How many chicks will you hatch in 2026?

[2ndTink]

I want 8 new pullets and 1 new cockerel so I'll probably incubate 20 to try for that many pullets. If I dont get all the way to 8 I'll do a smaller batch the following year to get my total keep flock size to 20 not including extras in the grow out pen pending processing or sale.

Are you setting eggs from your current flock?

20 is a nice flock size.

 

[Echelontheory101]

Are you setting eggs from your current flock?

20 is a nice flock size.

No I'll buy hatching eggs, my current 11 are all pullets. I want a blue splash ameraucana rooster as I find them adorable and so that I can breed for pea combs given I have very long and cold winters. Right now I have Exchequer Leghorn, olive eggers, Easter Eggers, black splash Marans, and blue splash ameraucana. With the eggs I'll be adding speckled Sussex, black copper marans and black Australorps to hopefully bring me to 19 pullets and I'll keep the 1 best behaved splash ameraucana cockerel. From there I'll hatch from my own flocks eggs every other year so I have a multi-generational flock.

 

[2ndTink]

No I'll buy hatching eggs, my current 11 are all pullets. I want a blue splash ameraucana rooster as I find them adorable and so that I can breed for pea combs given I have very long and cold winters. Right now I have Exchequer Leghorn, olive eggers, Easter Eggers, black splash Marans, and blue splash ameraucana. With the eggs I'll be adding speckled Sussex, black copper marans and black Australorps to hopefully bring me to 19 pullets and I'll keep the 1 best behaved splash ameraucana cockerel. From there I'll hatch from my own flocks eggs every other year so I have a multi-generational flock.

The egg colors are going to be great!

That's really awesome you are taking your weather into account with your breeding plans. The splash Ameraucanas are so pretty

 

[Echelontheory101]

The egg colors are going to be great!

That's really awesome you are taking your weather into account with your breeding plans. The splash Ameraucanas are so pretty

Yeah if I can reduce the possibility of any of them ever being uncomfortable that would be awesome! My Leghorn has a big floppy comb and I feel so bad for her when it's cold she hasn't gotten any frostbite yet, I try to keep it really protected but I don't like risking it. It's a shame that almost all the white egg layers have big floppy single combs, she's the only white layer I have, which is fine, I buy brown eggs from the store anyway haha

 

[2ndTink]

Yeah if I can reduce the possibility of any of them ever being uncomfortable that would be awesome! My Leghorn has a big floppy comb and I feel so bad for her when it's cold she hasn't gotten any frostbite yet, I try to keep it really protected but I don't like risking it. It's a shame that almost all the white egg layers have big floppy single combs, she's the only white layer I have, which is fine, I buy brown eggs from the store anyway haha

I haven't had any leghorns, but they door have huge combs. Have you looked into small combed white egg layers? (If there are any )

I wonder what an Ameraucana x Leghorn would produce for egg color?

 

[redinator]

I haven't had any leghorns, but they door have huge combs. Have you looked into small combed white egg layers? (If there are any )

I wonder what an Ameraucana x Leghorn would produce for egg color?

I'm glad this wasn't aimed at me. I'd end up in a research rabbit hole. Still might

 

[Echelontheory101]

I haven't had any leghorns, but they door have huge combs. Have you looked into small combed white egg layers? (If there are any )

I wonder what an Ameraucana x Leghorn would produce for egg color?

It produces like a sky blue egg color because my blue splash ameraucana has two blue genes and the Leghorn is a white gene so the blue will take over but the white will add a tint to it so it'll be like a nice sky blue! There are some cushion and rose combed white egg layers but they're expensive and not as good of producers so I think I'm going to stick with my Ameraucana and exchequer Leghorn cross since the pea comb is dominant so the crosses will have pea just not white eggs anymore haha but in a perfect world it would be a high producer sky blue layer with a pea comb if that cross would go well!

 

[2ndTink]

It produces like a sky blue egg color because my blue splash ameraucana has two blue genes and the Leghorn is a white gene so the blue will take over but the white will add a tint to it so it'll be like a nice sky blue! There are some cushion and rose combed white egg layers but they're expensive and not as good of producers so I think I'm going to stick with my Ameraucana and exchequer Leghorn cross since the pea comb is dominant so the crosses will have pea just not white eggs anymore haha but in a perfect world it would be a high producer sky blue layer with a pea comb if that cross would go well!

This sounds like a great cross!

 

[Echelontheory101]

This sounds like a great cross!

And my Leghorn loves me but she's a total b!tch to the rest of the flock lol so hopefully having some friendly Ameraucana genes in there will chill out the offspring

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Not sure but my freezer needs filling so