Hatching with 2 broodies

[Carrie54452002]

Hi Carrie,
I would think that your right, Mama might be teaching them that way. Do you know if the Roo caused the marks? Maybe he was a little rough with them. I would just continue to watch them if it were me.
Marie

No the marks weren't from him... I watched his whole interaction. He was pecking more at their bodies.... literally picking them up in his beak and droppoing them... thanks for your feedback

 

[tommysgirl]

Hello Team!
My chicks are three weeks old today (well, one is), and I am more confident than ever that my awesome co-broodies hatched 2 out for 2 pullets! So far, they are exhibiting absolutely no rooster-ish qualities and are showing all of the right pullet-ones. I found the list below on another thread, and while it covers ages a week older than my chicks, mine have a lot of the pullet characteristics listed, and none of the cocks:
According to UC Davis Veterinary Care Program.
2. Physical Characteristics (4-6 weeks of age)
a. Comb The cockerels comb is medium size and pinkish, the pullets is small and yellowish.
b. Legs The cockerels legs are sturdy and long, the pullets are finer and shorter.
c. Tail The cockerels tail is stumpy and curved, the pullets is longer and straight.
d. Back The cockerel has a thin line of stub feathers down the center of his back, the pullet has more advanced feathering along the center of her back.
e. Side of neck, flank and crop The feathering in the cockerel in these areas is poorly advanced, the pullets feathering in these areas is well advanced.
f. Wing bows In the cockerel the wing bows are bare, in pullets the wing bows are covered with small feathers.

Also, while not a scientific sample, looking at other BYC threads, it appears that cockerels tend to have pinkish combs and wattles by 2-3 weeks, and mine don't have that yet. Here are some pictures of my chicks, exploring today.
Note the good feather development on the "wing bows":







Still a family:

Thanks for posting that list of male and female identifiers. I love your fall chick pics! I have to get out and get some. My babies are already almost 2 weeks old. They now live in the pen that DH made for them. They were getting out of the coop and into the non predator safe run so it was time. Now the three chicks and mama spend nights in a dog crate and days in their little yard. We have a light on out there but they don't seem to need it. They are all quite hardy seeming and I am looking forward to getting to spend a little time making friends with them over the next few days. My next broody hatch will for sure have several of my CA Grey eggs in the mix. I am anxious to see if her eggs when mixed with my Delaware Roo will produce a sex link. I know she will with the New Hampshire Roo and since both of them have access to her I want to set a week's worth. That said I hope no one decides to go broody before spring. I am using the broody pen as a grow out pen next and then maybe a breeding pen come March so I don't want any more babies right now...though Tom did mention yesterday he will probably be adding another pen at some point.

He really likes the girls. He recently sold his business and hasn't got his new one underway so has been spending lots of time with them.

to everyone. It is Hug a Chicken Day so get out there and give them a cuddle!

 

[lizgarf]

I will try and get some pictures of my giant fuzz balls this coming weekend; they are growing so fast! Bed time is funny; they all try and fit under Cilla and it is not happening any more; one squeezes in which pops another out lol.

Mr Crow is still hanging around and Dusty took him on today .. she puffed up like a ball and then flew at him! He is pretty much the same size as her! lol

Such a wonderful image - the big fuzzballs gradually taking over Cilla! You have to get video footage!

Go Auntie Dusty! I knew she'd join the team!

Today, one of my chicks was up on the big-girl roost with her two moms! The other one either hadn't figured it out yet, or had just descended when I saw them. So cute!! They grow up so fast!

Happy Hug A Chicken Day to you too, TG!! Not sure my molters are in any mood to be hugged, but I'll see what I can do.

 

[16 paws]

literally picking them up in his beak and droppoing them... thanks for your feedback

That would worry me a little too, how are things going today?
Marie

 

[Teila]

Lunch time .. taking a break from

.. Hhhm, well not really, still in front of the computer lol

They are growing up so fast!

Isn't every day 'Hug a chicken day'? I am positive my girls would rather have 'Feed the chicken a treat day'. Food v Hugs, I know what would win

16 Paws, I saw your coop on the Coop forum I subscribe to; it is beautiful! Well done!! I want one! Tee hee

Aaaw Liz, I can imagine her sitting on the roost "I all growed up now"! it would have been cute. Next thing you know she will be laying eggs! lol

It is very hard to concentrate at work; I am wondering what my little family are up to; how they are getting along etc .. ah well, only a few hours to go and I can go home and they can tell me all about their day, as they do

PS. It was touch and go this morning .. I think if I had been another 2 minutes late with the food they would have all expired from starvation! Lol, that's what you would have thought if you could have seen/heard them!

For 'Hug a chicken' day'!

 

[Teila]

If you have an aversion to Giant Fuzz Balls, look away now! lol

Dusty doing her "nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, I'm free ranging" routine:


Cilla bursting at the seams; she is rapidly running out of room .....

3.5 weeks old now .........

Egg for dinner.............




Bubby overflow .............

 

[lizgarf]

If you have an aversion to Giant Fuzz Balls, look away now! lol

So adorable!!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me want silkies! Is that Tina on the right in the 2-chick shot, 3 photos down? She's got a certain pullet-like shape about her.
Cilla is such a trooper to keep trying to cover everyone. I wonder how/when she's going to put an end to it?

 

[tommysgirl]

If you have an aversion to Giant Fuzz Balls, look away now! lol

Dusty doing her "nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, I'm free ranging" routine:


Cilla bursting at the seams; she is rapidly running out of room .....

3.5 weeks old now .........

Egg for dinner.............




Bubby overflow .............

Cute Cute Cute!!!

here are my family portraits




The little black one was under her this morning so I couldn't get a good shot these two are Silver Penciled Wyandottes and I am

that at least one of them is a pullet. The little Black one has a CA Grey for a mama and a Delaware for a dad it has what I think is a cuckoo pattern developing on its wings. I will try to get a shot tonight when I get home

 

[lizgarf]

The little black one was under her this morning so I couldn't get a good shot these two are Silver Penciled Wyandottes and I am

that at least one of them is a pullet. The little Black one has a CA Grey for a mama and a Delaware for a dad it has what I think is a cuckoo pattern developing on its wings. I will try to get a shot tonight when I get home

So cute!! The one with its fuzzy bottom pointed at us looks like it has the kind of chipmunk pattern that is supposed to identify pullets in cream legbars. I wonder if it's similar in whatever it is? Is there a barred bird in the family tree?

 

[tommysgirl]

So cute!! The one with its fuzzy bottom pointed at us looks like it has the kind of chipmunk pattern that is supposed to identify pullets in cream legbars. I wonder if it's similar in whatever it is? Is there a barred bird in the family tree?

Thanks, that is one of the SPW chicks and it isn't feather sexable/autosexing or whatever you call it when it hatches and you can see what it is so I just have to wait

. The little black one who is VERY bold and curious came from a a CA grey egg and they are cuckoo plus its dad is a Delaware and they carry the barring gene but I asked a BYC chicken genetics expert if that would be sex-link mix and he said "no." That little one was hiding under mama but is jet black with a little creamy spot on its head. In barred SL mixes the girls are usually very dark like this chick and the boys have the head spot like this chick so who the heck knows? DH wants to keep it regardless as he was the first to see it after it hatched and he has already decided it is a boy and christened it "El Diablo" on account of it's bad chick behavior