Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[trsturself]

That's funny, our first set of chicks (now 4 mo old) are much better foragers than our 2nd set (2-3 mo old). Our older girls come running when they see me put something in and the younger ones look at me like I'm crazy. It's been a few weeks and the younger ones are finally getting the idea by watching the bigger ones get excited. When they first went outside they loved worms but now they turn their beaks up at them. Chickens are strange! But so much fun!

And yes, integrating the flocks is never fun. I've heard they never fully integrate, just tolerate. At the end of everything we'll have 3 flocks with 3 chickens in each (that is if our silky is indeed a roo like I suspect, otherwise we'll have one flock of 4 in there).

We get our 6 replacement chicks in 1 week. Can't wait to see what we get (we ordered assorted so we wouldn't have to wait until Sept to get exact replacements)!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Flocks do integrate over time, so I'm not sure who would have said otherwise. I have 6 different broods of chickens in my chicken yard (soon to be 7) from over the past 8 years and if you didn't know which hens came from which year's brood, you wouldn't figure it out by looking at them.

 

[NanaLynn]

That's good to hear that they integrate over time. I have a few sweet chickens that don't mind the chicks, my CW and Blue Cochin just ignore them which is fine with me. I have one BR, Google who is okay with them too. I'll be glad when the little ones learn to fight back. I feel like a babysitter trying to keep the high schooler's from bullying the elementary kids.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Anybody have Meyer Salmon faverolles? they look so pretty but the Meyer description says they may not get along with other breeds. What has your experience been?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

What I've read is that they do get picked on a lot in a mixed flock. I don't have any, myself, so I can't tell you from experience.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

That's good to hear that they integrate over time. I have a few sweet chickens that don't mind the chicks, my CW and Blue Cochin just ignore them which is fine with me. I have one BR, Google who is okay with them too. I'll be glad when the little ones learn to fight back. I feel like a babysitter trying to keep the high schooler's from bullying the elementary kids.

It does feel like that for a long time, but after a while, they just start ignoring one another, and before long, you see them preening or eating together, or even sharing a perch. You just have to use your best judgement as to when to intervene when the little ones are being picked on. Remember that for the flock to function, the birds need to establish who is the most dominant. If it's too rough, get in there, but if it's just a peck on the head, the little ones should be fine.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

What I've read is that they do get picked on a lot in a mixed flock. I don't have any, myself, so I can't tell you from experience.

Meyer actual says they can become aggressive TOWARDS other breeds. I have a very mixed flock, no two birds are alike, except for the 3 Easter Eggers, so trying to figure out if SF would be a good addition or not. They are so very pretty, plus supposedly docile and good with kids.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Really? That's not what I've heard at all! They are very sweet toward people from my understanding, good as lap chickens.

 

[NanaLynn]

I have a salmon faverolle, Lucy, she is very sweet. She gets along with the other five 4 week old chicks that I have, she is very sweet and gentle and is my favorite of the new chicks. So far so good for me, but of course she is just 4 weeks old.


I'm surprised that it says they can become aggressive against other breeds because I did read elsewhere that they can be picked on by other breeds since they are so docile. Weird that they wrote that.

This is what My Pet Chicken says: "They are shy and sweet-natured, but so docile that they tend to find themselves at the bottom of the pecking order in a mixed flock. Chicks can get picked on, too, so for that reason, Salmon Faverolles are often NOT the most hardy breed as chicks."

 

[trsturself]

That's good to hear. Maybe the person I heard that from just didn't give them enough time. They have a lot of chickens going in and out with only 2 sticking around for the long term. The more I'm on here, the more research I do, and the more experiences I have, I realize she doesn't have nearly as much experience as I first thought. She's done 4H for a couple years, but like I said she only has the 2 permanent hens. And since she lives somewhere chickens aren't allowed, those poor girls live in a horse trough.

I feel like the stuff going on between my flocks is just pecking order, nothing too bad so I'm hopeful they'll all get along. I hope the next group integrates as easily. Love this board. I learn so much!


edit: forgot I was going to comment on the favorelles. The same friend I was talking about has a salmon favorelle with 3 columbian wyandottes right now and everyone is getting along fine. I would say she falls into the shy and submissive role. She is usually hiding behind a wyandotte every time I look in there.