Java Thread

[Chickielady]

I've got a couple of more days before I can candle my Java eggs.

I'm kinda nervous as they were not handled well in shipping.

UGH!

And they were packed very very well!

You can (I do now) candle shipped eggs after you unwrap them..and then you can see if the air cell is torn & floats from one end of the egg to the other, if so, I mark those with a big X and set them to one side of the incubator.
Some torn cells that are not torn badly can still hatch.

 

[Chickielady]

Hope everyone is doing well....ready for winter ?
After several months of drought here & half the state burning up, we are now hit with storm after strom, feast or famine....
Got a big one coming in now...3/4 to 3" rain, 50-60 mph and lightening.
Inner state will be less of an impact then we get here on the coast.

Have fun !!

 

[ccmarie]

I was wondering how well Javas lay. Some websites say they aren't very good (2 per week), but other posts on here say they're much better. I've got an egg assortment that might include Javas, I just have to decide which chicks we're keeping and which we'll sell/eat.

 

[Poultry Friend]

I would think that could vary on the line you have. Some have birds that are better for meat. They are a dual purpose breed, but I know the ALBC has mentioned they need work on egg production. I think the people who are breed hens that laid well would have better egg production. You can ask the person you got the eggs from what their Javas lay, and I would assume that would be about what those chicks would too.

I would keep and breed the Java's though. They need to be breed by more people. They are still rather rare and great to have! Mine are pretty calm and great finding their own food. I will be keeping them for eggs and meat.

 

[Charlotte80]

Can somebody help me identify this chick? I have had zero luck trying to figure out what he/she is. I looked up black chickens and came upon this thread. It's about 3 months old a very stocky chick with a greenish shine to it's feathers. Greyish black featherless legs and red feather ticking on it's neck. This bird is nearly as big as my year old buff orpington hen. I'm not sure if it's a pullet or a cockerel it's wattles and comb are large and very red BUT it has no spurs at all and all my other roos at this point have small spur bumps... Any help would be appreciated. I have never had a chick like this.

 

[bnjrob]

Looks to be a pullet. Am assuming that this is hatchery stock and not something you got from a breeder. Which means no telling for sure exactly what breed it is. Black Javas do have the beetle green sheen. The red feathering on it does occur in Black Javas, although that is not consistent with the standard that is accepted by the APA for Black Javas. Could be a mixed breed of some kind too. Difficult to tell if you didn't buy it as a Java, and not being able to see if it even has the correct body type for a Java.

 

[Charlotte80]

It very well could be mixed breed. I'm just curious and trying to figure out what it could be. I had never even heard of the Java before finding this thread honestly. I didn't get this chick from a breeder I actually pulled it out of a straight run bin along with 5 other random chicks that all turned out to be barred rocks and Australorps. This chick is NOT an australorp. It is far too boxy and heavy It is a very large bird. Here is a pic of it when it was younger.

 

[bnjrob]

It looks similar to young black Javas. There are some hatcheries that have Javas. And you are more likely to see non-standard coloring (that red color) in hatchery stock since they are not stringent in their breeding and culling as breeders that breed to the APA Standard of Perfection.

You can check out the Java association website to get more info on Javas and see some photos to compare with. www.javabreedersofamerica.com

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I haven't seen this Java thread before! Its interesting!

 

[sumi]

I bought a chicken at a market in Ireland this morning. The guy selling the chickens there told us she's a White Bantam Java. I'll post a pic of her tomorrow morning and I'd love to hear your opinions. I honestly didn't expect to find a rare breed chicken at a rural farmer's market and I'm wondering about this little hen, to be honest. To his credit he sold me a Silver Leghorn last week which I've compared to pic I found online and she looks "right". He had some gorgeous leghorns for sale and I picked up 2 young brown pullets and a white one as well. My DH fell in love with the bantam and it was only when I researched the breed that I found they are listed as rare, with the white ones very much so.