Gender results from GFF Straight Run order

[mandelyn]

We're at 4 weeks of age now with our order from Greenfire Farms, so I can start spying gender to know what to order next.

The Legbars were easy since they're auto sexing. After a couple shipping losses we're at 4 female, 2 male. All look to be growing crests and are as flighty as expected. Not going out of their way to be friends with us, but those blue eggs will be a good prize. The last time I had some they settled down after they started laying.

The Marans look to be Blue/Black/Splash instead of Blue Birchen... but seems to be 2 male and 3 female. Friendly disposition and growing well, very resilient. Time will tell if the eggs have that tendency towards having meat spots in them or not. Hopefully not! But I've encountered it a lot within that breed in several colors.

Bantam Silver Laced Barnvelders... Gosh I like them. Curious, non flighty, active. Already getting a round shape. Looks to be 3 male, 3 female. Some variation in lacing on feathers but none lacking color. We'll see how they mature. 3 pairs would be a good start though.

Isbars had losses, only have 3 left. Of those 3 they seem hardy and healthy. 2 male, 1 female. The nut of this whole flock is the little Blue pullet. She's going to be gorgeous! Full of antics too.

The Twentse... I have to order more. LOL Never had this problem before, but they're all female. Every single one is coming in with hen feathering. Every single tiny walnut comb is flat as a pancake. I think there are six after one loss from shipping.

The order took 3 days to reach us, was held up somewhere totally freaking us out. Losses were 3 Legbars, 1 Twentse, and 2 Isbars, 4 at arrival and 2 a day later. Extra had been sent, a bonus Barnvelder made it.

So thinking on ordering more Twentse for sure, have not noticed a terrible feed conversaion rate with them, not when compared to the Marans and they are the biggest so far.

Will scrap the Isbars more than likely, and try the Niederrheiners. Then bolster the Legbars and we should be off to a good start of a diverse utility flock. We'll see which ones stick for the long term.

I've had pretty much everything else, and I have my list of favorites from over the last 16 years. It's great to have land to play on! I've been waiting a very long time for the right living situation to have roosters around. Haven't since I was a teenager raising Bantams of several varieties.

But only one breed having a spare rooster is definitely a good starting point! Now to see how they all mature.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Sounds great so far.

And of course, share pics when you get a chance.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sounds like your off to a good start. Thanks for sharing your results.

Since I cull for faults, 1 cockerel is usually not enough.

Curious what color eggs you get from the Marans... on their site, they don't look that dark. I'm hoping to get more good genetics as mine are only laying around a 3 on the scale. I hadn't heard that meat spot thing, I will have to pay attention. I have an OE from the same breeder that lays the most beautiful dark egg... but she is not pure Marans, so won't work well for my breeding.

So what is you list of faves from over the years?

 

[GaryDean26]

Yep...sounds great. Yes the Legbars are easy to sex. You can almost tell what they are when they as still working in the eggs. by the time they dry off in the brooder you know for sure. My Marans we could usualy tell between 4-6 weeks, but some kept us guessing until 8 weeks old. The Blue/Black/Splash Breda Fowl we hatch from Green Fire in 2013 were the hardest to sex. We had a pretty good idea at 10 weeks, but were still guessing until 12 weeks.

I had Bantam Black Breasted Red Old English Game growing up in the City from age 12-16. Then we moved and the chickens didn't get to go with us. It was 17 years before I had the right living situation to have chickens again.

Congrats on getting chickens again. You have a lot of interesting breeds, You now are going to need a barn stool so you can sit in the middle of the chicken runs and watch them for a few hours every weeks.

 

[mandelyn]

I've always liked the OEG Bantams and the jibber-jabber from the roosters. The hens were so cute when they went broody! If I ever have space for "just because" chickens I'll get them again, but right now the coop and the barn are full.

Can't go wrong with an Orpington. For egg production combined with temperament, I like them as well as either Red Star and Black Stars.

But my "favorite" is still trying types I've never had before! I've had good stock before with the Marans, with decent egg color. Curious to see how these produce, otherwise I'll need to bounce back to the Black Copper to get to those super dark eggs.

Out of this batch though, the little Barnvelders are the spunkiest, the Twentse are the calmest, the Marans the most curious. Between the Isbar roos, one already looks superior to the other. Will need to get pictures!

The Legbars... looks like one creamy male and one with stronger contrast to his barring. The females look pretty close to each other so far.

Thinking I'll need to do a fall order, and then another Spring order to round out everything we want to stick with, hopefully resulting in several good pairs to start with.