March 2023 hatch-a-long

[junior67]

My *guess* is cockerel, but only due to the tail feathers. I could be wrong.

that is where I am leaning but more because of the comb. But I did notice the tail feathers this week, but the rest are still rounded so holding out hope! LOL It is the sweetest one so sure a cockerel!

 

[junior67]

I haven't been to this thread in so long! My "Barbeque" group were hatched in early March - 13 boys and 16 girls, mixed backyard mutts. (I've hatched in February, March, April, and May this year.)

The girls were successfully integrated into the big flock about a month ago, and doing fine, although two scaredy-cats prefer to spend their days inside the coop, all day, every day. I've got food and water in there as supplement for the littles who are still figuring things out, so I guess I can't blame them LOL. I sold ten of their sisters and one brother to a family who were hoping to get a new flock going.

The boys are happily ensconced within Camp Cockerel, all by themselves. They have a date with destiny on June 17th when they'll be 16 weeks old. Man, there are some beautiful cockerels in there! I'd so like to keep one or two; but I have enough roosters already and they're good boys. It's so entertaining to listen to the little boys crow! And their loooong legs look so comical. They're just like teenage boys going through a growth spurt.

How is everyone else doing?

Mine are doing great. I honestly don't even remember how many hatched..... I would need to go back and look at my paper. ok had 13 hatch. Sold 7 as straight run. I need to check in to see what sexes 5 ended up. 2 we were trying to figure out but possibly both boys.

I still had 6 left. of those 6 I had 4 cockerels and 2 pullets.......... I couldn't have that bad of luck that I sold all girls as straight run could I? LOL I think that group I just had LOTS of boys!

I have sold 3 of the boys and 1 pullet. so I only have 1 of each left. I am keeping the splash brahma pullet, and have someone that wants the splash/Lav Brahma cockerel we just need to figure out a time I am home that she can come get him. I only sold the other girl since she was a splash Cochin and I already have 2 so wanted to keep different colors/breeds.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

that is where I am leaning but more because of the comb. But I did notice the tail feathers this week, but the rest are still rounded so holding out hope! LOL It is the sweetest one so sure a cockerel!

I've got two birds I moved with the pullets that I'm really not sure about, and two I kept with the cockerels that are in question as well. The two maybe-pullets have almost no comb at all yet, and no spiky saddle feathers, but a few of the tail feathers are a bit pointier than their sisters. And the maybe-cockerels also have nearly non-existent combs, but they're showing the beginnings of saddle and tail feathers. One of them (black) has some red leakage around his shoulders (and with red genetics in the flock, I was told that's a sure sign of a boy). Both have pea combs, so it's hard to judge. It's 6 weeks until their slaughter date, so I've got time to sort them out.

I have one solid black cockerel that sneaked into the coop along with my February batch of pullets and escaped his late May slaughter date. When I moved him with the girls, he had no comb, no saddle or tail feathers - at 12 weeks of age. Two days after I butchered his brothers, I found him sporting a bright red, tall comb, beautiful arching tail feathers, and a nice mantle of saddle feathers. "Who the hell are you, and where did you come from?" I said, as I confronted him in the coop. He just stared back at me. It's like I had a bird show up that I didn't know I had - I'd never noticed him before! Talk about a growth spurt! Wow. From pullet to rooster in one month.

So..... sometimes you just don't know until they crow. Right?

 

[junior67]

I've got two birds I moved with the pullets that I'm really not sure about, and two I kept with the cockerels that are in question as well. The two maybe-pullets have almost no comb at all yet, and no spiky saddle feathers, but a few of the tail feathers are a bit pointier than their sisters. And the maybe-cockerels also have nearly non-existent combs, but they're showing the beginnings of saddle and tail feathers. One of them (black) has some red leakage around his shoulders (and with red genetics in the flock, I was told that's a sure sign of a boy). Both have pea combs, so it's hard to judge. It's 6 weeks until their slaughter date, so I've got time to sort them out.

I have one solid black cockerel that sneaked into the coop along with my February batch of pullets and escaped his late May slaughter date. When I moved him with the girls, he had no comb, no saddle or tail feathers - at 12 weeks of age. Two days after I butchered his brothers, I found him sporting a bright red, tall comb, beautiful arching tail feathers, and a nice mantle of saddle feathers. "Who the hell are you, and where did you come from?" I said, as I confronted him in the coop. He just stared back at me. It's like I had a bird show up that I didn't know I had - I'd never noticed him before! Talk about a growth spurt! Wow. From pullet to rooster in one month.

So..... sometimes you just don't know until they crow. Right?

So true. And man those pea combs can be tricky!!!!! I keep waiting for this one to show some red since both possible dads ended up with red/rust on them. One is a blue Cochin but has red shoulders, knew he was a he at 3 weeks with a comb and wattles already. The other is a splash Cochin but he has a bit of red leakage on the shoulders as well. He showed himself a bit later but not by much. I am keeping this little one till I know for sure what it is!!!! Then I have 2 frizzle Cochins the same age that I can't tell and have found frizzles can be sneaky. I sold one last year that looked like a girl and did until like 15-16 weeks!

 

[3KillerBs]

How is everyone else doing?

Most of them have been sold, with a couple of the best girls integrated into the flock.

Unfortunately, one of them was injured somehow so that her leg splayed out, didn't recover, and had to be culled.

 

[junior67]

oh and forgot to say since I brood in my coop I integrate them early most times but since I had 2 ages in there my March group was a bit older before I opened the chick doors. Sooo that being said said they have had the chick door open for about 4 weeks and then they were fully kicked out of the brooder about 1.5 weeks ago and they still won't leave the coop.

 

[junior67]

Some of my March babies that I sold. The little ones on the end in the group picture are from my April hatch

 

[Kwoka]

I love seeing everyones chicks grown up in here! From adorable fluffballs to beautiful BIRDS!

I sold almost all of my March pullets, and most of my purebred cockerels as well (Mutt cockerels stay with me in a bachelor flock)

Here’s my last Isabella Leghorn from March 7/8 hatch that I just sold 10 minutes ago lol never again leghorns. Beautiful but crazy, and my heavier breeds pick on them.

And here’s my bearded blue/red araucana boy from the same hatch. He’s gorgeous, but I can’t pet him, darn it. He’s staying with me anyway.