Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[trsturself]

I've heard they can crow as early as 12 weeks and some don't crow for a year! But I'm sure those are the extremes.

I've figured out that our GLW is really a GL Polish! That made 2 polish in the rare breed order. We didn't get any GL when we ordered the assorted polish! We wondered if she was a polish when we first got her but her crest is almost non-existent and looked like it could just be fluff. But now her legs are dark and the crest is a little bigger (though still smaller than any of the other polish we got). Even though I love polish I'm a little disappointed because we don't have any Wyandottes and they have always been on our list of wants. Maybe we'll find something to exchange her for at the next swap or at fair.

We had to get our fair chickens (4H) ID'd today. I stuck around and helped out. It was fun to see all the different birds come through.

As for eggs, we figured out our BA hasn't laid yet. It's all been the BR. Her eggs changed shape so we thought it was another one but we saw her lay one this afternoon and it was just like the other. We checked the BA today and she should be laying in the next couple days. I think our EE is going to be awhile.

 

[NanaLynn]

I love the Wyandottes too. I saw that Meyers has one and it is limited availability so I am trying to add it. It is the Golden Laced Wyandotte. The Silver Laced one was becoming so beautiful.

I have had two shipments so far from Meyers and both times I had a GLW in the order. The first shipment the GLW was DOA and the 2nd shipment it just was not packed, so we'll see if I can actually get a live one in this shipment.

We're ordering one of the rare breeds too and I am hoping for a Welsummer or a Maran.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

My Meyer babes are 8 weeks old today!

Hika Ma the Easter-egger bantam:

Huka the Silver Lakenvelder:

Ihi the Golden Campine:

Marama the Egyptian Fayoumi:

Po baby the black Cochin bantam (from Meyer's Black Frizzle Cochin bantams):

Rangi the Ancona:

Roha the Exchequer Leghorn:

Tiwhiri the Light Brown Leghorn:

 

[NotableNancy]

Talking about red combs 2 of my 4 silkies who I thought were hens are Roos. I had a feeling about 1 but wasn't sure then today when I went to give them some tomato I saw the combs have gotten red over night. So 3 of my 4 are Roos, the only hen is the one my hubby picked out. When do they start to crow? They are 13 weeks today

Oh, bummer. Can you post pics for Silkie owners to give opinions or are you pretty sure they're roos?

Nancy - I think Izzy might be one of your first to lay. Big Red looks like she has some comb and wattle growth still needed unless she's going to stay that size. Plus she needs a little more color.

Here is our Ash, you can see the difference. So far no eggs from her, but any day now I think. Her sister I think was laying before she died and Ash is starting to look more like her now in coloring and comb/wattle growth.


Here is Maddie (RIP) She was laying at 19 weeks, my other EE, Olivia still is not but is squatting now and checking out nest boxes. Izzy really reminds me if Maddie. Izzy is getting the bigger comb, but still needs the red too.



And here is Olivia the other EE who seems to be almost there too, she is so hard to get a good close picture of, always on the go.



....and the two in recovery, Big Mama and Oreo. Big Mama looks great, her eye is fully open, but we're not sure if she is blind in that eye or not, still looks funny. Oreo may lay an egg before the others, she may have laid one before the attack, I thought that she was one of the ones laying. Big Mama still needs more comb and wattle growth and some red. She was squatting before the attack, but no longer does.

Big improvement with Oreo today. I tool her out of the cage yesterday and she is mixed in the flock. She's been running around today and sunning herself and even roosted on a lower roost. So hopefully we are getting back to normal.



To everyone else. Those are some adorable ducks. I still need to figure out what I am doing with raising chickens before I can even consider ducks.

I can certainly see more red and growth is needed on my RIR by your pic of Ash. I am hoping for an egg by August. I think my dh will start to get impatient after that!! If Izzy was first that would be exciting. Can't wait to see if I get green or blue eggs!! I do see a change in them as they mature. It seems with the redness and comb growth they hang around my feet more and my BA, Mamie (I mislabeled my pic above as Chugg but it's Mamie) now lets me hold her on my leg and pet her back. She and her sister BA have really gotten larger bodies but still pale face and small comb.
Olivia is so pretty; I haven't seen her in a while. She has grown so nicely!! And such good news with Oreo and Big Mama!!

my chickens still don't squat for me and 2 out of 3 are laying. Our girls got MUCH redder and bigger combs/wattles before they laid, and were 20 weeks but that could be different.
I'd say you have a couple more weeks. What was much more definitive was looking at our chickens vent. It was quite obvious the day before our BR laid. I had no idea what to look for but we looked about every other day and the difference was very noticeable when it happened. Sorry I can't describe it but if you start looking now you'll know when you see it. There will be no question.

It's probably one of those things that you think their combs/wattles are big and red until they really do get big and red and then you realize that they weren't that big and red before... LOL ...does that make sense??
I think I'll just do the old fashioned thing and wait it out- I don't think checking vents are on the top of my girls' list of things they'll let me do with them!

Great pics Pipd!!!

 

[trsturself]

It's probably one of those things that you think their combs/wattles are big and red until they really do get big and red and then you realize that they weren't that big and red before... LOL ...does that make sense??
I think I'll just do the old fashioned thing and wait it out- I don't think checking vents are on the top of my girls' list of things they'll let me do with them!

Great pics Pipd!!!

Exactly! It was crazy how much our girls combs/wattles grew and changed color in such a short amount of time.

If you can pick them up it's pretty easy. Just flip their head down and they'll lift their tail. Then if you still can't see anything just blow and the feathers will part. It only takes a second and doesn't take any poking around.

 

[kbh82310]

Nancy- I'm pretty sure they are Roos, they have waddles and are around the same size and my hen is smaller than the 3. And their neck feathers are very thick and fluffy unlike the hen. I've tried to add photos when they were like 7 weeks but It wouldn't let me add photos..

 

[NotableNancy]

Nancy- I'm pretty sure they are Roos, they have waddles and are around the same size and my hen is smaller than the 3. And their neck feathers are very thick and fluffy unlike the hen. I've tried to add photos when they were like 7 weeks but It wouldn't let me add photos..

I really wanted a Silkie when I got my chicks but I figured my luck would be if I ordered 1 it would be a roo so I skipped it. They are so darn cute I really want one some day! The hard part would be deciding on a color. I like them all.

 

[kbh82310]

You'll love them! And your so right about the colors! All I need is a buff and partridge and ill have all the common colors plus Nugget my tolbunt/partridge mix. MPC does sexed silkies but they are a lil pricey $12 but worth it knowing your getting a hen IMO. Only reason we didn't do it was our min is 8 for our zip and hubby wasn't going for it. Yet we have 8 coming in a few weeks and 6 coming in oct men.. They just make so much sense!

 

[Kalalyn21]

I'm on the count down, 6 days til my new lil ones get shipped

 

[trsturself]

I love silkies too. The first we got turned out to be a roo. Hoping the one we have now is a hen! I'd hate to have to try yet again.