California - Northern

[chiqita]

I got him from Deann originally, but I've been following the SFH thread all year, since i got him, and haven't seen ANY info on specific genetics -- I can ask, but don't get the impression there's much out there. he's got a lot of red, with grey lacing on his breast feathers -- and his mixed-breed offspring have been completely all over the place in terms of appearance, even with the same mothers.

on another note, i'm now getting pullet eggs from three of my teenagers! a campine, my one SFH girl, and my oldest birchen marans -- they look so lovely together!

campine is pearly white, SFH tan, and marans the dark one -- can't wait for one or the other of the two isbar/marans crosses to start laying, too -- so curious to see what the egg color is like!

nice eggs!!
Ask on the chicken color genetics fb page. they can give you some info. But it might not make a ton of difference, I just remember people looking for different background colors and crests, etc. I just figure any hook is good !

 

[lawatt]

nice eggs!!
Ask on the chicken color genetics fb page. they can give you some info. But it might not make a ton of difference, I just remember people looking for different background colors and crests, etc. I just figure any hook is good !

I didn't know there WAS a chicken color genetics FB page! will have to go look...

and any advice on replacing a rooster in an existing flock? currently my birchen marans & isbar roos (each about 6 months old) are in the same pen, and they get along great, but eventually (if Max finds a new home) i'd like to move one, probably Jack the marans, in with the layer flock, who've been hanging out with Max for a year -- any particular process for transitioning their sense of commitment/interest to the new roo? (they all free-range together now, and the older girls run away from Jack if he tries to dance for them...)

 

[chiqita]

IT just takes the hens some time to switch allegiance. Unless they really HATE a rooster. Head rooster gets his pick of hens. If they free range together the hens will usually choose a rooster to protect them, and try to stick with their man. This does not always work, however!

It usually takes 1-2 months for the girls to like a new boy IMO. Can be faster with a MArans since they can sit on the compitition, and at least Louies line of boys are good treat finders .

 

[lawatt]

IT just takes the hens some time to switch allegiance. Unless they really HATE a rooster. Head rooster gets his pick of hens. If they free range together the hens will usually choose a rooster to protect them, and try to stick with their man. This does not always work, however!

It usually takes 1-2 months for the girls to like a new boy IMO. Can be faster with a MArans since they can sit on the compitition, and at least Louies line of boys are good treat finders .

he IS huge! so if i can find a new home for Max, maybe wait a month before adding Jack to the layer pen, in the hopes that they might "forget" about Max? there won't be any other roosters in that pen, so no competition in that regard...

thanks!!

 

[chiqita]

I'd just stick him in, and give the girls some time to get used to him, unless they beat the crap out of him. Nothing sadder then a hen pecked rooster.

 

[ronott1]

I'd just stick him in, and give the girls some time to get used to him, unless they beat the crap out of him. Nothing sadder then a hen pecked rooster.

If they attack him, take him out and try again the next day.

Like always, introduce him at night.

 

[ronott1]

Ron, do you have any photos of your Horstman RIR? Would be interesting to see the difference between the two lines.

Lual

I have two pullets. I am not breeding them and will be focusing on the Fogel Reds like you have. They are nice pullets though.

The tails need more black in them and they are not quite long enough. They do have a nice shape to them

 

[lawatt]

thanks! i went out & took some photos, thought i'd share here:

jack the birchen roo, at 24 weeks

maria, also 24 weeks -- she's the one who just started laying this past week

gertrude, who is 12 weeks

her sister clemantine, who is not birchen, but all black except for a faint ring of orangey-copper around her neck

blue the isbar, who is 26 weeks -- he only just started to crow this week, developing much slower than the marans

fern (black) and mabel (blue), who are both isbar/marans crosses (hatched from eggs from Miss Molly, as did Blue) -- they haven't laid anything yet, but are starting to show interest in the nest boxes, can't wait to see what their eggs look like!

better picture of mabel -- she has the prettiest touches of silver around her neck!

 

[ronott1]

How do I save these pics Ron ? it is exactly what I want to build. How many boys fit in there and what are the dimensions...I am thinking I want something to handle 10-15 at a time...should I build 2? Going to start cruising yard sales for toys with wheels. Today I was pushing a wheelbarrow and thought about just using a wheelbarrow wheel on a tractor. The wing nut to raise the wheel and make it sit flat on the ground is genius and I had NEVER thought of of that.

The Grow out tractor is:

36 inches high
39 inches wide
48 inches long

It would be easy to make it 6 feet long and add another roost board.

 

[lawatt]

oh Ron, we posted pictures at the same time! yours look so cool!