Introducing the Ideal Dozen

[3KillerBs]

I'm starting to train them on their nipple waterer. I took the open waterer out at bedtime last night then, a little after dawn, I went down and used my finger to peck the nipples at intervals for several minutes while the boldest flock members watched closely.

Then I left them for an hour before putting the open waterer back. They did not attack the waterer when I put it back, which is promising.

I'll keep this up on my days off for a week or until I see them using it. I'll also need to make a larger waterer for them since there are 12 of them and they're getting much larger.

A few photos from this morning.

5 weeks tomorrow and I don't see any noteworthy combs to indicate a potential male.

 

[aart]

I'm starting to train them on their nipple waterer. I took the open waterer out at bedtime last night then, a little after dawn, I went down and used my finger to peck the nipples at intervals for several minutes while the boldest flock members watched closely.

Then I left them for an hour before putting the open waterer back. They did not attack the waterer when I put it back, which is promising.

I'll keep this up on my days off for a week or until I see them using it. I'll also need to make a larger waterer for them since there are 12 of them and they're getting much larger.


5 weeks tomorrow and I don't see any noteworthy combs to indicate a potential male.

Excellent!
Would be good to mark the water level on the nipple waterer.

I don't see any red flags either.

 

[3KillerBs]

Excellent!
Would be good to mark the water level on the nipple waterer.

I don't see any red flags either.

If I didn't want a male I'd have gotten nothing else from the straight-run Splits and had multiple "oops roosters" in my Ideal sexed pullets. *sigh*

 

[3KillerBs]

I even wrestled with the genetics calculator to make sure that the cross the Splits came from couldn't be sex-linked.

 

[3KillerBs]

5 weeks, one day. Combs are popping up everywhere.

 

[3KillerBs]

And one set of wattles on Dominique Blue.

 

[3KillerBs]

I intend to capture them and get individual photos tomorrow.

 

[aart]

Combs are popping up everywhere.

RutRoh!

 

[3KillerBs]

RutRoh!

Well, at 5 weeks it should be expected that something is showing for breeds with big, single combs, right?

 

[aart]

Well, at 5 weeks it should be expected that something is showing for breeds with big, single combs, right?

True Dat....at least most don't look too red.