can darken as they get older but those are pretty light.

Hum.... I use velcro and pipe cleaners.... They stay on well and you can adjust them. When I twist the pipe cleaner on i put that rough part on the outside not near the leg. You may not need the pipe cleaners.... velcro come is ALL KINDS of COLORS too. I think they are about $1.50 each pack.

I still like knowing what the standard is, even if I'm not going to cull for it Thanks for the tip about the velcro too! Great idea!

 

[blessedholler]

I think BLRW are such beautiful chickens. I would like to add a few to my flock. Can you recommend a source for healthy chicks? Thank you!