First hatch with 15 Mixed Chicks

[DavidReaves]

I'm just over two weeks after hatch with 15 chicks. They are barnyard mix, but believed to be Rhode Island Red, Cream Legbars, and the crosses of both. There are roosters and hens of both breeds.

There are three chicks that are pretty certainly pure
Cream Legbar, since they came from blue eggs, have the chipmunk pattern and eye stripes. This is a photo of them at 12 days old.

I have others that appear to be a cross between the Rhode Island Red and Cream Legbar. One is from a blue egg, the others are from brown eggs. I call these "partial" chipmunk patterns. The one with the darker strip on the head is from the blue egg.

The next group is what I'm assuming are pure Rhode Island Red. They were mostly solid, though some were darker than the others. This group is growing really quickly and feathering surprisingly fast. This is a picture of them, also at 12 days.

Finally, the last two were also from brown eggs, but must be from an oddball hen that is in the mix. They are lighter, one with sort of a reverse chipmunk pattern (a white stripe) and the other mostly light with some mixed "orange". I have no idea on either one of these.

 

[DavidReaves]

Took this photo today, at 15 days old. This appears to be my first identifiable cockerel. He definitely has a more pronounced comb developing already. He's from the group that appears to be pure Rhode Island Red.

 

[DavidReaves]

Update! Three of the pullets are laying consistently (and have been doing so for a few weeks). The two Cream Legbars are lagging, but I still have hope. I've added a light to the run and inside the coop that is on a timer. I'm providing the "flock" with over 12 hours of light. I have the light primarily in the morning, but I'm also extending light on the sunset side of day 30-45 minutes (depending on actual dark time).

I kept a Rhode Island Red, what I think is a Production Red, (both lay brown), a Cream Legbar/RIR cross (lays olive-drab), and two Cream Legbars (that may someday lay light blue). The cockerel is definitely a Cream Legbar/RIR cross, too. All the pullets are to the point of bright red combs and wattles and are posturing for the cockerel. So far, I'm not sure he's having much success since I haven't seen any noticeable bullseyes on the yolks.

Here's a photo of the Production Red and an adorable young person with her first homegrown egg!

 

[DavidReaves]

Four weeks plus a couple days in. I didn't take pictures today when changing the litter in the brooder, but definitely 6 cockerels for sure. Of the nine remaining, I'm only absolutely certain about two of the Cream Legbars. The other crosses/Rhode Island Red pullets are a little hard to tell still. I'm not sure how I'll figure out which ones to keep-- since I only have room for 5.

One of the Cream Legbars is the runt of the hatching. She was the last one hatched and had to stay longer in the incubator because she still had the yolk attached at hatch. The other chicks would have killed her if I moved her over with the sac still attached. She seems to be about a week behind the others. So far, she's doing okay, though. If she catches up, I will keep her.

I "think" there are 3 CL/RIR pullet crosses. If so, I will keep at least two of those. Also, I will probably keep one of the Rhode Island Red pullets. That would give me blue, green, and brown eggs. Sadly, I don't have room for six, though I will likely keep all nine pullets until they are 4-5 months old. It should be easy enough to find homes for 4 pullets that are close to laying age.

I do have a picture of cockerel #1, "Big Red". that I took on Friday. If I had room for a non-productive rooster I'd keep him, too. He's definitely the Cream Legbar/Rhode Island Red cross. A breeder here in Texas calls that mix "Fiesta Red".

 

[DavidReaves]

Here are the others of my small flock. There's the rooster, Big Red, who is a Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red cross, the two Cream Legbars (Elsa and Bluey), and Bandit, who is also a Rhode Island Red and Cream Legbar cross. Finally, there's Elmo, who is a straight Rhode Island Red. Shown in the message above is Fluffy Flufferton, who is what I think is a Production Red.

I've also included a close-up of Elsa, where you can see the salmon-colored breast feathers and Bandit, where you can see her crest and the coloration of her hackle feathers. All the pullets are laying now, and I get 4-5 eggs every day. Bluey was the last to start laying and she's not laying an egg every day yet. The others are laying every day, once they started.

I'm using artificial light to give them over 12-hours daylight a day. Since they are pullets and won't moult until next year, I'm going to use the light all winter. Next year I'll give them some time off to moult.

 

[DavidReaves]

No time for small group or individual photos today. I did get a group shot while I cleaned the brooder. My wife, who hasn't seen them for a couple of days, is surprised by the growth rate. I didn't think they'd grown that much since Saturday, though feathers continue to develop.

 

[DavidReaves]

This is a photo of "Fluffy Flufferton" who has a pronounced tail already. I've posted a new thread about tail or not and sex. Hopefully it is a she, so I can keep her for eggs. Otherwise, another chick will have to assume the identity that was given by my almost-4-year old granddaughter.

 

[DavidReaves]

I can tell selected ones but don't have ID on all 15... I'm a bad farmer. I don't want to get too attached to all of them, since I'm only keeping (at most) five. I think the one that I've already ID'd as a cockerel may go back to the farm where I got them. They said their RIR rooster is getting old. I do have a name for him-- for now, he's Big Red.

 

[Iluveggers]

I think you just about have them in order from least likely to be pullets to most likely. Lol.

Guesses, 1-5 definitely cockerels, 6-13 dont strike me as cockerels yet.

 

[Chicks in VA]

I think you just about have them in order from least likely to be pullets to most likely. Lol.

Guesses, 1-5 definitely cockerels, 6-13 dont strike me as cockerels yet.

i second that