December surprise!

[partsRheavy]

More cuteness!!!!!

 

[UncleTommy]

hmmm, anyone know how sexlinks work? I always get it backwards but i'm pretty sure that since your roos are barred that the males are the black ones with the spot on their head. Someone tell me if i'm wrong.

 

[partsRheavy]

I think you're correct from what I've read. I indeed have my suspicion that the black ones with the white spot are boys!!!!!! Nice to have the instant gender ID!!!!! Ur-urrrrrrrrr!!!!!

 

[cmom]

Both Red and Black Sex-Links use a red male for the father. Either a Rhode Island Red or a New Hampshire may be used.

Black Sex-Links are produced using a Barred Rock as the mother. Both sexes hatch out black, but the males have a white dot on their heads. Pullets feather out black with some red in neck feathers. Males feather out with the Barred Rock pattern along with a few red feathers. Black Sex-Links are often referred to as Rock Reds.

Red Sex-Links are the result of various crosses. White Rocks with the silver factor (the dominant white gene would produce all white offspring) are crossed with a New Hampshire male to produce the Golden Comet. Silver Laced Wyandotte crossed with New Hampshire gives the Cinnamon Queen. Two other crosses are obtained with Rhode Island White x Rhode Island Red, and Delaware x Production Red or Rhode Island Red. These two crosses are simply called Red Sex-Links. Males hatch out white and, depending on the cross, feather out to pure white or with some black feathering. Females hatch out buff or red also depending on cross, and they feather out in one of three ways.

Buff with white or tinted undercolor (such as Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White)
Red with White or tinted undercolor (Cinnamon Queen)
Red with Red undercolor (Delaware x Production Red or Rhode Island Red) (In this color pattern it is almost impossible to distinguish daughters' color from father's color.)

 

[partsRheavy]

Thanks for the info!!! Now I'm thoroughly confused!!! We know that Mom is red...I think either one of these two are the father:

 

[partsRheavy]

Mom and babies have been transferred to a cage with a brooder lamp in it.. One of the babies fell out of the nestbox so we decided that a cage with some cardboard windbreaks around the north and also west and east sides was best. Moved Mom and then moved the little ones....

Mom has to stay with babies because she is better at regulating temperature especially this time of year.

It's amazing seeing the little ones come out from under her to feed on chick starter in a dish in 37F weather.....

They now have THESE guys as next-door neighbors. We have passed out the Apt. Mgmt. Notice that tells them to Please Be Quiet.

They are complying nicely.

.

 

[partsRheavy]

Here they are in their cage! I'm worried about them because Baby, It's Cold Outside!! (around 30 or 29 tonight)

 

[gennhop]

i hatched out 3 chics this morning, 1 died and 1 wouldnt move or open eyes and finally died tonight,they were stuck in eggs, i had to help, the last one has little bumps on hair.what is this and he will not dry, what can i do

 

[partsRheavy]

I'm sorry gennhop but I really don't know the answer. The advice I have seen here is to not attempt to help the eggs hatch. I don't know if you have incubator eggs or what your situation is.

What happened in this case is that Mom is a "runaround" hen that is not part of the regular flock here. She hangs around the backyard, steals cat food from the kitty dish, sometimes roosts in a tree, and just sort of hangs out.

She has been planning this project for quite a while. She set eggs in a hidden spot where no one was paying any attention....

I have no earthly idea why she thought the concept of baby chicks in December was a good idea?!?

I have been busy dealing with integrating 8-and 10-week-old pullets into the henhouse as well as other routine stuff around here.

There was 1 non-viable egg in Mom's clutch as well as 1 baby who died the first day. I still am not counting this situation for much because we are in for a cold snap and have already had chilly raw rainy weather.