Colorado

[trsturself]

I have a golden lace rooster that needs a new home,he is about 6 months old really gentle with humans and the ladies, I have to get rid of him because is cousin some problems with neighbours.
He is from Gisbrechts orpingtons (fancy chicks)
Not a really good pic but i can take better if somebody is interested.

He's beautiful. Wish I had room for him.

 

[Pozees]

I just wanted to report that my wonderful Buff Orpington, Speedy, who was always racing to be the first to my lap and shoulder and loved to be cuddled, is a roo.

I re-homed him with the breeder in Hudson, who sold him to the place where I bought him. He was a "guaranteed pullet" but no one seems willing to back up the guarantee. Since I live in Denver and can't have roos anyway, should I just treat this as if it were a straight run, and call it unfortunate?

There really isn't a way to guarantee gender on chicks, even the hatcheries, who have the experts at work, only say they are about 90% accurate. The only sure bet is DNA testing, and I know zero details about it other than most folks don't want to spend more on a test than they are paying for a chick. I will say, every chicken I've had that acted the way you describe Speedy has been a male. I had a little Leghorn chick that would follow me everywhere in the run, rush to greet me at the gate, and would pull at my sleeve when my hand was nearby. He reminded me of young colts, always wanting to put their mouths on things. Now I have a Lavender Ameraucana cockerel, who sadly has a crossed beak, that will try to fly into my arms, runs to greet me when I'm at the gate, etc. He even waits for me to come into the run and close the coop up before he'll go to bed.

I have three broodies right now. My silkie, the speckled sussex and my buff orpington. They are sitting on a total of 13 eggs. A bakers dozen. The statted last Saturday. I will candle the eggs this Sunday and see whats viable. I also have 28 more in the incubator. They are due next Saturday. All that hatch are going to a friend down the road. She has about 200 right now and wants 500. Now thats a lot of chickens.

I'll say! Is she selling eggs or just really really loves chickens?

I have a broody now, my first. I didn't know I was meant to candle broody eggs. When do you do that? Mine is on day 13 now, I guess they will hatch next Friday. Do I still need to candle now?

You don't have to candle, it's just handy to know, as samsr said, if you have a potential egg bomb.

This may be a stupid question but where do u go to post a question? Lol

Right here! What is your question?

I have a newbie question. I'm in Arvada and this is my first year with chickens. They are living out in the coop & run full time now. How do I teach them to go back into the coop at night? So far I am catching them and just putting them in it.

Every group is different, but in general, usually one of the group will establish itself as Head Chicken, and start rounding them up at night as soon as it realizes that is what they are supposed to do. I've had some figure it out in a day or two and others take two weeks. They will get it. Make sure to give them time - dusk is later and later right now, my last ones don't go in until around 8:15 or so right now. It will almost - *almost* - make you wish for winter LOL.

 

[Craftymama]

It will just take a couple nights of putting them in, then they'll get it. The younger they are the longer it takes them to figure it out. Just keep it up and they'll eventually get it. Make sure you are going out late enough. My girls aren't all in until about 8:15 this time of year.

I thought so but I was keep second guessing myself. They are 9 weeks old. Thanks!

 

[Craftymama]

Every group is different, but in general, usually one of the group will establish itself as Head Chicken, and start rounding them up at night as soon as it realizes that is what they are supposed to do. I've had some figure it out in a day or two and others take two weeks. They will get it. Make sure to give them time - dusk is later and later right now, my last ones don't go in until around 8:15 or so right now. It will almost - *almost* - make you wish for winter LOL.

Thanks...I thought that is what would happen but I just wasn't sure if maybe I wasn't giving them enough time or what. I've been waiting until about 8:30 to 8:45 just to see if anyone would lead the way.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

Euarto Gullible

It was two days old, supposedly hatched in Hudson, northeast of Denver. But I don't know if he got the eggs or the chicks from a hatchery. I suspect he did, because there were many chicks of many breeds where I bought my Speedy Buffington. Maybe a local breeder could have provided so many at a time, but hatchery is beginning to seem more likely.

What are your thoughts?

Quite a few people order sexed pullets from the hatchery in bulk and turn around and resell them locally for a couple bucks profit a piece. Hatchery vent sexing of day old pullets is usually 90% accurate. If your pullet was only 2 days old, and was guaranteed to be a pullet, that's most likely where it came from.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

I have a newbie question. I'm in Arvada and this is my first year with chickens. They are living out in the coop & run full time now. How do I teach them to go back into the coop at night? So far I am catching them and just putting them in it.

I put my 3 week old chicks in the coop for two nights, and on the third night, I shepherd them toward the door at dusk and make them go in by themselves. Usually they go in by the 4th night on their own.

 

[alebuela]

Quite a few people order sexed pullets from the hatchery in bulk and turn around and resell them locally for a couple bucks profit a piece.   Hatchery vent sexing of day old pullets is usually 90% accurate.  If your pullet was only 2 days old, and was guaranteed to be a pullet, that's most likely where it came from. 

Thank you for answering my question. Sigh, I guess that 10% was the determining factor.

 

[Adelina]

I bought 20 "pullets" from the hatchery and ended up with 1/3 of those being cockerels. .. Needless to say not buying from there again..

 

[Latestarter]

I bought 20 "pullets" from the hatchery and ended up with 1/3 of those being cockerels. .. Needless to say not buying from there again..

So that worked out pretty good for you if you think about it... You have about 6 guaranteed chicken dinners coming up, which in turn will make room for when the chicken math starts happening!

 

[Adelina]

Have more than that- I had bought the pullets to replace my current flock of 12- 4 yr old hens... Had gotten 2-3 of several breeds to see which I liked, which is the best for me.. But several of the breeds I now only have 1 pullet in so can't get a good handle on the breed with only observing one bird.. Had really wanted the Americans- ended up with 2 very interestingly colored cockerels- one who's growing great, the other who's been smaller and slower since arrival ..