First hatch with 15 Mixed Chicks

[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

 

[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]

Any comments on the sex of this chick? Six weeks old now, it's the one I'm least certain about cockerel/pullet. Here's a link to the post:

Pullet or Cockerel, & why?

 

[DavidReaves]

Today was the first day some of my chicks got to see the outside world. Seven of the pullet chicks were in the mobile coop and run. I put them in the coop portion a couple of weeks ago and opened the outside door for the first time today. I'll give a couple of the pullets away as they age-- assuming everyone survives to laying age.

They were a little uncertain... it took ten or 15 minutes before they would leave the ramp and walk on that weird grass stuff! Here is a short video. Feel free to mute the sound.

 

[DavidReaves]

Friday night and Saturday night the chicks required some help getting back into the coop. Saturday night it may have been my fault. All the chicks but two were in the coop, so I went down to see what was going on and EVERYONE came back out.

I left, and apparently everyone decided to stay outside. It got dark, the auto door closed, and when I went back out after full dark, all the chicks were peeping forlornly on the coop's ramp. I reopened the door, encouraged as many as possible inside, then caught the last two and hand deposited them inside.

For Sunday night, I took the top part of a solar path light and put it on top of the coop roof, which is translucent. That gave the inside of the coop just enough light for the chicks to see how to get inside. I changed the solar sensor on the door to wait a little longer before closing as well. The two bits together seem to have done the job. All but one of the chicks was in by bright twilight. The last chick ran around chirping in a little distress for a while, then just before full dark she went into the coop as well.

I'm claiming success in coop training them in only 3 days! There may still be issues, but I have hope since it didn't take too long for an initial success.

 

[DavidReaves]

Friday night and Saturday night the chicks required some help getting back into the coop. Saturday night it may have been my fault. All the chicks but two were in the coop, so I went down to see what was going on and EVERYONE came back out.

I left, and apparently everyone decided to stay outside. It got dark, the auto door closed, and when I went back out after full dark, all the chicks were peeping forlornly on the coop's ramp. I reopened the door, encouraged as many as possible inside, then caught the last two and hand deposited them inside.

For Sunday night, I took the top part of a solar path light and put it on top of the coop roof, which is translucent. That gave the inside of the coop just enough light for the chicks to see how to get inside. I changed the solar sensor on the door to wait a little longer before closing as well. The two bits together seem to have done the job. All but one of the chicks was in by bright twilight. The last chick ran around chirping in a little distress for a while, then just before full dark she went into the coop as well.

I'm claiming success in coop training them in only 3 days! There may still be issues, but I have hope since it didn't take too long for an initial success.

Day 4 and they all went in, including the cockerel, "Big Red", that I decided to keep. I moved him down to the chicken tractor first thing this morning. He wisely followed the pullets into the coop tonight when it was getting dark. They are not very early to bed, though. It was close to full dark before they all went into the coop.

This is him on last Friday, at seven weeks. He's starting to make attempts at crowing already. I'm probably going to cull the other cockerels, since there's remarkably little interest in excess roosters here-- except for someone who says he'll take all roosters for his friend to sell. He hasn't said what the friend does with them, even when I said freezer camp was okay. I suspect the "friend" sells to people who use the birds for fodder for training fighting cocks. I'd rather kill them myself than have them used for fighting purposes.

Maybe I'll hatch some chicks from him and the Cream Legbar and the green egger Legbar-cross pullets next year.

 

[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!

 

[Iluveggers]

Hi @DavidReaves ! Thanks for the update! Would love to see pics of the rest of the chicks! The RIR is so pretty & the little person in your pic is a cutie!

 

[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.