German New Hampshire

[kathyinmo]

Glad you got the birds, Walt! I hope you get a couple keepers from that bunch! These are the most mellow birds I have had (cuz Silkies don't count, right?).

 

[NotAFarm]

One of the things I have found with having them this short period of time is that the color is quite different in the shade as opposed to the sun. They look darker in my photograph than they really are in good light. there is about three shades on the females ........some lighter and some darker and some in the middle. These are very young birds. I don't have their age, but they look as if they will be pretty big birds.

Walt

Walt, My NHs from Kathy were hatched the first week of April and I have 14 pullets and 1 cockerel. Are you talking about individuals that are different shades or different shades on individual pullets? What I'm seeing is a lot of different shades on the same pullet. Will the color even out as they get their adult feathering?

My cockerel ( 20 weeks) has not shown any signs of wanting to crow yet either. I know the NHs mature slowly so I'm enjoying the lack of the crowing competition right now.

What has been the average lay age for these pullets?

 

[Chris Herzog]

What has been the average lay age for these pullets?

I have 6 laying now that started laying right at 7 months of age and I have a bunch that are right at 6 (mid to late Feb birds) months old that have not but can post when I get the first eggs from them if you like.

Chris

 

[Chris Herzog]

This hen is just over a year old in this pic...




She came from Banjoe who got his original birds from Kathy.



These birds came from Banjoe, Luanne and Matt and are all different ages from about 11 months old down to about 5 months of age




Like Walt said, the shade from the trees makes them look darker but you can see each bird has at least 2 different shades of color on them. LOL I'm still looking at and trying to build the barn as best I can....I'm not even thinking about what color to paint it.

Chris

 

[banjoejoe4783]

This hen is just over a year old in this pic...




She came from Banjoe who got his original birds from Kathy.

hi chris she is a good looking bird i like her long back and she has a nice tail set and the ticking in her hackel is perfect not to much but just enufe the only this is i wish she had a rounder underline but she may just have a full crawl

 

[fowlman01]

Walt, My NHs from Kathy were hatched the first week of April and I have 14 pullets and 1 cockerel. Are you talking about individuals that are different shades or different shades on individual pullets? What I'm seeing is a lot of different shades on the same pullet. Will the color even out as they get their adult feathering?

My cockerel ( 20 weeks) has not shown any signs of wanting to crow yet either. I know the NHs mature slowly so I'm enjoying the lack of the crowing competition right now.

What has been the average lay age for these pullets?

I meant that there was three shades of pullets....the whole bird...... this is not unusual. The pullets themselves look darker in the wing area in the picture I took in the shade, but the birds in the sun look pretty even with the neck being lighter as it should be. I have no idea when they are going to lay. They are five months old and the couple I checked are not going to lay anytime soon. These are not for production, so I am not concerned when they are going to lay.

Walt

 

[Matt1616]

My pure Germans start laying promptly at 6 months and the crossed ones start at 7-8 months.
I would disagree with the statement that New Hampshires develop slowly. They are by far the fastest developing of the 6 breeds that I have. They were bred for fast development and mine certainly live up to that.

 

[John farmer]

I second that mine grow out to nice meat birds by 5 or 6 months and start laying at 6 months.

 

[kathyinmo]

She came from Banjoe who got his original birds from Kathy.

He did not get any birds directly from me.

They are five months old and the couple I checked are not going to lay anytime soon. These are not for production, so I am not concerned when they are going to lay.

Walt

They are 4 months and 9 days old.

I have most of the males from that hatch.

I have some Good Shepherd New Hamps that are not quite 3 months old. When they are a bit older I will post pictures of the differences in color - them and the Germans.

 

[fowlman01]

He did not get any birds directly from me.


They are 4 months and 9 days old.

I have most of the males from that hatch.

I have some Good Shepherd New Hamps that are not quite 3 months old. When they are a bit older I will post pictures of the differences in color - them and the Germans.

So I gather these that I got are 100% German? If so, here is what I found and I did notice this when I was at your place. When these birds are photographed they appear much browner in the pics than they really are........particularly if they are photographed in the shade and not in full sun. Some of these are very close to the color I remember the American New Hamps having. At 4 months the females look adult. The males look like teenagers, but the females could be shown and I don't think a judge would know that they were only 4 months old. So Michele only had two males in the group you sent her. I have the two males and 8 females.

Walt