Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[trsturself]

Based on everyone's Olive egger pictures-I might need one!

X2

I'm going to breed my own OE. We have a maran rooster I'll put with our EE and CCL, and a CL rooster to go with our maran and welsummer pullets.
So, those doing the road trip for CCL can pick up an OE or two also.

 

[MamaShell]

Based on everyone's Olive egger pictures-I might need one!

X2

I'm going to breed my own OE. We have a maran rooster I'll put with our EE and CCL, and a CL rooster to go with our maran and welsummer pullets. 
So, those doing the road trip for CCL can pick up an OE or two also.   

I'm in!

 

[wermnmnmnm]

WOW! Soooo coool! Now what are their names? hahahaha

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I lost my dear Hazel last night :,( The coop will be so much quieter without her constant chitter chatter. I'm down to one red sex link hen (I got mine from Mt Healthy so I'm not sure if that's a factor or not) but I must say I don't think I will be getting any more of them in the future. They have darling personalities and they are laying machines (I've gotten darn near an egg a day from them while they are around) but they just seem to burn out so quick :,( plus I seem to have trouble with soft, shell-less, malformed eggs from them - my other girls never seem to have trouble. I think their breeding just makes them lay more eggs than their little bodies can handle. Like I said, mine were from Mt Healthy but from the research I've done it seems to be a common red sex link problem. My dad did a post-mortem (he's a vet) on her and only abnormality he found on her was a deteriorated liver. We're sending off a sample to see if they find anything, but he isn't sure they will. We had tried to treat her yesterday but she just went so fast... Guess maybe her time with me was just meant to be short. Like my DH said- she had about the best life a chicken could've wished for. I'm still heartbroken. Sorry for the sad post, I just felt like you all would understand more than the non-chicken loving people I know. I'd like to end on a happier note, my CCL's big girl tail feathers came in this week. Now their tails look about 2 sizes too big for their bodies

I'm so happy the little girls and the big girls seem to be getting along now, and I've noticed the two groups seem to be intermixing more and more and they graze around. I took down the babies hide away pen (only a big enough entrance the babies to sneak in) and they don't seem to miss it. Poppy was attempting to be a weather vane this morning on the old playhouse

So sorry about your loss. I have decided on the same thing as you, that I won't be getting any more red sexlinks. I don't want to alarm anyone that already owns them, of course, but the large majority of my red sexlinks have not lived to the age of 4, and about half of them died of egg laying issues at around 2 or 3 years old. I have two now that just hit 4 this spring, so fingers crossed for them, but I will not buy another red sexlink once they are gone. I love your Poppy! My Poppy is finally starting to warm up to me, too, and her crest is really coming in now so she looks a little bit less like a big Titmouse and a little bit more like a crested chicken.

I was looking at those Bielefelder... I had never heard of them. Very pretty!

At first I was a bit iffy about mine, but she has really grown quite calm and loving over the past few weeks, and she's such a sweetie. Plus, after some research I found that the city in Germany that they are named after, Bielefeld, is just south of where my ancestors lived before immigrating to the U.S.! I feel even more drawn to Bielefelders now!

She is so pretty. One of our Blue Andulasions is a splash, named her Splash too. She is not as speckled as Frou Frou, she looks more white or very light blue with a few splashes mixed in.

Here are my 2 Olive Egger's from Meyer's. They were hatched April 1st. So about 12 or 13 weeks old. #1 #1 with a tail...what's up with that tail? #2 Just one picture, she wasn't cooperating very well.

Such beautiful birds, all of them! Splash looks so delicate and somewhat like snow in moonlight. And those lovely olive eggers have the shape of a Legbar with such a nice slate-blue color! I really wish I had room to order more chicks next year--Olive eggers are on my list for sure!

 

[MamaShell]

I was looking at those Bielefelder... I had never heard of them. Very pretty!  

At first I was a bit iffy about mine, but she has really grown quite calm and loving over the past few weeks, and she's such a sweetie. Plus, after some research I found that the city in Germany that they are named after, Bielefeld, is just south of where my ancestors lived before immigrating to the U.S.! I feel even more drawn to Bielefelders now!

That is so great to have that personal connection with the breed. My ancestry is German, as well. I will have to look into them!

 

[mimischicksnat]

So sorry about your loss.

I have decided on the same thing as you, that I won't be getting any more red sexlinks. I don't want to alarm anyone that already owns them, of course, but the large majority of my red sexlinks have not lived to the age of 4, and about half of them died of egg laying issues at around 2 or 3 years old.

I have two now that just hit 4 this spring, so fingers crossed for them, but I will not buy another red sexlink once they are gone.

I've read that before that they don't live as long because they produce more. That's why it wouldn't bother me if any of my chickens didn't give me eggs almost every single day. I have 6 golden buffs and it they take breaks from laying, that's fine with me. Just means they will live longer. (I hope!)

 

[mimischicksnat]

Help guys! my EE pullet is very aggressive. She is only 5 or 6 weeks old but chases the other girls and my cochin roo. She won't let me catch her and pecks at me if I try. What do I do? I have 2 young kids and aggressive birds have no place in my coop.

I have one EE pullet that is 9 weeks old and she chases anything that moves. But I'm hopeful she will settle down. When I sit in the coop with them she will come up right next to me as long as I don't try to touch her. I call her Ramona the Pest. I'm hoping once I can get them all outside in the run (which is almost ready) that things will change a bit.

I'm excited to try and get my 4 week old Meyer chicks out of their pen and let them run around the coop. They've been able to see the big girls and vice versa for a week or so and they seem to be getting antsy to get out. I'll leave the pen door open so they can run back in if they want to. I'm hoping the integration will go smooth. The littles will have lots of places to hide from the bigs.

 

[livmom22]

Thanks guys. I'm not really sure what to do, they have a little run but it hasn't seemed to help. The little cochin roo is just the sweetest! I'm really loving him. I'm general I'm super happy with my Meyer chicks. They see to be pretty close to what I think of as breed standard. If I get the rid of my EE it think I'll replace it with another light brahma. They just seem So sweet.

 

[NotableNancy]

I do have some pics of my babies! I posted on the silkie thread - I know they are a little young for sexing guesses yet, but if anyone wants to guess go ahead!

Brownie up front from the back - Coco in the back.

Coco up front now

Side by side profiles - Coco up front; Brownie is the bigger (probable boy) in the back

I have no idea but sooooo cute!! I love the Buff Silkies and such a difference between hatchery and breeder silkies. Big difference in size but I know you can't just go by that; is their comb size different or the poof on head.. one swept back or straight up?

Here are my 2 Olive Egger's from Meyer's. They were hatched April 1st. So about 12 or 13 weeks old.
#1



#1 with a tail...what's up with that tail?


#2 Just one picture, she wasn't cooperating very well.

So pretty! They almost look like they have a crest? I don't know how they do the crosses but I wonder if its a mix of CCL to get the olive egg??

Jed/Jem is a RIR, not a GB. I posted her photo because I am wondering if she is about to lay her first egg and I wanted everyone else's opinion. Sorry for the confusion. For the longest time I thought she was a rooster, but, lately have realized that she is more likely an early maturing hen.

Oh, hehe. My RIR was the first to lay at 18 weeks and I thought she had longer to go because her comb/wattles weren't huge yet. I have a pic the day she laid her 1st egg and she matured even more after that... here she is... her first egg song...


So maybe in a few weeks???

I'm going to breed my own OE. We have a maran rooster I'll put with our EE and CCL, and a CL rooster to go with our maran and welsummer pullets.
So, those doing the road trip for CCL can pick up an OE or two also.

Now I'm in too!!!!

I have one EE pullet that is 9 weeks old and she chases anything that moves. But I'm hopeful she will settle down. When I sit in the coop with them she will come up right next to me as long as I don't try to touch her. I call her Ramona the Pest. I'm hoping once I can get them all outside in the run (which is almost ready) that things will change a bit.

I'm excited to try and get my 4 week old Meyer chicks out of their pen and let them run around the coop. They've been able to see the big girls and vice versa for a week or so and they seem to be getting antsy to get out. I'll leave the pen door open so they can run back in if they want to. I'm hoping the integration will go smooth. The littles will have lots of places to hide from the bigs.

Good luck with integration. So stressful. Mine were 8 weeks old and it's going better than I thought it would but not completely smooth. Hiding places are key!!

 

[NanaLynn]

Help guys! my EE pullet is very aggressive. She is only 5 or 6 weeks old but chases the other girls and my cochin roo. She won't let me catch her and pecks at me if I try. What do I do? I have 2 young kids and aggressive birds have no place in my coop.

Thanks guys. I'm not really sure what to do, they have a little run but it hasn't seemed to help. The little cochin roo is just the sweetest! I'm really loving him. I'm general I'm super happy with my Meyer chicks. They see to be pretty close to what I think of as breed standard. If I get the rid of my EE it think I'll replace it with another light brahma. They just seem So sweet.

I'd give her some time and see how she does. If she is only aggressive if you pick her up, she is probably just one of those untouchable chickens. You may be able to soften her up with treats. If she is aggressive towards you or your kids when you don't even mess with her, I'd get rid of her. If she is aggressive to the other chicks and is hurting them, that'd be another reason to get rid of her. I discovered that aggressive chickens do not change, but she may just be one of those that does not want to be touched too, I have a lot of those, but they are sweet hens, just untouchable ones. Chickens are not usually cuddly animals, it's nice when they are, but not their usual way.

I'm going to breed my own OE. We have a maran rooster I'll put with our EE and CCL, and a CL rooster to go with our maran and welsummer pullets.
So, those doing the road trip for CCL can pick up an OE or two also.

I am so in!!! This road trip is really going to fill up my coop!

So sorry about your loss.

I have decided on the same thing as you, that I won't be getting any more red sexlinks. I don't want to alarm anyone that already owns them, of course, but the large majority of my red sexlinks have not lived to the age of 4, and about half of them died of egg laying issues at around 2 or 3 years old.

I have two now that just hit 4 this spring, so fingers crossed for them, but I will not buy another red sexlink once they are gone.

It is a hard choice to get the Golden Buffs/ Red Sexlinks or not. The one I ended up with was a meal maker and I had no plans on getting any since I had read about their laying issues. I guess it depends too on your plans for your chickens and if you are okay with the mindset of culling every few years for production purposes or not. I know it sounds harsh and many do not want to even think about it since there are a lot of people who have chickens more for pets then for eggs, with eggs being a benefit.

I am happy with Ginger our Golden Buff and she does lay every day, so she probably will burn out in just a couple years or so. I am prepared to handle her when that happens, but I do not look forward to it. I know she'll have a great life here until that day comes and she really seems to be one of my happiest chickens, she does not waste a moment even when free ranging, she is the last one in the coop at night. Sometimes I have to pick her up and put her to bed.

@NotableNancy
I know you are ordering a few with your next order. Not to put your on the spot but I guess you know this already about the Golden Buffs? I plan on ordering more in the future too, Ginger has changed my mind about them.