Dixie Chicks

[Ravynscroft]

hahaha...mark is so funny....... he has had pretty limited exposure to pets and animals ect..and very lil with birds.. so he has a very hesitant hand.. so often they would try to avoid his hands...and he would get nervious and  notice someone might have been watching him and give up... it was a kick to watch him sitting on the floor actually petting and holding these new year chicks.......dixie is such a lil attention hog soon as your hand is near dixie is right there ready to jump onto it...I sure am hoping it's a girl  has an adorable character......... one of the things that has surprised me greatly is the orpington and the orpington cross are probly the most skittish....I had really expected them to be much more cuddily...and correct me if I am wrong but yellow feet on the bottom is a sign of jersey giant right? I think the orpington cross is  jersey giant orpington cross

Jim has had only limited exposure too, so I know exactly what you're talking about, lol... He tries and is getting better, but watching him try to catch an adult chook is hilarious... umm, can't remember about the feet right now, but think you might be right... but don't judge it yet, some chicks skin changes a bit as they get older too just like the feathers... also, sometimes they go thru skittish phases... my Am's became skittish for a while then they calmed way down at about 2 or 3 months old... now they come running whether there are treats or not and love to be petted...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Well, these are dual purpose too, being Marans crosses. I haven't held the other ones, but Flappy is pretty scrawny still. All breastbone, no muscle. He feels very delicate when I lift him up for cleaning, I'm afraid I'll break him but I have to hold him steadily, because otherwise he starts flapping like crazy (hence the name Flappy). The wings do push around quite a lot of air already though, I can clearly feel the lift generated by them.

If he's feathering out that fast then that is where his energy is going to, instead of weight gain... bet as soon as he finishes his first set of feathers he gains weight quicker... kinda like when hens molt and don't lay eggs cuz they're working on growing feathers? Just a thought...

 

[Amberjem]

Well, these are dual purpose too, being Marans crosses. I haven't held the other ones, but Flappy is pretty scrawny still. All breastbone, no muscle. He feels very delicate when I lift him up for cleaning, I'm afraid I'll break him but I have to hold him steadily, because otherwise he starts flapping like crazy (hence the name Flappy). The wings do push around quite a lot of air already though, I can clearly feel the lift generated by them.

mine are flying up to the brooder box lead and perching on it now well... two of them are...dixie and eggna poe... I thought I would let them run around in the henhouse tomorrow for a bit and close it off... I have been letting them go out for about hour and sit in the brooder box inside the hen house run..and sprinkle some scratch around by them so the big girls and the chicks get a eyeball of each other and start getting use to each other..

 

[Amberjem]

the orpingtons seem soo much slower in developing and growing... heck they were even my last hatchers....the orpington then the orpington/jesery giant cross being last

 

[vehve]

Ravyn, that's what I've figured about the feathering too. These guys started roosting at about 2½ weeks, by 3½ weeks they were up on the top roost in the coop. Pretty good flyers already. Flappy goes up on his cardboard box every once in a while, but I think I should give him a roost in there.

 

[Amberjem]

so if they all turn out to be cockerels are you just going to process them and if so when do you think you will process?

 

[vehve]

When they get aggressive, as long as they're behaving they can keep gaining weight. We might switch one out for our current roo though. I don't know, we'll see.

 

[Amberjem]

how old is your current roo and what kind is he?

 

[Outpost JWB]

Morning all! I will have to play catch up later....Gotta scoot and cook breakfast for everyone. Get DH off to work and little girl off to school....Then I can relax!

 

[vehve]

Eemeli is a Speckled Sussex, about 9½ months old now. The pic is from a month ago. I don't have a recent close up.