Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Frou-Frou has eaten the Flock Raiser 20% feed almost all her life and she didn't lay until she was 33 weeks old. Meanwhile, the speckled Sussex on the same feed began laying at around 24 weeks old. It depends on the breed more than anything.

 

[trsturself]

We have been saving eggs shells to give back to our girls for awhile. We just rinse and let dry then smash. I have put some out for the last week so they can start building their calcium (even though they are on layer pellets) and they are eating it.
Still no eggs here.

I found the cheapest organic feed to be from Azure Standard (mail order).

Just got back from the post office. All 6 are alive, yeah!

All but one are running around like CRAZY. I'm giving the one some sugar water to see if I can get her perked up.

here they are and what I'm guessing so far (all clean legged, 4 toes, only the Polish has a beard):





I think this is a Gold Lace Wyandotte



Definitely a Silver Polish - yeah we got another polish!




This is the little girl that is less active than everyone else. She has bright orange legs so I'm thinking she's not an EE. Maybe a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte? She has a lot of grey on her belly. Or maybe a Wellsummer? Or Dark Cornish? But that's my last choice since they seem to have lighter bellies.



I think this is our Meal Maker. I'm thinking White Plymouth Rock? White Leghorn? Maybe a male Golden Sex Link?




This is definitely a blue something. Blue Andalusian? Blue Hamberg? Blue Orpington? I was worried about her at first. When I took her out of the box and took the pic she was all fluffed up and leaning back on her legs. But she is acting fine now.



The chipmunk one on the left here is hard to get a pic of. She never stops moving! I think she is a Sicilian Buttercup.




On a side note: I just heard from my friend that took our BO. She laid her first egg today! I can't believe we missed it by just a few days and that she was the first! Her wattles/comb weren't even that red. I'm wondering if it's because she's around her older girls that are already laying. She had to show she could do that too!

I keep looking at more pictures and now I don't know on our darker chipmunk. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[NanaLynn]

They are all cute little puffs. Congrats! I hope that they all do well. These baby pics make me miss the baby chick age. They grow up so fast!

 

[kbh82310]

I guess I have a few chickens laying eggs now. I found two on the floor this morning, but they were very soft shells and falling apart. I think one is my CW since hers are supposed to be a lighter brown. The other maybe my SLW, they seem to go in and out of the coop together. When I let them out this morning, Snow was in the nest box, she laid another little white egg. That's 3 days in a row, she is so quiet when she does it, no more loud clucking from her. I guess she got into the swing of things. So around 5 to 6 are laying eggs now, not too bad out of 13. I had the two soft shelled not edible eggs, plus Snow's white egg so far and Dominique was sitting on the nest box, I went to get her egg which I assume she laid, but Google was in the nest box, she's my giant BR, so I'll go back later and check for eggs. So far the record is 3 for a day, I believe today is going to beat that record. I did notice a sea of red combs and wattles when I went out this morning, so I imagine most of them that are not laying now will be in a matter of days. Here's a pic of Snow in the nest box, it was still kind of dark outside, so it is a little grainy. Everyone wants to use that nest box or the floor. and here are the two soft shell eggs from the floor with a little pine shavings stuck to them. I know it is gross, but I fed them back to the chickens after breaking them up. I read to do that on one of the OT threads. I've been feeding back all of their egg shells to them too. Whoever laid these need the calcium to strengthen up those shells. Thank you guys for letting me brag about my egg laying chickens from Meyer's, this chicken keeping is so much fun! I can't wait to see more pics from you guys of the chicks, chickens and soon to be eggs!

I love hearing about the girls laying/eggs! I can't wait till mine start laying! Is that both eggs or just one? It kinda looks like a fat light brown peanut!

 

[kbh82310]

We have been saving eggs shells to give back to our girls for awhile. We just rinse and let dry then smash. I have put some out for the last week so they can start building their calcium (even though they are on layer pellets) and they are eating it. Still no eggs here. I found the cheapest organic feed to be from Azure Standard (mail order). Just got back from the post office. All 6 are alive, yeah!

All but one are running around like CRAZY. I'm giving the one some sugar water to see if I can get her perked up. here they are and what I'm guessing so far (all clean legged, 4 toes, only the Polish has a beard): I think this is a Gold Lace Wyandotte Definitely a Silver Polish - yeah we got another polish! This is the little girl that is less active than everyone else. She has bright orange legs so I'm thinking she's not an EE. Maybe a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte? She has a lot of grey on her belly. Or maybe a Wellsummer? Or Dark Cornish? But that's my last choice since they seem to have lighter bellies. I think this is our Meal Maker. I'm thinking White Plymouth Rock? White Leghorn? Maybe a male Golden Sex Link? This is definitely a blue something. Blue Andalusian? Blue Hamberg? Blue Orpington? I was worried about her at first. When I took her out of the box and took the pic she was all fluffed up and leaning back on her legs. But she is acting fine now. The chipmunk one on the left here is hard to get a pic of. She never stops moving! I think she is a Sicilian Buttercup. On a side note: I just heard from my friend that took our BO. She laid her first egg today! I can't believe we missed it by just a few days and that she was the first! Her wattles/comb weren't even that red. I'm wondering if it's because she's around her older girls that are already laying. She had to show she could do that too!

I was hoping you would get another polish!! I'm glad everyone seems to be doing ok. I'm no help this time at the guessing game, the only ones I knew was the polish and GLW. Sorry.. But whatever the blue one is, it looks like she is gonna be big and blue! Is her legs feathered? You know what the more I look at it the more I think your right about buttercup! Let me know how you like her cause we have been looking at adding a buttercup.

 

[trsturself]

I was hoping you would get another polish!! I'm glad everyone seems to be doing ok. I'm no help this time at the guessing game, the only ones I knew was the polish and GLW. Sorry..
But whatever the blue one is, it looks like she is gonna be big and blue! Is her legs feathered?


You know what the more I look at it the more I think your right about buttercup! Let me know how you like her cause we have been looking at adding a buttercup.

At least you confirmed the GLW for me. If the other darker chipmunk one isn't a BLRW then we'll keep the GLW. A laced wyandotte was on our first list of breeds we want.

So far the buttercup is the spunkiest. If she's awake she's moving everywhere and checking everything out. Even right out of the box when the rest would sit on my hand for a picture, she started pecking at my ring, then my watch, then running up my arm, then jumping down and checking out every speck on the floor. my pet chicken describes them as active and I would have to agree.

By looking at pics I'm thinking the blue one is a blue orpington. She looks identical to most of the pictures I've found of those. Especially the feet. Those sell for $20 for a pullet at Meyer! Hoping she is one, then we can sell her for a nice profit.

 

[CoopDeDoo]

Chicken math dictated that I had to jump on the band wagon! Just got shipping confirmation that our order of Assorted Brown Egg layer pullets (5) and meal maker shipped today. Arrival 6/27 - 6/29/13

I will post update & picks when they arrive. This is our first time doing a mail order for chicks

 

[CoopDeDoo]

Chicken math dictated that I had to jump on the band wagon! Just got shipping confirmation that our order of Assorted Brown Egg layer pullets (5) and meal maker shipped today. Arrival 6/27 - 6/29/13

I will post update & picks when they arrive. This is our first time doing a mail order for chicks

 

[NotableNancy]

We have been saving eggs shells to give back to our girls for awhile. We just rinse and let dry then smash. I have put some out for the last week so they can start building their calcium (even though they are on layer pellets) and they are eating it.
Still no eggs here.

I found the cheapest organic feed to be from Azure Standard (mail order).

Just got back from the post office. All 6 are alive, yeah!

All but one are running around like CRAZY. I'm giving the one some sugar water to see if I can get her perked up.

here they are and what I'm guessing so far (all clean legged, 4 toes, only the Polish has a beard):





I think this is a Gold Lace Wyandotte



Definitely a Silver Polish - yeah we got another polish!




This is the little girl that is less active than everyone else. She has bright orange legs so I'm thinking she's not an EE. Maybe a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte? She has a lot of grey on her belly. Or maybe a Wellsummer? Or Dark Cornish? But that's my last choice since they seem to have lighter bellies.



I think this is our Meal Maker. I'm thinking White Plymouth Rock? White Leghorn? Maybe a male Golden Sex Link?




This is definitely a blue something. Blue Andalusian? Blue Hamberg? Blue Orpington? I was worried about her at first. When I took her out of the box and took the pic she was all fluffed up and leaning back on her legs. But she is acting fine now.



The chipmunk one on the left here is hard to get a pic of. She never stops moving! I think she is a Sicilian Buttercup.




On a side note: I just heard from my friend that took our BO. She laid her first egg today! I can't believe we missed it by just a few days and that she was the first! Her wattles/comb weren't even that red. I'm wondering if it's because she's around her older girls that are already laying. She had to show she could do that too!

Goodness they are adorable!!!!
My son and I were looking back at our chick pics and he now wants to invent a breed that stays that size forever! He doesn't like them anymore now that they're big but he's 16 yrs. old so I'm not surprised! He is completely embarrassed when friends come over and gawk at the chickens!

It's nice to hear that someone else worries about their chickens as much as I do.

I started with Purina Start & Grow SunFresh Recipe Poultry Feed, 50 lb. which was medicated for the chicks when I first got them for $17.99 a bag. Now I noticed it is now $18.49. I used this until they were around 6 weeks. I saved the rest of this one for the 2nd batch of chicks.

When I switched them at 6 weeks I gave them this one: DuMOR Poultry Grower/Finisher 15% Feed, 50 lb. for $15.99, at least in NC.

When the 15% ran out I went back to TSC and ended up gettting this one, because they were sold out of the other Purina Flock Raiser SunFresh Recipe, Crumble, 50 lb. for $17.99. This flock raiser is 20% protein, maybe that higher protein was why they started at 18 weeks, well 19 for some? Could be, I guess. I really did not mean to buy a higher protein and as soon as I finished up the bag, I switched back to the Dumor Grower/Finisher at 15%. That was a while back though since I am about to finish the Dumor 15% bag now. (I heard the high protein is not good for them?, that's why I switched back)

I wanted pellets too, but they don't have them here except in layer feed as well. I can't feed the layer feed since the new chicks would eat it too. I have also heard that you can give them grower and just add egg shells and oyster shells on the side which I do. I have been sprinkling the oyster and egg shells all around so maybe those soft shelled eggs will harden up, I hope.

I have to drive over 30 minutes to TSC to get their food and I pay $15.99 a bag for 50lbs. I can drive even further to a little hardware store and they sell all of their feed in 20lbs bags for $7.00, so I'll stick to TSC. I now buy 2 of the 50lb bags when I go. I have a large galvanized trash can that I keep in the garage for their food, so no rodent or bug worries.

Dominique, Fred and Google all were nesting today, but no eggs. Weird chickens.

Oh and I just rinse the egg shells out and let them dry out on the counter and crumble them up. The soft shelled eggs I fed them the whole eggs, but broken up so it did not look like an egg anymore. Just following the OT advice since I myself am still learning.

Thanks for all the great info. Once they are all laying I'll have to switch to the pellets and compare prices of everything then. I did at one point buy a bag of another brand of starter/grower but I can't remember what it was called. I don't know if it was coincidence but their poo stank to high heaven while eating it so I switched back to Purina Start n Grow.
What a dope I am... we eat a ton of eggs here and I've been composting the shells. I'm going to start saving and crumbling also and giving to them when they get a few weeks older.
Thanks Lynn!

 

[NotableNancy]

Chicken math dictated that I had to jump on the band wagon! Just got shipping confirmation that our order of Assorted Brown Egg layer pullets (5) and meal maker shipped today. Arrival 6/27 - 6/29/13

I will post update & picks when they arrive. This is our first time doing a mail order for chicks

Can't wait to see them!!
I didn't know Meyer shipped this late in the week. I thought they just shipped on Mon. I guess this is the busy season so they have to keep up!!
Good luck