HenneryTheEighth
Songster
- May 28, 2020
- 261
- 553
- 191
On April 20th, 2020, I received (11) random rare breed hens from Mount Healthy Hatchery. Everyone is a delight - including Magic Marge.
This bird was shipped as a female and looked female as a check. It took me a while, but I finally figured out she was a Barnevelder along with two others
At five weeks, she was significantly larger than the Barnies, but had no red in the comb or wattles. The feather markings were the same on all three.
Marge doesn't make a lot of noise. The other two are talkers.
On June third, Marge got sour crop. It took a while for the treatments to get it under control, so I think that retarded her growth a bit. At this point, she had a red comb and red wattle, but the body posture of a pullet. During this time, it seemed like she knew that the treatment (unpleasant as it was) was making her feel better. She was very personable, ate her yogurt like a good girl, and tolerated the chicken bra for about two days. Once she got better, though, she began avoiding me like the plague.
At this point, Marge's coloring shifted a bit. She started getting more green coloring and the wing pattern shifted. Still no noise.
Marge is currently third in the pecking order, right underneath my dominant Brahma pulley and a two-year-old Welsummer hen I acquired earlier this month.
Marge is a mystery; hence, the 'magic' name. I have gone back and forth a million times trying to figure out if this is a pullet or a roo! I will keep her no matter what, but why the heck is it so difficult for me to sex this bird? When I look at the pics, I am 100% sure she's a cockerel, but no hint of a crow? Do I have the first crowless Barnevelder? Should I just wait for the hormones to hit? Or will I make a fortune with the first crow-less rooster?
This bird was shipped as a female and looked female as a check. It took me a while, but I finally figured out she was a Barnevelder along with two others
At five weeks, she was significantly larger than the Barnies, but had no red in the comb or wattles. The feather markings were the same on all three.
Marge doesn't make a lot of noise. The other two are talkers.
On June third, Marge got sour crop. It took a while for the treatments to get it under control, so I think that retarded her growth a bit. At this point, she had a red comb and red wattle, but the body posture of a pullet. During this time, it seemed like she knew that the treatment (unpleasant as it was) was making her feel better. She was very personable, ate her yogurt like a good girl, and tolerated the chicken bra for about two days. Once she got better, though, she began avoiding me like the plague.
At this point, Marge's coloring shifted a bit. She started getting more green coloring and the wing pattern shifted. Still no noise.
Marge is currently third in the pecking order, right underneath my dominant Brahma pulley and a two-year-old Welsummer hen I acquired earlier this month.
Marge is a mystery; hence, the 'magic' name. I have gone back and forth a million times trying to figure out if this is a pullet or a roo! I will keep her no matter what, but why the heck is it so difficult for me to sex this bird? When I look at the pics, I am 100% sure she's a cockerel, but no hint of a crow? Do I have the first crowless Barnevelder? Should I just wait for the hormones to hit? Or will I make a fortune with the first crow-less rooster?
