Breeding silkied Cochin bantams to the Standard

[3KillerBs]

I can't put it into words, something about Wyatt just seems better to me overall.

I know that feeling.

Red *might* have had slightly better type than Green (who became Rameses), but Rameses had a sort of star quality that made you look twice at him.

I choose to believe that this undefinable quality was a sign of health and vigor.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

It got a wee bit colder than I expected last night, but Jack did just fine and was crowing his heart out first thing this morning. What a loud mouth!

I've just been pricing out some building supplies this morning. My plan for the second run on the coop with the silkied Cochins had been to just get a cheapo canopy carport, wrap it in fencing, and call it good enough, but pricing things out, I think I can get all the lumber and hardware I would need to build something that's more sturdy against snow and would last much longer for roughly the same price. The only catch is that I would need at least a second set of hands to put that together, so I've got to reach out to some people and see if anyone would be willing to help in that endeavor first.


Oh, and it's looking like Zinnia may be close to coming back into lay, and a few more of the pullets are looking more flush and full in their combs! Very excited to finally fire up the incubator and start testing fertility!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I've just been pricing out some building supplies this morning. My plan for the second run on the coop with the silkied Cochins had been to just get a cheapo canopy carport, wrap it in fencing, and call it good enough, but pricing things out, I think I can get all the lumber and hardware I would need to build something that's more sturdy against snow and would last much longer for roughly the same price. The only catch is that I would need at least a second set of hands to put that together, so I've got to reach out to some people and see if anyone would be willing to help in that endeavor first.

I found help for this building project! Only catch is she doesn't want to work outside in cold weather, so hopefully our mild weather keeps up long enough we can get it done ASAP.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

8 month update for the kiddos! The sun was shining, so it was terribly difficult to get good pictures of everyone because it either makes their color distort or washes out their features, and of course the boys were about as cooperative as they ever are. So I did what I could with what I was working with.

Blue boys, Levi:

Wyatt:

Zeke:

Dean, the Black cockerel:

The Blue girls. Continuing her tradition of being difficult to take pictures of, here's Athena:

Miss Inara, who squatted for me while I was out there so might start laying soon!

Ottilie, who also didn't want to pose

The Black girls, lovely Boba who posed nicely while she gave me her long list of complaints about the service in this new coop

And Trixie, who is 10 months old and still back in the mixed flock. Wicked little witch, she is! She wanted to fight my hands the whole time I was trying to get her picture!

Just an extra picture for laughs, here. Gus is just absolutely fascinated by the camera lens. Every time I take pictures in the pen with him, he looks real close at it and freezes like this.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I didn't like how the boys' pictures turned out, so I took better ones today. Maybe it's not that big of a difference... but I'm much happier with these pictures of them at least.

Dean, the Black cockerel:

And the Blue boys, Levi:

Wyatt (who posed so much better today--but still dropped his wings to show off ) :

And Zeke:

Bonus picture of Wyatt's cute butt Happy Valentine's Day!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Pretty sure another pullet's begun laying! I got a slightly smaller egg than Athena's from yesterday that had a streak of blood on it like from a new layer. Butt check was inconclusive, but since Inara did squat for me yesterday, I'm inclined to think it's from her. Either way, yay, eggs!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ottilie and Boba have been checking out the nests this morning! Ottie really sounds like she's ready to lay an egg, too!

Unfortunately, some bills came up so I've had to postpone the build for the second run on that coop for a little bit longer. That means the Blue pullets will be with Gus for a little while longer still, plus would need a few weeks beyond when they're split off to make sure their proper male is the one fathering their chicks... I've been debating setting eggs from that coop anyway to start testing fertility, but since I can't tell the eggs apart really and wouldn't know which are from Gus's girls and which are from the Blue girls (other than if any of the chicks are Blue, of course), I'm not really sure how those chicks would fit in to my breeding program. But I suppose I always have the option of selling them and putting that money toward the run build, too!

 

[fluffycrow]

They're gorgeous! Can't wait for them to lay

 

[3KillerBs]

But I suppose I always have the option of selling them and putting that money toward the run build, too!

With the current demand for chickens that might be a very good idea.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

That's what I'm thinking as well, though I don't know if that demand extends all the way to cute little fuzzy bantams like these guys.