Illinois...

[SnootyHen]

Remember my speckled egg mystery? I think it was my Marans who laid it and maybe her printer was just low on ink that day? No one else has laid since and it was 8 days ago but this crazy Marans lays as often as my Leghorn which is almost daily. Crazy!! Those 2 are going to need a break soon so somebody else better start laying.

 

[Faraday40]

@BReeder!
That's a boy. About 4 to 5 months, right? My guess is Mr Wonderful mated a lav. (He was the top roo before he passed.) I see partial lacing, so although purebred orp, he's not worth breeding or keeping.

The meatie girl looks like she's a rooster's favorite (wings & back missing feathers due to a male treading on her) AND she's probably molting.

The missing feathers under the wattles is something I struggle with here. When my flock gets bored, they pluck each other on the neck. I've seen a hen just sit and pluck away at my rooster's neck & as he just sat there. It's kind of like obsessive grooming & I have no idea why they let the other chickens pluck them.

 

[BReeder!]

@BReeder!
That's a boy. About 4 to 5 months, right? My guess is Mr Wonderful mated a lav. (He was the top roo before he passed.) I see partial lacing, so although purebred orp, he's not worth breeding or keeping.

The meatie girl looks like she's a rooster's favorite (wings & back missing feathers due to a male treading on her) AND she's probably molting.

The missing feathers under the wattles is something I struggle with here. When my flock gets bored, they pluck each other on the neck. I've seen a hen just sit and pluck away at my rooster's neck & as he just sat there. It's kind of like obsessive grooming & I have no idea why they let the other chickens pluck them.

Well... what to do? What to do? Hmm... his crow is so quiet enough and awkward enough to not be recognized as a crow. I am tempted to let him stick around. I'm not supposed to have a roo, but not many people would think that's a roo (outside the chicken community) unless ge gets great big sickle feathers or starts really crowing. It would be fun to see what hatches if a girl goes broody in the Spring.

That said, the stew pot is a possibility. I could also give him to my MIL. She currently has no roo since he flick was targetted by predators. They live in rural TN, but we are going to be visiting them in a few weeks. A 9-10 hour drive with achicken doesn't sound pleasant though...

 

[Molpet]

Well... what to do? What to do? Hmm... his crow is so quiet enough and awkward enough to not be recognized as a crow. I am tempted to let him stick around. I'm not supposed to have a roo, but not many people would think that's a roo (outside the chicken community) unless ge gets great big sickle feathers or starts really crowing. It would be fun to see what hatches if a girl goes broody in the Spring.

That said, the stew pot is a possibility. I could also give him to my MIL. She currently has no roo since he flick was targetted by predators. They live in rural TN, but we are going to be visiting them in a few weeks. A 9-10 hour drive with achicken doesn't sound pleasant though...

I agree with Faraday on the molt, I have a couple that look like that


I have several trees down and one in the poultry yard. I have been blessed, no damage to structures or fencing. If it had fallen 4 ft west it would have hit the e net. It fell in a perfect spot.

Looks like a bomb went off. Can't walk in a straight line through the yard because of all the fallen branches.

lost power for 14 hrs
I had 2 poults in the incubator. A turkey took her brood off the nest and I went to clean and 2 newly hatched wet

 

[SnootyHen]

A 9-10 hour drive with achicken doesn't sound pleasant though...

Especially if he starts really "blossoming" into a big boy roo by then!

 

[BReeder!]

Uhh... I think I have 2 roos! I was closely inspecting the clock a but ago as we integrated the turkey poults and ducklings into each of their flocks. I realized that the bigger lavender orp is actually the much younger one. The bigger one's stature is also more upright. Here's some pics. Take a look @Faraday40.

The lav on the right is the suspected roo.

From the front

From the side

As a bonus, here's some pics of the ducklings enjoying the pond.

 

[Justso]

Hello everybody! It's been a little while since I've been on. I have over 1,100 notifications.

Yesterday's storm was nasty. I hope everybody, including feathers friends, is alright. I came out with a few downed tree limbs just and some things blown around the yard.

@Faraday40 I may have a roo orpington. We are trying to figure out who is making a weird sound that seems like a youngster's crow before puberty (I don't know that puberty is actually a thing for chickens). We hear it every morning now and sometimes during the day. I don't think it's egg song because I never heard this before. Then again, it could just be egg song with a new beat - maybe the herbs are having rap battles. I don't have arecording of the noise, but I do have a pic of the black (or not so black now) orp, which is one of the young bird I got from you last. What are your (or anybody else's for that matter) thoughts on sex?
View attachment 2285789View attachment 2285790View attachment 2285791

@Molpet the cornish cross I hatched from an egg of yours last year is looking abut funky these days. I know you said they don't live very long typically, but have you ever seen one look so messed up? I'm going it's just a bad molt. She's looked this for nearly a week now. She's missing feathers on her wings and sides of her keck. Right next to her vent the skin is leathery and red/pink. She also let out a milky liquid poop ir whatever it was that was very much liquid as DW held her for this pic. Is she deteriorating or just molting? Anybody else with thoughts, please share as well.
View attachment 2285800View attachment 2285801View attachment 2285802

Other than all that, our flock is doing well. Turkeys and ducks are growing out just a little more before joining their respective flocks. We did lose one of the three ducks about two weeks ago randomly. I think it got trampled by a turkey brooder mate. It seems absolutely healthy. Two of the chicks we got from Farm and Fleet this year are crazy looking. One is an olive egger and I think the other is Ameraucana (I forgot and need to look back at my posts to confirm). I will need to get pics for you all.

Edit: The Farm and Fleet chicks we got this year are actually in the last pic of the black orp. The middke one is a brown leghorn and doesn't look crazy. However the one on the right has a slicked back mohawk and the one on the left has a beard and muffs that look like a men's fashion statement from the Civil War era. Here's that pic again, but cropped for easy reference.
View attachment 2285819

That sure does look like an Easter egger and a crested legbar. Nice beard on the EE, there was just a funny contest on best bearded chicken.

 

[Justso]

Well... what to do? What to do? Hmm... his crow is so quiet enough and awkward enough to not be recognized as a crow. I am tempted to let him stick around. I'm not supposed to have a roo, but not many people would think that's a roo (outside the chicken community) unless ge gets great big sickle feathers or starts really crowing. It would be fun to see what hatches if a girl goes broody in the Spring.

That said, the stew pot is a possibility. I could also give him to my MIL. She currently has no roo since he flick was targetted by predators. They live in rural TN, but we are going to be visiting them in a few weeks. A 9-10 hour drive with achicken doesn't sound pleasant though...

My neighbors orpington roosters are pretty good, one more aggressive but not mean, and the one that services my gals is like a big golden retriever. If you were to box it up tight with just air holes it should be nice and quiet.

 

[BReeder!]

That sure does look like an Easter egger and a crested legbar. Nice beard on the EE, there was just a funny contest on best bearded chicken.

The one with the mohawk is definitely an olive egger. I recall buying the OE. I believe they get them from Hoover's. I looked up their hatchery photos even for comparison since there is often variance in OE just like EE.

The other one with the beard I am fairly certain was Ameraucana. It could have just been an EE though. I don't remember honestly. I think I bought the OE though because they were out of EE, which would mean I did buy an Ameraucana then since I am fairly certain it was either EE OR Ameraucana.

 

[Faraday40]

Well... what to do? What to do? Hmm... his crow is so quiet enough and awkward enough to not be recognized as a crow. I am tempted to let him stick around. I'm not supposed to have a roo, but not many people would think that's a roo (outside the chicken community) unless ge gets great big sickle feathers or starts really crowing. It would be fun to see what hatches if a girl goes broody in the Spring.

That said, the stew pot is a possibility. I could also give him to my MIL. She currently has no roo since he flick was targetted by predators. They live in rural TN, but we are going to be visiting them in a few weeks. A 9-10 hour drive with achicken doesn't sound pleasant though...

Unless personality is outstanding, I'd recommend naming him something like: "BBQ" The crow will get louder & orps can get some decent volume. The orps do not to crow frequently so that's a pro. You've got some time to decide since his crow is still pathetic.