California - Northern

[ronott1]

Twice this month I've found my Marans' egg out in the coop run in the gravel empty and broken up. Does anyone have any ideas about what/who did it? Is it the chickens, or a rat or something?

It might be blue jays.

Can you set up a camera?

 

[tommysgirl]

A) at some point I can help with marans. One day I will be caught up on egg orders. They are good under broodies. But mine are not the exciting birchins laura has!
B) I can't sell an unbranded chicken. Figure out what the cross is designed to do and name it for that. Super hybred layers might work. But I can't tell you price when I got egg swap mutts I coyld not give them away. Welcome to silly valley we like premiums. But honestly I have only had chicken around long enough to sex when I first started and didn't sell as many eggs and people did not know about my silkies. Now the get silkies and go home with some extra bresse so they can actually eat an egg on occation.
C) brown egg laying is more complicated then others. Very very rough rule of thumb is if you do brown to not as brown is at most 1/2 of the parent color. Can be less.

OK So let's brand my chicks!

New Hampshire over Dorking...Dorshire Super Layers?? Hamkings?? New Dorks?? New Dorkshires??

New Hampshire over CA Grey...Transcontinental Layers?? New Pacific Layers?? or we can just go with Black Sex Links but that is soooooo pedestrian

Votes? Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks for the egg color guess. That is all I needed. I had no clue and I would like to tell people. They will most likely lay a creamy or light brown egg. Laura and I have been "in talks" about her Birchen Marans eggs. I am so pleased to learn that they do well under broodies.

 

[Nikon]

It might be blue jays.

Can you set up a camera?

Hmmm, I don't have a game camera yet (want one), I could probably set up my Nikon on a fair weather day on the tripod and set it to take interval shots.

I've never seen her lay anywhere but inside the nest boxes so finding outside of the coop altogether was a big surprise. The run is closed in and has a roof so I'm not sure about other birds. Sometimes I find an egg or two in the sand on the coop floor beneath the nest boxes like one of the girls pushed it out.

 

[chiqita]

OK  So let's brand my chicks!

New Hampshire over Dorking...Dorshire Super Layers??  Hamkings?? New Dorks?? New Dorkshires??

New Hampshire over CA Grey...Transcontinental Layers??  New Pacific Layers??  or we can just go with Black Sex Links but that is soooooo pedestrian

Votes?  Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks for the egg color guess.  That is all I needed.  I had no clue and I would like to tell people.  They will most likely lay a creamy or light brown egg.  Laura and I have been "in talks" about her Birchen Marans eggs.   I am so pleased to learn that they do well under broodies.

What can they get out of these that is better then another chicken? You fighting against cheap feed store sexed chicks.

 

[tommysgirl]

What can they get out of these that is better then another chicken? You fighting against cheap feed store sexed chicks.

hmmm well these are sex linked so I have that in my favor. They come from a ranch not a hatchery so they have had a better start. Dorkings are supposed to be excellent tasting. They will likely lay well through the winter but I don't know because this is the first batch.
They are all Heritage breed crosses though my NH and my CG parents are both hatchery birds.

The New Dorkings are unique...5 toes I am open to any and all suggestions.

 

[highcountrybell]

Initial reaction is rooster BUT there is the whole hatchery concept going here. How old did you say? Our hatchery birds started laying at 17 weeks so it is possible that this is a girl. Can you show us a better side shot with focus on the tail area? I'm not seeing saddle feathers and that also says girl. You just might have an early maturation going on.

Pullet/cockerel is such a fun game! I like to go out side and watch all the juvies and play that guessing game

I'm getting way better at it but some combs are harder, the pea types are the worst. Is this a pea comb? Pea combs are really wide for young cockerels and usually quite pale and thinner on pullets.

I ordered 6 of them from a hatchery as pullets. yes, it is fun guessing game she/he is almost 3 months old. the others have small pale wattles barley forming and this ones are darker and already hanging. I need to try and get a better picture. .... thanks for all the help.

 

[highcountrybell]

I ordered 6 of them from a hatchery as pullets. yes, it is fun guessing game she/he is almost 3 months old. the others have small pale wattles barley forming and this ones are darker and already hanging. I need to try and get a better picture. .... thanks for all the help.

heres one more pic I already had, dosnt really show the back , but ...

 

[ronott1]

heres one more pic I already had, dosnt really show the back , but ...

thanks for the picture!

I am leaning towards pullet because of the feathers. The comb and wattles are a bit pink but that might be a breed thing.

 

[Nikon]

Happy Earth Day everyone!

 

[chiqita]

hmmm well these are sex linked so I have that in my favor. They come from a ranch not a hatchery so they have had a better start. Dorkings are supposed to be excellent tasting. They will likely lay well through the winter but I don't know because this is the first batch.
They are all Heritage breed crosses though my NH and my CG parents are both hatchery birds.

The New Dorkings are unique...5 toes I am open to any and all suggestions.

ok, cruelty free heritage sex link sounds like a reason to buy it! Start with Heritage sex link and explain for the people who go ?? later.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

merry Christmas happy birthday! I think its funny its the 22nd now, I still celebrate witht the song, teehee.