Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[NanaLynn]

You're close... that's great!!

Funny how everyone that finds out I have chickens asks me if I'm getting goats next. Goats are so adorable but I don't have the acreage for it. I know nothing about breeds but about a mile away a family has some black fluffy ones and they are absolutely precious!!!

She's wondering why you need new ones and doesn't want to share you

Well the deed is done.
I took the rooster to the gorgeous estate this morning. Unfortunately he won't be living there. He will be someone's dinner so at least he won't go to waste. And the people taking him really appreciate it.
But I can't think about it. The girls were scared of me for a little while after I took him out and he squawked up a storm. I gave them tons of attention/treats when I came back. Hopefully they don't have long memories. I wonder if they will miss him? He didn't seem really 'close' with any of them and was often by himself. AND pigging out constantly on the food. I'll probably go through tons less food. OK, can you tell I'm trying to make myself feel better?

Fryze- they are so cute!! I love the little fluffy stage

Lynn- I swear I won't ask everyday but -what did you get today??

Ha, ha, no problem. (I love bragging)

It was disappointing today, guess they are on a break. I read that Leghorn's lay about 5 eggs a week and EE's 3 to 4. I am going out to check again, just in case. I have not heard loud clucking today though, so probably not.

I ate my first egg today, the EE one. It was really good! Here it is compared to the store EB egg, orange and so tiny!



I was amazed that the egg shell is green inside too!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

I went out to the barn this evening to go and bring my girls back to their brooder. I was expecting to find a big pile of crying chicks in the corner of the coop like usual. Instead I went out and I heard them peeping quietly, but I didn't see them anywhere on the floor of the coop! Then I looked up to find this...



All nine girls were lined up on the roost ready for bed! They weren't crying like they usually do either. They were just up there peeping contently like they do in the brooder. I'm so happy that they are going to finally be sleeping in their coop tonight!

 

[trsturself]

Lynn - you are lucky your's are laying so early! Our oldest are 18 weeks and looks so close. We were gone a couple days and when I came back two of them have BRIGHT red comb and wattles and seem to have doubled in size. I thought they were big and dark before we left but they really brightened up! None are "squatting" for me yet though. I hadn't heard of that until reading this post and now I keep reaching for them to see. I don't know if ours will or not because we have kids that chase them all over so now they are shy. A few of them won't even eat treats out of my hand any more!

I moved our tractor into the chicken yard so our Meyer's girls (the polish) could get some outside time. The big girls were really checking them out. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Can't wait for our eggs to come!!!

 

[kbh82310]

Nancy- I haven't had people asking about goats but rather when we are getting ducks. I've wanted Pygmy goats forever now but he won't budge cause of his precious grass.. But it's ok for my boxer to go out there and start digging to china and eventually it becomes one giant mud pit, I don't get him sometimes!

 

[NotableNancy]

I don't get him sometimes!

Luckily we can confuse them as much as they confuse us... keeps it interesting right?

Lynn - you are lucky your's are laying so early! Our oldest are 18 weeks and looks so close. We were gone a couple days and when I came back two of them have BRIGHT red comb and wattles and seem to have doubled in size. I thought they were big and dark before we left but they really brightened up! None are "squatting" for me yet though. I hadn't heard of that until reading this post and now I keep reaching for them to see. I don't know if ours will or not because we have kids that chase them all over so now they are shy. A few of them won't even eat treats out of my hand any more!

I moved our tractor into the chicken yard so our Meyer's girls (the polish) could get some outside time. The big girls were really checking them out. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Can't wait for our eggs to come!!!

The bright red comb/wattles sounds like they are super close. I'm not sure if they have to squat before they lay so hopefully soon!! Are you sure no one has layed in the bushes or another hiding spot? What breed are your oldest and are they from Meyer too? Sorry I'm sure you've said but I forget.
I would love to see new pics of the Polish, they are so cute!! Got to add them to my list for 'next time'

 

[trsturself]

Luckily we can confuse them as much as they confuse us... keeps it interesting right?

The bright red comb/wattles sounds like they are super close. I'm not sure if they have to squat before they lay so hopefully soon!! Are you sure no one has layed in the bushes or another hiding spot? What breed are your oldest and are they from Meyer too? Sorry I'm sure you've said but I forget.
I would love to see new pics of the Polish, they are so cute!! Got to add them to my list for 'next time'

The BR and BA have the brightest combs. My BO and EE are still just pink. We don't have a lot of hiding places in the chicken yard but I've been checking corners and out of the way places. Haven't heard any commotions/singing yet either. I think it will be any day now though. Those 4 are from a local farm but I know she got them from a hatchery. Don't know which one though. It didn't even cross my mind to ask back then.

Here is our "middle" flock (blue cochin, d'uccle, speckled sussex, and plymouth rock) checking out the Polish.

 

[NanaLynn]

The BR and BA have the brightest combs. My BO and EE are still just pink. We don't have a lot of hiding places in the chicken yard but I've been checking corners and out of the way places. Haven't heard any commotions/singing yet either. I think it will be any day now though. Those 4 are from a local farm but I know she got them from a hatchery. Don't know which one though. It didn't even cross my mind to ask back then.

Here is our "middle" flock (blue cochin, d'uccle, speckled sussex, and plymouth rock) checking out the Polish.

Beautiful chickens, such a nice variety. I love the Swedish Flower Hens! I was surprised that my WL and EE were so early laying eggs, but they were over 18 weeks. This morning there were no eggs, two days in a row. Around 11:30am though my WR kept clucking loudly and walking in and out of the coop. She took forever to finally settle down. Our Dominique chicken was nesting in one of the nest boxes all morning. As soon as, she got out of the nest box, Snow the WR hopped in and stayed there forever. She finally got out around 12:30 pm and I went to the back of the coop and opened the nest box door and there was a little white egg. It is heavier then the other 2 she laid before, I weighed it and it is 1.4 ounces, the others were the same size but 1.2. I believe this one is a double yolker, I guess that is why she struggled for a hour to lay the egg, who knows? We'll find out in the next day or so when we crack it open.

I was expecting to find a brown egg from Dominique too, but I guess she just wanted to have some alone time in the coop to practice her nesting technique.

I bet yours will lay soon, I am not sure if the squatting always happens or not. I heard that if a rooster is around they won't squat for the owners. I don't have any roosters, not sure. My BR's look ready too and two of them are huge and one's comb now folds over it is so big, but no eggs yet. I'm not sure how soon the BA's will lay, my little one is just around 8 weeks, so I have a while for her.

Let us know when those first eggs start coming! Good luck!

Nancy- Agree with all of you, men are not easy to understand. I gave up trying.

 

[NanaLynn]

I went out to the barn this evening to go and bring my girls back to their brooder. I was expecting to find a big pile of crying chicks in the corner of the coop like usual. Instead I went out and I heard them peeping quietly, but I didn't see them anywhere on the floor of the coop! Then I looked up to find this...



All nine girls were lined up on the roost ready for bed! They weren't crying like they usually do either. They were just up there peeping contently like they do in the brooder. I'm so happy that they are going to finally be sleeping in their coop tonight!

Congrats! That is the cutest picture too! All those fluffy butts in a row!!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

My pictures are working now, so here's the chicks meeting Frou-Frou.

This was Frou'f's reaction upon seeing them. She just stopped and stared like that for ages!

The babies pretty much did the same. Hika Ma the EE bantam:

Huka the silver Lakenvelder:

Rangi the Ancona:

Marama the Egyptian Fayoumi:

Po the black Cochin bantam (he's so cute!) :

Tiwhiri the light brown Leghorn:

Then Frou-Frou chewed me out and walked away. (Don't worry, she got lots of love once the babies went back inside for the evening. )

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

And since Roha (Exchequer Leghorn) and Ihi (golden Campine) didn't really notice Frou'f, here they are a little later, trying out the lower perch in the brooder. (Marama snuck in there, too.)