Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[christine9]

Bad news, my PR is now broody again, so the cage only stayed empty a few hours. This is her 4th time! She is not even a year yet! 

And people say these girls aren't broodies!

 

[MamaShell]

Thank you all so much. I don't know what I'd do without you. It will be difficult to decide who of the existing birds will be put into quarantine. I guess my alpha Dellie, Kiwi, would be it. I'm just worried she'll bully the two new girls. I could put the divider up in the crate. Oh geez, I should order a second set of food and water dishes.
It does make me really nervous because if Kiwi gets sick, I'd have to be able to ID the problem. We all know that can be difficult. I guess I will be studying my chicken health for dummies book...again! Hopefully I can work all this out by the time the new Meyer babies arrive. That's a lot of separate flocks and biosecurity measures to take. Plus, I'll need that cage for them when they're ready to go outside.
Thanks again. The people on this thread are THE BEST!!

Agreed! This is a great group!

 

[NotableNancy]

Ok, finally got a couple pics of our ccl. As with everyone else's ccl, these are from a local breeder, not Meyer.
We haven't named then yet.

Our little roo.


And our pullet



And other funny pic, our bcm roo in the middle of a full body shake

Very cute!! Are you going to be selling chicks from your pair? And Olive eggers too? So awesome

I got to "meet" the English Orp breeders including the Isabel & the Chocolate - GORGEOUS!!, The French Maran's were hanging out too,

Looks like a great place. I'd have to think about getting some of those Olive Eggers one day!! Great color on the eggs.

Quarantine is one of my 'causes', so I have a strong opinion here. I have found that the length of the quarantine is less important than how the quarantine is performed. Because so many diseases can leave the sufferer as an asymptomatic carrier, the quarantine period is only really useful if one bird from the existing flock is put in quarantine as well. After reading about someone who did the full month of quarantine, only to have their entire flock fall ill with MG less than a week after the quarantined birds were put into the flock, I firmly believe that if you are not going to quarantine with one of your own birds in quarantine as well, you might as well not quarantine at all. It seems cruel, but it is necessary not only to make sure you aren't bringing disease in, but to make sure the new birds are exposed to anything your birds might have.

What I usually suggest is that you quarantine the new bird(s) for at least a week on their own so they can get used to their new environment, and then for at least two more weeks introduce your least favorite bird from your flock into the quarantine. This is the safest way to make sure your new birds are not sick. You should also quarantine when you get birds from people you trust, even those that are NPIP certified. It's just better to be safe.

Since I today saw someone who brought home turkeys over the weekend post that they had immediately put them in the coop, I should also mention that you should quarantine other fowl as well. I don't know for sure on more exotic species like Guinea fowl or Peafowl, but I know that turkeys can also become ill and carry some respiratory diseases. When in doubt, quarantine just in case!

Of course, remember the basics of quarantine as well: keep the birds at least 100 feet away from any area your current flock roams or in a structure that they stay away from or are not allowed in, always tend to the existing flock before the quarantine birds, and change clothes and shoes and wash off before returning to your existing flock.

I never read about that way of doing it but it makes complete sense. If you just quarantine and they have a problem you still may never know until you mix them with the rest of the flock. LOL... I have a few of my least favorites I could put with new pullets if I was going that route!!

Yeah, for my peace of mind more than anything I just did that. Not too hard with my brooder set up - piece of hardware cloth, slap some gorilla tape on the edges, then zip tie it in place. The silkies are much happier, but Gidget acts as if she has lost her mother! She has been trying to follow Brownie around like a lost puppy. I'm sure that's why Brownie has been pecking her here & there - more "LEAVE ME ALONE!" than anything! But now the 2 sides are separate but equal. It's exactly 2 weeks until I pick up the rest...hopefully Gidget & Gizmo will allow the new babies to be with them since they will all need heat.

This is what I was going to suggest so glad you did it. How is it today?

Congrats on the new little ones. I can't remember which thread or who said it, but she said she never put chicks together more then a week apart without some together-but separate time. Which it sounds like you have taken care of.

Congrats on getting the CCL. Everyone seems to have them now. guess there's another to add to my list.

Great news, my CM is finally broken of her broodiness so she was released today!

Bad news, my PR is now broody again, so the cage only stayed empty a few hours. This is her 4th time! She is not even a year yet!

Oh my goodness.... you know what that means right????? Maybe it's time to give her eggs??

at least you wouldn't have to break her then LOL

Thank you all so much. I don't know what I'd do without you. It will be difficult to decide who of the existing birds will be put into quarantine. I guess my alpha Dellie, Kiwi, would be it. I'm just worried she'll bully the two new girls. I could put the divider up in the crate. Oh geez, I should order a second set of food and water dishes.
It does make me really nervous because if Kiwi gets sick, I'd have to be able to ID the problem. We all know that can be difficult. I guess I will be studying my chicken health for dummies book...again! Hopefully I can work all this out by the time the new Meyer babies arrive. That's a lot of separate flocks and biosecurity measures to take. Plus, I'll need that cage for them when they're ready to go outside.
Thanks again. The people on this thread are THE BEST!!

Agree... THE BEST!!! Check out your Craigslist for extra stuff needed. I got a 2nd dog cage at a garage sale for $10. You never know what you will find.

Agreed! This is a great group!

X10

 

[autumnhearth]

I have a 9 week old White Maran from Meyer. I must say I have fallen in love with this graceful girl! She came with a SS and an Austra White. The are in a grow out pen with 4 lavender Ameraucana and she has taken to watching over them almost like a broody. She reminds me of a ballerina in a beautiful white costume. Anyone else out there have a White Maran?

Oh she is lovely! I want one to go with my BCM that is actually pure black. I've been warming up to all white birds after seeing folk's white EEs and Leghorns and now Marans! I think a white hen would look nice with my black and silver-grey. I also have been warming up to the splash chickens too from seeing pics here, they remind me of dappled grey horses, which are a fave.

THEY ARE HERE!!!!

**NOTE - THESE ARE NOT MEYER BIRDS!!!

Congrats, too cute! All you folks with CCL are so lucky! Good choice putting the screen up though the following chick sounded so sweet I think you should be fine puttin the Meyer chicks with the CCL, our nursery says no more than two weeks apart.

Here are my Meyer babies today, 6 weeks old!

Cuddle time with Elda

As always beautiful girls! Hey is that a TARDIS shirt I spy? Love Kit-kit's puffed out chest and Violet is really lovely, they are all lovely, just appreciating her as a breed I've never seen.

So this is what we got done this extended weekend:

The coop finally has a roof! We found this interesting stuff at Lowes back by the metal and vinyl panels, I think its rubber, we chose red because we didn't want to special order green. It was cheaper than the vinyl and didn't need to cut it, we just overlapped the two panels by three dips in the middle. All the windows and vents are covered with hardware cloth so we are predator and wild bird proof.



We also built the frame for the 8x10 run, I'm so glad I was able to convince the husband to bump it out the extra 4ft, it looked so narrow as 6x8 (we also have the 4x6 under the coop which have hardware cloth on three sides, the front being open to the run). Next year we may bump it out more, but all that hardware cloth is expensive. We just need to staple the hardware cloth on all the run panels, finish the door to the run and put netting on top. But I will be putting the girls in tonight, just gotta pick up sand for the poop board and bedding. I think I may do sand for the floor too for the summer, maybe mix in some DE and Sweet PDZ and get the perch up. Oh and see if a ramp or ladder is needed up to the perch.

So last night was the last night with the girls in our house. The neighbors were watching me round them up in the evening and seemed entertained. After I got the first three in the last two realized they were alone so started walking toward the gate, Clara hopped up onto the gate then onto my arm and then when I came back for Morgaine who hates being "chased", she followed me to the first step, then thought better of it, so I got out the meal worms and made a trail which she followed into the porch.

 

[trsturself]

Very cute!! Are you going to be selling chicks from your pair? And Olive eggers too? So awesome

Yep, here is our current flock

Roos: BCM, CCL, Silkie (silver partridge with red leakage)
Hens: BR, PR, BA, EE, Cochin, D'Uccle, SLP
Pullets: CCL, BCM, BO, bantam frizzle cochins, Silkie (at least I'm hoping she's a girl), welsummer, bantam EE, BLRW

And these are what we plan to breed:
CCL
OE (both blue roo over dark pullet and dark roo over blue pullet to see which provides the best color)
BCM
Silkies
Silkie/bantam EE
Sizzles

And maybe some mutts for meat.

 

[NanaLynn]

Thank you all so much. I don't know what I'd do without you. It will be difficult to decide who of the existing birds will be put into quarantine. I guess my alpha Dellie, Kiwi, would be it. I'm just worried she'll bully the two new girls. I could put the divider up in the crate. Oh geez, I should order a second set of food and water dishes.
It does make me really nervous because if Kiwi gets sick, I'd have to be able to ID the problem. We all know that can be difficult. I guess I will be studying my chicken health for dummies book...again! Hopefully I can work all this out by the time the new Meyer babies arrive. That's a lot of separate flocks and biosecurity measures to take. Plus, I'll need that cage for them when they're ready to go outside.
Thanks again. The people on this thread are THE BEST!!

This group is great!

It sounds like you have a of thinking and re-organizing to do, who knew chickens would be so complicated!

And people say these girls aren't broodies!

I know, PR's are not commonly broody and hatchery chickens are not "supposed" to be, it's "supposed" to be bred out of them. Oh well, she is back in her cage. I'm glad she worked it out with the broody CM to make sure there was a vacancy in the broody cage before she booked it!

Oh my goodness.... you know what that means right????? Maybe it's time to give her eggs??

at least you wouldn't have to break her then LOL

So this is what we got done this extended weekend:

The coop finally has a roof! We found this interesting stuff at Lowes back by the metal and vinyl panels, I think its rubber, we chose red because we didn't want to special order green. It was cheaper than the vinyl and didn't need to cut it, we just overlapped the two panels by three dips in the middle. All the windows and vents are covered with hardware cloth so we are predator and wild bird proof.



We also built the frame for the 8x10 run, I'm so glad I was able to convince the husband to bump it out the extra 4ft, it looked so narrow as 6x8 (we also have the 4x6 under the coop which have hardware cloth on three sides, the front being open to the run). Next year we may bump it out more, but all that hardware cloth is expensive. We just need to staple the hardware cloth on all the run panels, finish the door to the run and put netting on top. But I will be putting the girls in tonight, just gotta pick up sand for the poop board and bedding. I think I may do sand for the floor too for the summer, maybe mix in some DE and Sweet PDZ and get the perch up. Oh and see if a ramp or ladder is needed up to the perch.

So last night was the last night with the girls in our house. The neighbors were watching me round them up in the evening and seemed entertained. After I got the first three in the last two realized they were alone so started walking toward the gate, Clara hopped up onto the gate then onto my arm and then when I came back for Morgaine who hates being "chased", she followed me to the first step, then thought better of it, so I got out the meal worms and made a trail which she followed into the porch.

Nice coop. You guys did an awesome job. We're looking at panels for the run roof, we'll have to see the pricing and size of the rubber ones.

It's great that your chicks are now outside, you'll have to update us on pictures of them in their new place.

Yep, here is our current flock

Roos: BCM, CCL, Silkie (silver partridge with red leakage)
Hens: BR, PR, BA, EE, Cochin, D'Uccle, SLP
Pullets: CCL, BCM, BO, bantam frizzle cochins, Silkie (at least I'm hoping she's a girl), welsummer, bantam EE, BLRW

And these are what we plan to breed:
CCL
OE (both blue roo over dark pullet and dark roo over blue pullet to see which provides the best color)
BCM
Silkies
Silkie/bantam EE
Sizzles

And maybe some mutts for meat.

Nice. How's the new place working out? All settled in?

 

[NotableNancy]

Oh she is lovely! I want one to go with my BCM that is actually pure black. I've been warming up to all white birds after seeing folk's white EEs and Leghorns and now Marans! I think a white hen would look nice with my black and silver-grey. I also have been warming up to the splash chickens too from seeing pics here, they remind me of dappled grey horses, which are a fave.
Congrats, too cute! All you folks with CCL are so lucky! Good choice putting the screen up though the following chick sounded so sweet I think you should be fine puttin the Meyer chicks with the CCL, our nursery says no more than two weeks apart.
As always beautiful girls! Hey is that a TARDIS shirt I spy? Love Kit-kit's puffed out chest and Violet is really lovely, they are all lovely, just appreciating her as a breed I've never seen.

So this is what we got done this extended weekend:

The coop finally has a roof! We found this interesting stuff at Lowes back by the metal and vinyl panels, I think its rubber, we chose red because we didn't want to special order green. It was cheaper than the vinyl and didn't need to cut it, we just overlapped the two panels by three dips in the middle. All the windows and vents are covered with hardware cloth so we are predator and wild bird proof.



We also built the frame for the 8x10 run, I'm so glad I was able to convince the husband to bump it out the extra 4ft, it looked so narrow as 6x8 (we also have the 4x6 under the coop which have hardware cloth on three sides, the front being open to the run). Next year we may bump it out more, but all that hardware cloth is expensive. We just need to staple the hardware cloth on all the run panels, finish the door to the run and put netting on top. But I will be putting the girls in tonight, just gotta pick up sand for the poop board and bedding. I think I may do sand for the floor too for the summer, maybe mix in some DE and Sweet PDZ and get the perch up. Oh and see if a ramp or ladder is needed up to the perch.

So last night was the last night with the girls in our house. The neighbors were watching me round them up in the evening and seemed entertained. After I got the first three in the last two realized they were alone so started walking toward the gate, Clara hopped up onto the gate then onto my arm and then when I came back for Morgaine who hates being "chased", she followed me to the first step, then thought better of it, so I got out the meal worms and made a trail which she followed into the porch.

The coop is great!! I'm sure they will love their new house and it will be a lot less work rounding them up each night!

Yep, here is our current flock

Roos: BCM, CCL, Silkie (silver partridge with red leakage)
Hens: BR, PR, BA, EE, Cochin, D'Uccle, SLP
Pullets: CCL, BCM, BO, bantam frizzle cochins, Silkie (at least I'm hoping she's a girl), welsummer, bantam EE, BLRW

And these are what we plan to breed:
CCL
OE (both blue roo over dark pullet and dark roo over blue pullet to see which provides the best color)
BCM
Silkies
Silkie/bantam EE
Sizzles

And maybe some mutts for meat.

Wow... that's fantastic!!! You have some great breeds!

This group is great!

I wish...but we're too crowded as it is. Maybe if I had found a local egg supplier already I might consider it. My husband is the one who usually catches the broody in the nest at night when he checks our security cameras, so I'd have to sneak her to another nest box away from the cameras to get away with letting her hatch some eggs. Honestly, I am really "trying very hard" to wait until next Spring until we hatch or get chicks.

I know... hard to wait. I'm already thinking that if I get new chicks in Sept then I should wait an entire year to get new ones after that. But you just never know I guess. If my girls would just lay more I'd be happy but I have ten 15 month old hens and only get 3-6 eggs/day. It honestly seems like it should be much more.

Most days it's 4-5 and only sometimes 6. I have a lot of slackers.

 

[christine9]

@autumnhearth nice coop setup!

 

[rnchick74]

So the Silkies and CCL babies have been separated for 1 day. Everyone has settled down now. The silkies are pouting a little since they don't have as much room, but I'm going to make some flock blocks for them to keep them from getting bored. I wish I had my big coop already set up, but alas it's still a little way off $$ wise. Soon, very soon!!!!

 

[christine9]

So the Silkies and CCL babies have been separated for 1 day. Everyone has settled down now. The silkies are pouting a little since they don't have as much room, but I'm going to make some flock blocks for them to keep them from getting bored. I wish I had my big coop already set up, but alas it's still a little way off $$ wise. Soon, very soon!!!!

I think we need more pictures! LOL