Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[Melabella]

My Austra White at 21 weeks. Still no eggs but starting to redden up. She's very pretty

MB

 

[jonsccm]

She is pretty!

 

[trsturself]

So final update! 12 out of 14 hatched one was not firtal and the other was trying to zip but did not get far and did not make it. I can't figure out why. But the 12 are all looking great! I have to put in props for the brinsea Eco 20! It is so easy! 5 star rating! Lol!
First one to hatch silkie!

And the rest!

I love silkie chicks! I was looking forward to breeding some but now my she turned out to be a he so we have 2 silkie roos and no hens. Gonna have to find me a girl!

Yum!!!
How cute and fluffy!!! Great job! Probably so much more exciting than a box arriving in the mail with chicks!!

I was trying to quote the polish eaten alive story but only got this. Anyway... How awful! I wonder if the rooster cut her and the chickens saw blood and went crazy? So strange!

My Austra White at 21 weeks. Still no eggs but starting to redden up. She's very pretty



MB

She is very pretty. We only have one white chicken. I think we need more, maybe one of these or a splash of some kind.


Our rooster, Carter, seems to have picked his favorites and chases off the other girls from the food. A bunch of them have taken to hiding out in the coop all day. They'll come out for food and water in the morning when I let them out but as soon as I leave they head straight for the coop. If I stay out there they hang out longer. I think they know I'll protect them. I think once we process Dinner next weekend, Carter will have to take a turn in the grow out pen. Maybe that will settle him down.

Speaking of Dinner in the grow out pen... every morning when I let everyone out of the coop, our rooster, King (silkie), goes over to the grow out pen and starts challenging Dinner through the wire. He would've never been so brave when Dinner was free. It's almost as if he's taunting him. lol

We started Dinner on a diet of grains soaked in buttermilk like they do for the Bresse in France. Hoping it will make him taste yummy! If he has a decent amount of meat on him I think we'll slow roast him. Otherwise he'll just go in the slow cooker for soup.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

So final update! 12 out of 14 hatched one was not firtal and the other was trying to zip but did not get far and did not make it. I can't figure out why. But the 12 are all looking great! I have to put in props for the brinsea Eco 20! It is so easy! 5 star rating! Lol!
First one to hatch silkie!

Yay, babies!! That Silkie baby is so, so cute!




I don't know why it didn't quote... But I just wanted to say, I am so glad you said you washed up as soon as you got home! That spraddled, one leg forward and one leg back position is pretty classic Marek's. :/ Not that that means 100% that that's what it was, but it's a pretty common symptom for it. The head movement you described could be connected to it as well, but both symptoms could also be a vitamin deficiency, which Polish are prone to. The odd thing, as you pointed out, is the timing--it should have taken longer for her to reach that point in either case! Scary, scary stuff. I'm glad you're keeping your flock safe!

My Austra White at 21 weeks. Still no eggs but starting to redden up. She's very pretty

MB

Beauty! I am put off by any breed that's supposed to be early to lay (although 21 weeks is pretty far away from 14 weeks as the Meyer site said...), but man, this is a gorgeous pullet!

 

[jonsccm]

Silkie question? All my silkies came from meyer but my white hen is bearded and my blue rooster is non bearded. I came out with 1 blue chick and one black chick. Can you tell as chicks if they will be bearded or not? I ask because my blue has a lot more face fluff then the black just wondering if that meant something I don't know if I've ever seen a chick this chubby!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yup, your blue baby is definitely bearded! You can usually tell as chicks whether they will be clean faced or bearded. I have read that the gene behind bearded chickens is partially dominant, meaning a bird with two 'beard' genes has more of a beard than a bird with one beard gene. (I would have to look it up to be sure, so don't hold me to it!) However, clean faced to beard, in that case, should have produced half clean-faced and half single-bearded OR all single-bearded offspring, depending on if the bearded parent is single or double bearded. Is the black chick clean faced or does it have a smaller beard (or can you tell)? It's usually easier to tell how bearded a bird is once they've grown up, so it may be a wait and see game with these babies.

 

[Melabella]

Beauty! I am put off by any breed that's supposed to be early to lay (although 21 weeks is pretty far away from 14 weeks as the Meyer site said...), but man, this is a gorgeous pullet!

Thank you, I think so too! She clearly takes more after her Black Australorp parent with her black legs and smaller comb and head shape. The later maturity as well, I'll take it. Love the BA's. I am beating myself up a bit as I ordered her and 4 white Marans who are beautiful but I favor more free range types and am a bit worries about having 5 white flags waving up at the Hawks. Dummy me! I named her Austra, loL. The White Maran here is also 21 weeks. Very pretty bird as well and feathers are so thick and so soft!
Aurora my White Maran

Another shot of Austra

 

[christine9]

I'm definitely adding an austra white to my wish list for next year now!!

@rnchick74 I was using ACV until the weather got warm. It really turned the water funky in the warm weather. I guess the weather may be mild enough to go back to it. I had honestly completely forgotten about it. Thanks!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thank you, I think so too! She clearly takes more after her Black Australorp parent with her black legs and smaller comb and head shape. The later maturity as well, I'll take it. Love the BA's. I am beating myself up a bit as I ordered her and 4 white Marans who are beautiful but I favor more free range types and am a bit worries about having 5 white flags waving up at the Hawks. Dummy me! I named her Austra, loL. The White Maran here is also 21 weeks. Very pretty bird as well and feathers are so thick and so soft!
Aurora my White Maran

Another shot of Austra

They are both gorgeous! I love my Marans. There's something so attractive about those black spots on that Austra white, though. Don't worry about the name--I have a Wyandotte I call Lady Wyandotte because nothing else fit.

I'm guessing Aurora isn't laying yet? I'm wondering what color she might lay. Hopefully a nice, dark brown! My Meyer splash Marans, Frou-frou, lays a pretty basic brown egg, even a little lighter than some of my other brown eggers. She only lays about 30-40 bantam-sized eggs a year, though, so maybe it's just her. I got my two Black Coppers and my Welsummer with the hopes that I might get some nice, dark eggs. If they all deliver, as well as Poppy laying a nice, blue egg, I'll have the coveted rainbow egg basket at last!

 

[trsturself]

They are both gorgeous!

I love my Marans. There's something so attractive about those black spots on that Austra white, though. Don't worry about the name--I have a Wyandotte I call Lady Wyandotte because nothing else fit.

I'm guessing Aurora isn't laying yet? I'm wondering what color she might lay. Hopefully a nice, dark brown! My Meyer splash Marans, Frou-frou, lays a pretty basic brown egg, even a little lighter than some of my other brown eggers. She only lays about 30-40 bantam-sized eggs a year, though, so maybe it's just her. I got my two Black Coppers and my Welsummer with the hopes that I might get some nice, dark eggs.

If they all deliver, as well as Poppy laying a nice, blue egg, I'll have the coveted rainbow egg basket at last!

My Meyer welsummer lays a normal brown egg. About the color of a store bought brown egg and about the same (sometimes a tad darker) than my BA egg. Definitely not as dark as I'd hoped. She is on the list of possible-to-rehome if I need to make room for more girls.