"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Cody A]

I would mark all eggs in the box now, and whenever a new egg is laid remove it. You want a max of around 3 days difference in hatching, otherwise the hen will choose between unhatched eggs or hungry chicks. Some hens don't wait that long and get off after a day or so, others wait for all the eggs to hatch even if some never will.

That's good info. I'll have to remember this when/if mine ever go broody.

 

[Ron Skekel]

Hey Pam the coop looks good will like to see your set up and know what your doing. Is it a breeding coop with it being divided into sections. Thanks for thinking of me in reference to the trio. I'll be full up if I get the Rocks. I heard from Jeremy, I might have chicks by May. Since I've complained about my birds they've actually gotten better. They're spending more time out of the coop and run now. Some of the flock likes to hang out underneath a big oak beside the run. Some of the cockerels are starting to play the kazoo.
I tried what you said a few times......putting their food outside....... but they'd eat and go back in the coop. I think that they were just young and scared. They are getting better.

Good to hear they do take longer to mature. Yes the four plex is for different breeds so no Roos mating with other hens then there own. I have another duplex. And one big coop that has two sides. Pam

 

[Cody A]

I had thought about the late maturity in the bieles and wondered if that could be a reason. No one has mentioned it before you have now. You may be right.

 

[Ron Skekel]

I had thought about the late maturity in the bieles and wondered if that could be a reason. No one has mentioned it before you have now. You may be right.

It's been talked about in the biefelder forum I guess it hasn't been mentioned in a while. They take 7 to 8 months to get eggs that's a while. They mature slow out of all my breeds they listen the best. I let them free range for six hours because the legbars roo wants to fight him. When it's time to go up they will come and get in their coop no problems. So I think their pretty smart. That lady must have got some that had too much inbreeding. Just my opinion. Pam

 

[campingshaws]

Everyone's coops a chicks look so great! I'm LOVING the sunshine and gorgeous temps today. My whole yard is such a mess: the rain collapsed and ruined this little canopy we got last year at Fred's. The broody and her chicks are somehow covered in mud? The broody wasn't even in her box this morning, she had jumped out somehow and the chicks were PANICKED. I had to put a dog crate tray in the tractor for the renegade roo, because he's inches under mud and water. All the shavings in the run have turned to muck. Ugh. It's all just a huge mess.

All the chicks are growing. Do y'all have any tips for sexing EEs and OEs? The EEs are amerecaunas (so she said), and the OEs are amerecauna/welsummer crossed. Pam, I know you're the expert on amerecaunas, and I have no clue about them. I was happy with "EEs" so it's not important if they're true or not, but how do they look to you?

Some chicks have tails and some don't, some have thick legs, some don't. None of them have combs. Even my own speckled sussex and mixed chicks are causing trouble: my very biggest chick with tree-trunk legs also has the longest tail.

Nothing is consistent with chicks I've successfully sexed in past hatches.

I'm attaching chick pics, just to see. I know they're not the best. And a pic of the EE parents, not my stock. I bought hatching eggs.

Parents:

To the best of my knowledge, chipmunk stripes and spotted heads are the EE or OE chicks. They have black-gray legs. The yellow chicks with black stripes are also the EE or OE. The chipmunks with no spots are sussex, and solid chicks (yellow, black, and gray-blue) are the sussex mixed.

 

[LemonMeringue]

It is pretty hard to tell the sex on breeds that are mixed (if they are EE and not pure). Because like you said, there is not much consistency. Each chick could take after a different parent in different ways. But these babies are pretty young to tell yet. My daughter will sit and watch their behavior and she is getting pretty good at telling that way. When they do that dancing, feather flaring, face to face stare downs she says they are male. Most of the time she is right.

 

[birdman55]

Everyone's coops a chicks look so great! I'm LOVING the sunshine and gorgeous temps today. My whole yard is such a mess: the rain collapsed and ruined this little canopy we got last year at Fred's. The broody and her chicks are somehow covered in mud? The broody wasn't even in her box this morning, she had jumped out somehow and the chicks were PANICKED. I had to put a dog crate tray in the tractor for the renegade roo, because he's inches under mud and water. All the shavings in the run have turned to muck. Ugh. It's all just a huge mess.

All the chicks are growing. Do y'all have any tips for sexing EEs and OEs? The EEs are amerecaunas (so she said), and the OEs are amerecauna/welsummer crossed. Pam, I know you're the expert on amerecaunas, and I have no clue about them. I was happy with "EEs" so it's not important if they're true or not, but how do they look to you?

Some chicks have tails and some don't, some have thick legs, some don't. None of them have combs. Even my own speckled sussex and mixed chicks are causing trouble: my very biggest chick with tree-trunk legs also has the longest tail.

Nothing is consistent with chicks I've successfully sexed in past hatches.

I'm attaching chick pics, just to see. I know they're not the best. And a pic of the EE parents, not my stock. I bought hatching eggs.









Parents:


To the best of my knowledge, chipmunk stripes and spotted heads are the EE or OE chicks. They have black-gray legs. The yellow chicks with black stripes are also the EE or OE. The chipmunks with no spots are sussex, and solid chicks (yellow, black, and gray-blue) are the sussex mixed.

THE ONES THAT CROW ARE MALES.....LOL

 

[campingshaws]

THE ONES THAT CROW ARE MALES.....LOL

C'mon, birdman! I can't wait that long!

 

[LemonMeringue]

THE ONES THAT CROW ARE MALES.....LOL

 

[lakones]

That's just what I did earlier today. Here's a pic. The brown egg is from the broody the olive ones are from the other hen. I put a line on these so starting tomorrow I will take the new ones.
As a side note, it's interesting to see how the Roos are treating her when she comes out. They walk with her everywhere she goes, but do not attempt to mount at all.