Illinois...

[homeschoolin momma]

Ok, the official numbers. 9 orps, 4 spitzies, 3 ee, and 6 seramas (which i will add either tomorrow night or Monday morning. 6 ducks eggs to be started in the morning once she gives me #6.

Its kinda pretty isnt it?
I took the serama eggs back out after the picture.

 

[megpie021]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I see this is still dangerous because one post and there’s already hey get more chickens on the table

@cavemanrich i wish I had an Andalusian hen too I went to get a cup of coffee this morning and he’s out in the garage letting the world know he’s there. As far as our three year old goes hopefully one day he will enjoy them. Right now he’s pretty afraid of the chickens lol. He has been slowly getting more interested but still likes a good social distancing distance between him and them. His little brother however is like let me grab them!! So maybe our oldest will learn from him

@Faraday40 ill have to talk to my husband about the prospect. I know I don’t want to do just one new introduction, but two white leghorns would actually be a significant jump in production around here lol. He may want to wait and see how the summer goes with this new batch of girls. He doesn’t care if the egg basket is pretty with variety like I do

We just got some new feeders and waterers for the big girls and need to get out there clean the coop and swap things over so we can work on integrating. The new ones are ten weeks tomorrow. I’m slightly worried about the petiteness of the silked white Easter eggers. They are supposed to be bigger than actual silkies. But they are definitely noticeably smaller. Our chicken I was pretty sure was the meanest of the older girls did die this summer, and to be honest I’m not quite sure who has taken over at the top. I’m just hoping no one is especially mean to the cotton balls.

 

[SnootyHen]

Hello! I am reintroducing myself. I was active a few years ago before life for crazy for us. We had gotten 6 girls which ended up being 12 before summers end. I got a lot of great advice and encouragement here. I took a step back when our three year old was born super prematurely. We kept up with our chickens actual care but beyond that was too much. Over the last couple of years we had lost some of our flock. The girl in my avatar actually was my first loss to a predator. One of my polish girls had vent prolapse happen...

We finally decided it was time to add some more chickens back in especially since the original girls are slowing down some. In January I received 8 chicks from mpc. I got sucked in by the silked white Easter eggers I got two of them, a bcm, an olive egger, an australorp, a white egg layer, and two mystery rare breeds. After several weeks looking at pictures and watching them grow we determined the white egg layer is an Andalusian, the two mystery rare breeds are a lavender Orpington and a cream legbar. Unfortunately the Andalusian is definitely a cockerel. He’s got the funniest little crow and is already beautifully iridescent. I’m not supposed to have roosters so I’m going to be looking for a home for him. Everyone else though is looking really good. The silked Easter eggers are like cotton balls on legs which I love. The olive egger has a crest that it’s quite as big as the cream legbar. The australorp is the sweetest calmes bird. And the bcm is in a close second. I’m sad my egg basket won’t have any white, but might do another tiny round of chicks later this year especially if we have any more losses. Any suggestions of what white egg layers do best around here? (I’m in mchenry). Any way I’m glad to be back and if anyone wants a cockerel let me know

pic is the new girls upon their arrival.

Welcome back!!

 

[SnootyHen]

And once the kids get grown, it will make a great chicken coop

That was originally my plan when we took ours down but the club house part of it was on the wrong side of the yard (and too small for the 12 *ahem* 4 chickens we have). But I wish I would have re-used some of the wood because it would have saved a lot!!

 

[megpie021]

I just went to check in the little chickens and now am suspicious about the lavender Orpington I feel like out of no where it’s got a comb that’s base is more red. I’m gonna be so annoyed if I have to try to rehome two cockerels. Took this headshot real fast before I started cleaning and was corralling them all to one of the three pens. 10 weeks old tomorrow.

 

[Faraday40]

I just went to check in the little chickens and now am suspicious about the lavender Orpington I feel like out of no where it’s got a comb that’s base is more red. I’m gonna be so annoyed if I have to try to rehome two cockerels. Took this headshot real fast before I started cleaning and was corralling them all to one of the three pens. 10 weeks old tomorrow.

Hmmmmm
Could you post a few more pics? Head & body shots

Here's one of my orps today (at 6.5 weeks) to compare.
Notice how the wattles dropped? He doesn't even have all his feather & I know he's a boy.

This one also "stands" like a boy. Tall & upright

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I just went to check in the little chickens and now am suspicious about the lavender Orpington I feel like out of no where it’s got a comb that’s base is more red. I’m gonna be so annoyed if I have to try to rehome two cockerels. Took this headshot real fast before I started cleaning and was corralling them all to one of the three pens. 10 weeks old tomorrow.

I'm guessing male until there are more pictures.

 

[megpie021]

Hmmmmm
Could you post a few more pics? Head & body shots

Here's one of my orps today (at 6.5 weeks) to compare.
Notice how the wattles dropped? He doesn't even have all his feather & I know he's a boy.
View attachment 2569791
This one also "stands" like a boy. Tall & upright
View attachment 2569794

I’ll try to take some more tomorrow. I actually had to stop cleaning cuz both boys woke up from their naps super early so I will be back out there.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

So I HAD to make a tsc run for feed and corn today. After getting encouraging thoughts from @Faraday40, I grabbed the puppy and off we went. Got to the store and low and behold, no chicks to tempt me! They were clean out! They did however have 1 nr360 left and i was Soooo tempted to get another. But i resisted. Instead, I came away with this.

Faraday thinks it suits me.

 

[megpie021]

So I HAD to make a tsc run for feed and corn today. After getting encouraging thoughts from @Faraday40, I grabbed the puppy and off we went. Got to the store and low and behold, no chicks to tempt me! They were clean out! They did however have 1 nr360 left and i was Soooo tempted to get another. But i resisted. Instead, I came away with this.
View attachment 2570109
Faraday thinks it suits me.

I got one like this a couple of years ago. Love it.