California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

Serious like this?


Same hen with her first babies, LOL. She has perfected the "stink eye".

Trisha

Brave soul, entering her lair armed with only a camera!

 

[tls_ranch]

Quote: Never pecks hard, she's more bluff than anything. I don't think she's lost a chick yet though.

I have a blue barnie broody this year that is really protective. You have to watch your toes and she leaps at you if you try to pick up her babies. But, the blue hen also is also so protective that she was trying to climb an oak tree to get at a hawk that was after the chicks. She kept it up until the dogs and I chased it away.

Trisha

 

[ronott1]

Way behind again.... Ron, this is very cool! Great news, too! Thanks!

How many days do my Dorking eggs usually take to hatch? Any difference from other eggs? This came up on the Dorking thread, so I'm wondering.

The Dorkings start on day 21 and finish on day 22. The Dels are often a bit later--about half a day. They hatch within 24 hours too. They are not hard to hatch--compared to the Blue Egg Layers from the UofArkansas or the Marans--Those can start late and go not for several days....They are worth it though!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Some of the newest chicks. Sorry the pics aren't great. I can't find the cord to the camera, so these are from the Iphone.

cute. I see olive eggers empordanesa and a crele. looks like a rooster but hard to say with the light. greyish is male dark brown is female

Had to share some broody pics. "
"Time for a nap kids, follow me" , clucks the hen.


Now the tricky part...trying to get all 20+ chicks under one hen, LOL.



Trisha

lol love it

 

[capayvalleychick]

The Dorkings start on day 21 and finish on day 22. The Dels are often a bit later--about half a day. They hatch within 24 hours too. They are not hard to hatch--compared to the Blue Egg Layers from the UofArkansas or the Marans--Those can start late and go not for several days....They are worth it though!

Take a look at this post post #3863 on the Dorking thread, and the replies that follow. She bought my culls last year and is concerned because they hatch a day late. Either she is doing something different than you are or I sold her all my late hatchers

. I told her that they were culls. I don't see what difference it makes if they hatch a day late anyway.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Had to share some broody pics. "

Awesome, not just for the broodiness of that hen- but for the width and size of her head!

I want all that in my birds! You have it all! How long have you been breeding?

 

[ronott1]

Take a look at this post post #3863 on the Dorking thread, and the replies that follow. She bought my culls last year and is concerned because they hatch a day late. Either she is doing something different than you are or I sold her all my late hatchers

. I told her that they were culls. I don't see what difference it makes if they hatch a day late anyway.

I just posted on that thread--I do not buy late hatching as being a sign of inbreeding either. Some breeds just hatch later. All of your SG Dorkings that hatch are very healthy. Now the Delawares are another Story. I can't wait until I get to hatch the New Heritage Dels.....

Also, they are not late hatchers. One day late would not be statistically significant. A lot of people do not calculate the days correctly too.

 

[tls_ranch]

Quote: I love her the shape of her head too. She passes it on too. I try to select roos that have really wide heads and short beaks. I hate to see "crow heads" or weak heads.

Here is a pic of one of my young roos. He's not perfect yet, but he has a lot of traits I like. He is really wide when you look down at his back and top of his head. Great dark grey under fluff color too, which has been an issue with my original males. The bright sun in this pic kind of washes out his leg color.


edited to add another picture:

This pic shows his color better. His wings aren't too low...some of my barnie roos (the ones from the Johan line the most) have low wing carrage.



Trisha

 

[ronott1]

I love her the shape of her head too. She passes it on too. I try to select roos that have really wide heads and short beaks. I hate to see "crow heads" or weak heads.

Here is a pic of one of my young roos. He's not perfect yet, but he has a lot of traits I like. He is really wide when you look down at his back and top of his head. Great dark grey under fluff color too, which has been an issue with my original males. The bright sun in this pic kind of washes out his leg color.



Trisha

That is a beautiful Boy!

 

[ronott1]

I picked up The Azure order(Kim yours is on my front porch) today and one of the things I picked up was Big Sky Organic Scratch. It is Min. 14% protein and has Kamut in it!

http://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/15618//

I game some to the Layers tonight and they love it!