JANUARY 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[Renee572]

Things are crazy here... I have some really beautiful birds growing here. I did lose a couple runts...that turned out to be ones i had assisted to begin with. I am really contemplating that assisted hatch thing. Only one left assisted is that Dec Rhodebar Roo. We are completely frozen though...it's -6 again. 

Glad your chicks are doing well now, I can't wait to see how they develop! How's the little peppermint stick doing?

ya, I wasn't going to assist any of my chicks. If they are strong enough or meant to be they will make it out of the egg I think. Peppermint is 10 weeks old today! she/he is doing great and so is Chickadee, they are quite the buddies these days. I keep going back and forth whether I think Peppermint is a roo. I have 1 barred rock hen and had another until it died in September and looking back at their pics they just didn't have the comb that peppermint has. And that wanna be crow I heard last weekend makes me wonder but I haven't heard another since. I read barred rock pullets with be darker in color and have dark feet, whereas roos are lighter in color with light feet. Peppermint looks dark to me but has light feet, so I dunno how true what I read was and I also don't know if Peppermint is pure BR or a cross.

Guess there's really no sense in trying to figure out what they are. I'll either get an egg or hear a crow at some point!

 

[Purpletie3]

Lol...This morning my December crew was crowing in unison...They are just little buggers so it is quite hysterical! I can not wait for my first egg!!! Shouldn't be too long from my EE that are outside. They have to be about 5-6 months now.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Lol...This morning my December crew was crowing in unison...They are just little buggers so it is quite hysterical!  I can not wait for my first egg!!!  Shouldn't be too long from my EE that are outside. They have to be about 5-6 months now. 

Lol some of my Dec. roos have started crowing the end of last week. Tomorrow afternoon 8 will be getting a new home. Mind you this is out of a hatch of 18. In addition 1 roo I'm keeping and possibly 2 others could be roo's as well. That leaves me with a lot less hens than I'm needing. Hoping that last weekends hatch of 11 have a few more hens in it than the hatch of 18 lol.

 

[Purpletie3]

Lol some of my Dec. roos have started crowing the end of last week. Tomorrow afternoon 8 will be getting a new home. Mind you this is out of a hatch of 18. In addition 1 roo I'm keeping and possibly 2 others could be roo's as well. That leaves me with a lot less hens than I'm needing. Hoping that last weekends hatch of 11 have a few more hens in it than the hatch of 18 lol.

Nice they have a new home this go to! I haven't figured out who I am keeping. So far.. Maybe all of them!

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Nice they have a new home this go to! I haven't figured out who I am keeping. So far.. Maybe all of them!

most of the ones I've incubating are for my brothers flock. Just had a huge number of roo's with the one batch. He's wanting 15 hens so will see in the next weeks how many of the 11 I hatched this past weekend will be hens. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed. In my area it's so hard getting rid of roo's and I dont have the extra room with it being winter to grow them to butchering age.

 

[Purpletie3]

What is a typical age of roo's to butcher them? I love hatching. It really is addicting. i can not wait until I have some eggs of my own to hatch....I think that will just kick it up a notch!

I have a lot of predators out here at my farm. I thought about having roo patrol set up. Kind of inside the outer gate but outside the inner gate...LOL...

 

[ChickenLady2014]

What is a typical age of roo's to butcher them?   I love hatching. It really is addicting. i can not wait until I have some eggs of my own to hatch....I think that will just kick it up a notch!

I have a lot of predators out here at my farm. I thought about having roo patrol set up. Kind of inside the outer gate but outside the inner gate...LOL...

If they are not a meat bird we usually wait until they are about 18 weeks old or otherwise they don't have much meat on them. I just don't have the room to house that many Roos with the weather being so cold. Just praying that my new batch of chicks arent so roo happy lol

 

[Purpletie3]

If they are not a meat bird we usually wait until they are about 18 weeks old or otherwise they don't have much meat on them. I just don't have the room to house that many Roos with the weather being so cold. Just praying that my new batch of chicks arent so roo happy lol

I see a lot of comb development on my chicks...Think i have lotsa roo's. Maybe that's what I should name my farm....lotsa roo's farm.

 

[Renee572]

Peppermint- taken today 10 weeks old. Roo?

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I see a lot of comb development on my chicks...Think i have lotsa roo's. Maybe that's what I should name my farm....lotsa roo's farm.

Lol, do you have multiples of the same breed? I haven't been wrong yet when I hatch and end up with multiple birds of the same breed. My roos have always grown a comb fast and it's gotten pink/red fast. The hens comb is slow to develop and doesn't pinken up until just before she goes into lay. So far its worked for me, but nothing is 100% until they crow or lay an egg. Now having just one of a breed doesn't give you that comb comparison. Usually with roosters their mannerisms give them away. Occasionally you will have that one or two that will make you wait until the end before you know lol.