Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[ramirezframing]

I did polish and araucana cross, most of first cross laid blue eggs (had a comb that looked a lot like a butter cup). I also did a cross of silkie to araucana, most came off laying a blue egg. My only problem is getting a tail back on the birds and I'm on F4 . So if I were you I would do a true blue egg layer with a white egg gene rooster to get more blue egg layers.

 

[ramirezframing]

OK viewers

I need help.

I have a mix of white pullets.

All have white ear lobes. Some have yellow legs, some have gray legs some have yellow.

Possible breeds

White Rock
Leghorn
California white

???

Cheers

White rocks don't have white ears lobes, their's are red and they have yellow legs. A leghorn has white ear lobes and yellow legs. Not sure the leg color of a california white. I'll look around later, got to get the kiddos to school.

 

[ozexpat]

The only pea comb birds too have are local visayas and wyandottes.

I bought eggs from a guy on eBay. There were white rocks and rhode island whites. He did not label the cartons. I figured the Rhode islanders would have pea combs.

California white are supposed to be a leghorn with some white rock in them.

I may even have pure bresse in the mix but I did not think any hatched but that was the hatch where Bernie left and there was pandemonium. Black Bresse lay white eggs but white Bresse lay a light brown egg. They do have gray legs but I am not sure of ear lobes.

The gray legged birds are pretty big. There are a few that I am pretty sure that are leghons because they are quite small.

I may have to wait to see egg color. I will be surprised if any lay a brown egg.

My original hatch had a few Ameraucana cross polish that lay blue eggs. I crossed then with a blue wyandotte and the crest is still present. They are a very pretty bird. I now have a coop full of them.

Oh... I did have some white Marans eggs. I have two other white birds with feathered legs so they are identified.

 

[vehve]

I got mixed up a bit, I thought you had something with possible blue genes already, there the pea comb might tell you something.

 

[ramirezframing]

Don't know much on bresse, except that its a white bird with grey legs (don't know ear lobe color). True rhode island whites only have a rose comb, red ear lobes, yellow legs, and are very hard to find. Sorry I can't be of more help to you. Hope you figure them out soon.

 

[ozexpat]

@vehve

Your confusion is caused by me as I was discussing white birds and birds that lay colored eggs.

After pouring over my egg records, there is a pretty good probability of the great legged birds being Bresse. Nothing else I have fits the description and the age is right.

I will put all the other white birds in together and monitor egg production. If I get a brown egg from them I will separate them until I isolate the "has to be a white rock with white earlobes from a hatchery".

I will be on the hunt for true Rhode islanders as I want them for sex links. The Bresse I may just keep for personal eating.

I have to concentrate on Australorps, Orpington, Jersey Giants, RIR, Barred Rocks and easter eggers as these are my main market.

 

[ozexpat]

We had a staff lunch and meeting today. Bernie had Analou here for the week with Dave. With the construction guys, Jun-Jun's clan, us and the nannies we feed sixteen. We put two huge young roosters in the turbo, served with Indonesian fried rice and buk Choi.

Afterwards we went through all the record keeping we expect when we are not here:

Egg lay logs
Incubation logs
Feed inventory logs
Feed mix batch records
Medication administration records
Piglet care flow sheet
Time logs for day workers
Hardware and supply inventory sheet and use records
Copra production log
Petty cash journal.

We discussed my wish to give them the resources to do their jobs and their responsibility to both care for the resources and let me know what they need.

We discussed lead times on inventory and accountability to ensure we don't run out of supplies.

I have a picture book with the photos of packaging for all medications. It includes mixing instructions, indications and dosage.

I have feed mix tables with ages.

I have target weights for piglets on a weekly then biweekly basis.

I have a table by date for all Bernie's duties from setting eggs to cleaning coops to deworming goats changing feed batches.

Both guys have a list of projects to complete in their free time.

Finally they have a smart phone to send pictures taken off all the logs so I may transfer to my CocoBeach Access database.

All I can do now is how they stay on track.

I am on stand by for Saturday and Sunday so I will just tie up loose ends until I get confirmation then it's back to the salt mine.

 

[vehve]

Oz, you've done what you can, now it's up to them to live up to the challenge. Hopefully they see it as a good chance and everything works out. By the way, are there any respectable enough businesses that you could keep either a tab or a prepared system with in case you're worried about leaving them with cash? Although if you can't trust them to handle money they might not be the kind of employees you want to keep around.

 

[scottcaddy]

I do hope that they work out this time. The 'salt mine' might just be easier then what you just went thru

Hug the kiddos and kiss the DW for me.
Have a good flight, and take care of that knee.
Scott

 

[joannefiddler]

Safe travels Oz! You've done all you can do. Hopefully they will have pride in what's happening at CocoBeach and realize what invaluable skills they are learning.