Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

This has really been trial and error with a learning curve on my part since this year was my first time to try a broody hen. I know there are others here with a ton more experience than I have who could give some tips. But I’d be happy to post more details if they would be helpful. Any questions in particular that you have?

I don't know enough to know what questions I have!
Any tips, tricks, things that seemed to work.
Someone here said to pop the chickens under the hen's rear end for example. I would not have guessed that..
Bob told me he did it just before dawn. Others have said once it is dark. Which did you do?
I assume you trade out eggs and replace with chicks. Did you add in broken egg shells?
How many days old were the chicks? I have to balance the Marek's vaccine. It takes a while for the vaccine to 'take', but the older the chick the less likely I imagine she will accept them. Not sure what the sweet spot really is.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Any way we guess at it doesn't matter since the hatchery won't divulge what crosses were used. Azure breeders have their own secrets & a variety of priority crosses they don't want to divulge either.

True, it’s just a fun puzzle to try and figure out.

 

[rural mouse]

It probably is a Silkie Houdan mix cuz only the Silkie would give it the feathered legs since Houdan are clean-legged. But smart to use two breeds like Silkies & Houdan w/5 toes to ensure all chicks hatch w/feathered legs & 5 toes.

Silkies aren't the only featherfooted breed. Brahmas, Cochins, Faverolles, Sultans, Langshans, and French Marans all are featherfooted. NONE of those are black skinned, nor are they derived from silkies.

And silkies are fully crested. Being as the CnC are a partial crest, there MUST be a non-crested breed in there. Being as black skin is hard to fully breed out, silkies are highly UNLIKELY to be used in the lines in any sort of major contribution.

 

[knoturavggrl]

How thrilling for Pebble. I know Cuckoo variety in other breeds are auto-sexing at hatch but not sure how sex can be guaranteed w/ Blue Silkie chicks... unless the hatchery does their own DNA testing? That's a first if a hatchery can guarantee SiLkie pullet chicks. I have heard great comments about Meyer & if other hatcheries don't start doing DNA testing on bantams Meyer will blow them all away

It’s a simple PCR test at the lab I have sent samples to. I am sure a hatchery can to it no problem, as long as they have a blood sample - I have used the membrane from an egg shell. But that’s not very practical for a hatchery that hatches 1000s of chicks.

There are also new ways of testing the egg at 3 days incubation. But not sure if that is mainstream at all.

I’d be interested to see how they manage their gender testing.

I dug into this. Meyers excludes this information from any publicly published sources that AI could find during a deep search.

The most likely conclusion seems to be that they employ some very highly skilled vent sex experts. DNA testing is possible but unlikely due to time and costs involved as @Ponypoor mentioned.

I have seen this hotly debated here on BYC before in regards to the safety of doing vent sexing, especially on Bantams. Usually, this is in reference to lay people attempting to learn to do it though.

It seems logical to me that they would avoid saying they do vent sexing simply to avoid any possible negative reactions.

 

[rural mouse]

That's another possibility... except Brahma or Cochin might be too large.

1st generation cross can pop frame of one parent and not the other. Selecting only birds that come close to the desired body type in addition to the coloration would get there faster, but could still be done in about 3 crosses. Langshan are similar sized to the Houdans and are solid colored, so getting the mottling back out would still be a relatively simple process by the 3rd generation.

 

[featherhead007]

I dug into this. Meyers excludes this information from any publicly published sources that AI could find during a deep search.

The most likely conclusion seems to be that they employ some very highly skilled vent sex experts. DNA testing is possible but unlikely due to time and costs involved as @Ponypoor mentioned.

I have seen this hotly debated here on BYC before in regards to the safety of doing vent sexing, especially on Bantams. Usually, this is in reference to lay people attempting to learn to do it though.

It seems logical to me that they would avoid saying they do vent sexing simply to avoid any possible negative reactions.

I’m getting a little shaky, a lot shaky oh no:::;

 

[BY Bob]

2fer Tuesday

I give you melted Phyllistines.

They were very much enjoying the sun on Monday.

 

[knoturavggrl]

I’m getting a little shaky, a lot shaky oh no:::;View attachment 4134268

Ha! Tooo much dataaa talk .. more chicken pics please, right?

Sorry, I will do my part to alleviate the situation.
Look not chickens on a roost bar!

The hold outs on top of the nest box. I am happy they aren’t on floor .. I’ll still take this as success.

 

[knoturavggrl]

2fer Tuesday

I give you melted Phyllistines.

View attachment 4134271View attachment 4134272View attachment 4134273

They were very much enjoying the sun on Monday.

So cute I love when they do this! I swear they can’t help it lol they just turn to jelly and melt and there they stay for a time.

 

[ChaosMom]

So cute I love when they do this! I swear they can’t help it lol they just turn to jelly and melt and there they stay for a time.

It’s that one leg sticking out that gets me every time.