Introducing the Ideal Dozen

3KillerBs · Jul 6, 2021

The French Cuckoo Marans

These are big girls, solid handfuls with a dense feel in the hand.

Blue

Green

Purple, whom I have mostly stopped suspecting of being male (she had a large head spot as a chick).

3KillerBs · Jul 6, 2021

Everyone was inside at dark, having put themselves to bed without me having to get mash for them.

3KillerBs · Jul 7, 2021

Tomorrow we get tested by the season's first tropical storm. The Ladies are experienced, having been through many storms last year and through a very wet winter. The Splits have experienced rainy days before and know where to find shelter. The babies here have not been exposed to the rain so I hope that they quickly figure it out. Everyone except Langshan Purple has a good coat of feathers.

3KillerBs · Jul 10, 2021

In order to give the Splits something to do other than harass the babies -- and because I can detect a faint hint of odor now that we've had several inches of rain -- I've spent half the morning raking up pine straw and live oak leaves and piled 3 gorilla carts' worth in the run n various spots. I'll be interested to see what the little ones make of it once they're done being terrified of litter falling from the sky.

The Ladies, who are used to litter falling from the sky, have informed me that it's too hot to scratch right now but they'll get to it later. The Splits are investigating.

3KillerBs · Jul 11, 2021

As the chicks approach 8 weeks I'm trying to figure out how to evaluate them to figure out who to keep and who to sell.

Initially, I want to pick one of each breed to sell and have been reading up on ways to evaluate a flock.

Langshan Blue gets a free pass because she's the only pullet of her breed.

I have asked my son, whose Cochins they are, to watch them and rate them on any criteria he wants to use.

So I have to figure out how to evaluate the two male Langshans, the Dominiques (one of whom *may* be male), and the French Cuckoo Marans. I am less concerned about meeting breed standards than about overall vigor, growth, fitness to my idea of what a chicken should be (somewhat ill-defined but nonetheless *there*), and overall good confirmation on the basics that are common to all breeds.

Come Friday, when I'll be off work and able to catch them for individual assessment, I'll probably make a new thread to share my ideas and get input.

3KillerBs · Jul 11, 2021

I just went out to shut everyone up and thought I saw the Splits trying to sleep in the run again. Nope. It was 4 of the babies -- 2 Marans, a Cochin, and a Dominique. I picked them up and tucked them through the pop door.

Those Marans are SOLID in the hand.

3KillerBs · Jul 16, 2021

8 weeks and 2 days. I bought a fisherman's scale to weigh them. I can't vouch for it's durability since it's the first day, but it worked easily. I had my DS#3 helping take photos and hold the scale up. I hung a 5 gallon bucket, tared it out, then put the chick into the bucket for weighing.

The goal is to figure out which 3 to sell -- one Silver-Laced Cochin, one French Cuckoo Marans, and one Dominique. Sesame (Langshan Blue) gets a free pass as the only Langshan pullet and I have to keep all 3 suspected boys to at least 12 weeks in order to get clear photos of definite male characteristics in order to claim my >10% sexing error refund.

I'm letting my son decide on the Cochins by whatever standard he chooses to apply since they're his as pets.

3KillerBs · Jul 16, 2021

The French Cuckoo Marans:

Fricasee (Purple)
24.8oz, 3 fingers wide between legs.
Very light leg feathering

Chasseure (Green band)
23oz, 3 fingers between legs.
Fairly calm

Provencal (Blue band)
29.1 oz (largest of the flock), 3 fingers between legs.
Calm.

3KillerBs · Jul 16, 2021

The Langshans

Sesame (Blue band), the only Langshan pullet
27.1oz, 2.5 fingers between legs
Skittish

En Croute (green band)
27.5oz, 2.5 fingers between legs.
Mostly feathered now.
Skittish, but not crazy.
Hung around us afterward, taking considerable interest in the examination of the other chicks.

Kung Pao (purple band)
27.5oz, 2 fingers between legs. *May* be taller than En Croute but couldn't get actual measurements.
Still short on feathers.
Very skittish. Didn't freak out today, but freaked out so badly last week that I thought he'd injured a wing but was OK the next morning.