Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[NanaLynn]

Yes, I think that's why I got the 2 RIR with my first order rather than 1 RIR and 1 GB but I regret it because I do hear the GB are sweet! And quiet

Yup, they sure are!

Here is an older picture of my chicken's eggs. Someone ate the CM's eggs already so I couldn't get a more recent one. In the top photo, 4th from left is my darkest CM egg and below it on the bottom row 4th from left is my Golden Buff's egg. This is one of her smaller eggs in this pic. As you can see the buff egg is almost as dark as the CM. The other CM's egg is the last one on the bottom right. It is lighter and speckled, although is was getting a little darker until she went broody.



Cuckoo the broody is in day two of the broody breaker. I thought about what you said about dipping her in water when I was putting her back in the cage yesterday. So I saw the big black rubber bowl that I leave out for the chickens for the summer and I dunked her in. She was not too happy about that, but maybe it will cool her off. I am going to mist her today too. Three days usually works, so I guess will see, it'll be night 3 tonight. How is your crazy broody?.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

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.

Yes, yes, I should never post so late at night. I had a point in typing that out, but I didn't get to it before I posted apparently.

What I meant is that as someone who keeps her birds purely as pets, who knows them as individuals and knows all their little ticks and what they are like personality-wise, I will never get another red sexlink. I have watched 5 of the 12 I've owned waste away with internal laying. One that managed to avoid internal laying, who was particularly precious to me, I had in the house for a month trying to nurse back to health before I had to tell myself it was her time--near as I can tell she simply had an internal defect. Another one I had just deteriorated for no apparent reason and died before I could help her, and another had heart failure and passed away very suddenly. So it's not a matter of their egg laying causing them to 'burn out', so to speak. They just have a lot of things wrong with them, likely from how they are bred.

Sexlinks are truly a bird meant for production, from everything I have read about them and everything I have experienced with them. I think the kindest thing for them is to cull them between 2 and 3 years old. If you ever see a bird with internal laying, you will understand why I say this. The point is, knowing what you're going into probably does help, but if you're like me and you quickly become attached to your birds, it can be devastating, especially knowing there is nothing you can do to help them.

And again, I don't mean to scare those of you that do already have sexlinks. There is no guarantee that they will come down with anything. As a matter of fact, I've read about people with red sexlinks that have lived 7, 8, 9 years. It has just been my experience that many of them do not get to live such long lives, and most of mine have been about 3 years old when they died. Just love your birds while you have them, and be aware of what may happen. Worrying over it will not change a thing.



And my Skua is just like your Ginger, Lynn, always the last to bed. Some nights, I have the coop closed and am counting the birds only to be one short--and then I open the door to try and find my missing henny and there is Skua at the doorstep, waiting to come in for bed. She's a great forager and one of my quietest egg layers. She's about 4, so she doesn't lay very often anymore, but when she does, she's in and out of the box before I know it! Her sister, Sora, is quieter overall, but she does chatter when she's in the nest, though not nearly as loudly as, say, my Leghorns. I love them both and I'm very much hoping that they have passed that 'danger zone' age and will get to live long lives.

 

[livmom22]

Ok another question. This is my gold laced polish from the bargain bin. Do you think it's a roo? I am only allowed one roo and my cochin is staying. He is just so sweet

 

[NanaLynn]

Yes, yes, I should never post so late at night. I had a point in typing that out, but I didn't get to it before I posted apparently.

What I meant is that as someone who keeps her birds purely as pets, who knows them as individuals and knows all their little ticks and what they are like personality-wise, I will never get another red sexlink. I have watched 5 of the 12 I've owned waste away with internal laying. One that managed to avoid internal laying, who was particularly precious to me, I had in the house for a month trying to nurse back to health before I had to tell myself it was her time--near as I can tell she simply had an internal defect. Another one I had just deteriorated for no apparent reason and died before I could help her, and another had heart failure and passed away very suddenly. So it's not a matter of their egg laying causing them to 'burn out', so to speak. They just have a lot of things wrong with them, likely from how they are bred.

Sexlinks are truly a bird meant for production, from everything I have read about them and everything I have experienced with them. I think the kindest thing for them is to cull them between 2 and 3 years old. If you ever see a bird with internal laying, you will understand why I say this. The point is, knowing what you're going into probably does help, but if you're like me and you quickly become attached to your birds, it can be devastating, especially knowing there is nothing you can do to help them.

And again, I don't mean to scare those of you that do already have sexlinks. There is no guarantee that they will come down with anything. As a matter of fact, I've read about people with red sexlinks that have lived 7, 8, 9 years. It has just been my experience that many of them do not get to live such long lives, and most of mine have been about 3 years old when they died. Just love your birds while you have them, and be aware of what may happen. Worrying over it will not change a thing.

And my Skua is just like your Ginger, Lynn, always the last to bed.

Some nights, I have the coop closed and am counting the birds only to be one short--and then I open the door to try and find my missing henny and there is Skua at the doorstep, waiting to come in for bed. She's a great forager and one of my quietest egg layers. She's about 4, so she doesn't lay very often anymore, but when she does, she's in and out of the box before I know it! Her sister, Sora, is quieter overall, but she does chatter when she's in the nest, though not nearly as loudly as, say, my Leghorns. I love them both and I'm very much hoping that they have passed that 'danger zone' age and will get to live long lives.

You explained it very well.

 

[chickadee5002]

My guess for the lighter ones is Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Buff Orpington, and maybe Delaware or White Rock. I'm basing this on what they had listed under their available to ship section. The darker ones I am not sure, this is only the second time we have had chicks. Here is a picture of each one if anyone wants to make some guesses.

They are all so adorable! My guess would be golden laced Wyandotte??

 

[MamaShell]

pfq
Holy cow! That's a lot of chickens!! Obviously, you are a little more than a backyard chicken keeper! How and when did you get started??

This is our first year we had raised chickens before but that was seven or eight years ago.

Wow, I thought I was jumping in with both feet getting 23 chicks. I am sure it all came back to you from your past experience. Do you have customers for the eggs and broilers already? Will you process the birds yourself or use an outside service?

 

[MamaShell]

...

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...

That's great you got a photo the day she laid her first egg. Thanks for posting it. I think Jed has a little while yet, but, she is getting closer by the minute. Her wattles and comb seemed to have grown a great deal over night!

I can't seem to edit my posts well from my phone. There's no separation between my posts and the ones I am responding to. I hope nobody minds!

 

[MamaShell]

My guess for the lighter ones is Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Buff Orpington, and maybe Delaware or White Rock. I'm basing this on what they had listed under their available to ship section. The darker ones I am not sure, this is only the second time we have had chicks. Here is a picture of each one if anyone wants to make some guesses.

They are all so adorable! My guess would be golden laced Wyandotte??

Your guess is as good as mine. Well, actually better than mine because I have no clue. Lol They sure are purdy though!

 

[IrishAcreFarm]

My RIR from meyers has been broody for about two weeks! Did not see this coming lol. Of course, when i needed a broody a month ago, no one wanted to!

 

[christine9]

Just because everyone else is doing it...My RIR Persimmon. She has a wing that doesn't tuck under right. Maybe that's what a split wing is? But it doesn't bother her any and she's quiet, pretty calm, and a great layer.