Chicken just showed up?? ****NOW "Big Chickens Story" a story of a found chicken***lol

[Peep-Chicken]

I was thinking about getting a few Cochins...what's the best setters? Standard or bantam?
Easter eggers are harder to sex when chicks...they have a pea comb..
He may just prefer his own kind...maybe he's a comb kinda Guy...
I still have zero roos but I may raise a couple....still working my plans out...cause I want to house my he devils in a separate house...that way I can do what I need then let him out with them.
I can't free range but they will have plenty of room to work.

If you want to hatch a lot of eggs under a broody, get a standard Cochin. They can cover more eggs then a bantam. But I'm not sure of one is more broody then the other.

ETA: VERY sweet birds. My bantam is a sweet ball of fluff!

 

[crazyfeathers]

I have a question? Sorry it is not about BC - although I've come to love her. Could u send me a picture of one of your RIR's that are laying and one that is not? I want to see the combs and waddles so I have something to compare my girl " Big Red". She is huge and I don't know how old she is and she hasn't laid a single egg yet. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[crazyfeathers]

This is a picture of "Big Red" as you can see her comb and waddles are pale pink, she is in good health. thanks again

 

[Aamanda]

I have heard people getting orders from the hatchery and they always get a bonus chick, and they often turn out to be a rooster.

Yeah. "Packing peanuts" are usally roos.

 

[Aamanda]

I was thinking about getting a few Cochins...what's the best setters? Standard or bantam?
Easter eggers are harder to sex when chicks...they have a pea comb..
He may just prefer his own kind...maybe he's a comb kinda Guy...
I still have zero roos but I may raise a couple....still working my plans out...cause I want to house my he devils in a separate house...that way I can do what I need then let him out with them.
I can't free range but they will have plenty of room to work.

I would go with the standard size. Mostly because you can put more eggs under them! That is the reason im getting the Gold Laced Cochins. I enjoy watching my rooster with his flock. He defiantly guards them , its cute. And when he finds something good to eat he calls them over and shows it to them. I have my fingers crossed that he stays nice. I catch him on and off and hold him in my arms on his back. And every now and then I also pin him down and hold his comb. If he tries to mate when im out there I make him stop. So far so good. If he gets mean he goes in the pot. I am so glad to have the ability to free range. Makes for much smaller feed bills lol. On the EE combs. Don't they have two lines for female and three for male. Or vice versa? Or is that another breed?

 

[Aamanda]

This is a picture of "Big Red" as you can see her comb and waddles are pale pink, she is in good health. thanks again

All mine are getting ready to lay so they are all nice and red. How long have you had your bird? And did she molt this fall? If she did not molt she is not a year yet. If she did she is a year or more. Also. Do you have them on extra light? Her face does not look red enough yet. You will see not only her wattle and comb get red but also the skin around her eyes. She will (should) start to squat when you reach for her as well.

 

[pwand]

Yeah. "Packing peanuts" are usally roos.

Lol, haven't heard it called that. Thats cute.

Silkies seems to be your best sitter. They continually go Broody. I believe they can handle a lot of eggs under them.

 

[chicken pickin]

Lol, haven't heard it called that. Thats cute.

Silkies seems to be your best sitter. They continually go Broody. I believe they can handle a lot of eggs under them. We had Americana's as chicks, by the time they were about 7 weeks, you could sex them by the male feathers, like their saddles, pin feathers. They were all roos, got them at a farm swap. Won't do that again. Guy probably knew how to sex them as chicks.

Males don't start growing saddle feather until around 12-14 weeks old. Did you rehome them that young due to saddle feathers/pin feathers? You can sex EEs by their comb pretty early on, typically boys have 3 rows of peas and girls have one row. Also you can sex them by the color of their feathers, male and female EE typically have a different color pattern that is easy to recognize if you know what your looking for.

 

[pwand]

[COLOR=FF0000]This is a picture of "Big Red" as you can see her comb and waddles are pale pink, she is in good health. thanks again[/COLOR]

If you got her grown, good chance she is over two and not laying so great. People often get rid of them when past their prime and get new layers. You may not see anything until spring, with day light longer.

 

[pwand]

Males don't start growing saddle feather until around 12-14 weeks old. Did you rehome them that young due to saddle feathers/pin feathers?  You can sex EEs by their comb pretty early on, typically boys have 3 rows of peas and girls have one row. Also you can sex them by the color of their feathers, male and female EE typically have a different color pattern that is easy to recognize if you know what your looking for.

I could be wrong on the age, its been so long ago, I was thinking they were around that age. They definitely had those feathers before we re homed them.