Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[NotableNancy]

I've been away for a few weeks and goodness! Took me forever to catch back up! This years Meyer babies are 20 weeks old now and my breeder CCL's are 22 wks. Question to those of you who got breeder CCL's- how old were they when they started laying? I saw someone posted about a 18 or 19 week old laying I think. Both Poppy and Pepper have huge red combs and waddles. Neither had squatted yet for me, but today Pepper sort of did

so maybe she's close. I was beginning to worry bc both the CCL girls and one of my Meyer Welsummers have super red combs and I am worried they had a secret nest somewhere...
Here's a few pics of my crew since I haven't been on forever and I've snapped a few good ones this summer!! First 4 are my older flock not from Meyer
Amelia the smiling EE, Ethel the BO (not thrilled with the nestbox paparazzi)
Atilla the Hen (BR) and Nori the Ameraucana. This was before they all dust bathed my herb garden to death...

Meyer Wellie, Rue, look at that comb!

My Meyer Blue Cochin Sage. I love photographing her.
my CCL's Poppy (L) and Pepper (R) lookin all grown up and gorgeous.
edited to condense the pictures a bit

That was probably me... I have breeder CCL and one laid her first egg the day she turned 18 weeks and the other laid when she turned 19. Both are pretty green eggs. I was surprised about them not being blue... but they're very pretty!! They were so standoffish from the time I got them and now they just love me and always hover around my feet. So funny, as soon as they start to lay them like me better!!
I would look around for hidden eggs because yours look like they should be laying!
All your girls are so pretty!!!

 

[NotableNancy]

So Amelia our Golden Buff was up to mischief yesterday morning during free range time.


She flew up on top of the nest boxes


Jumped on top of the run door


Then easily stepped onto the coop roof


I think she was feeling restless about her first egg.

She had been making this soft by high pitch rather eerie note that she drew out, quite haunting and beautiful starting the day before. An hour or so after free range time I went to check on the girls in the run and both Amelia and Clara were going in and out of all three of the nest boxes both making soft but urgent noises. At one point they were in the same nest box. I was really glad they were doing this together and that they were both interested in the nest boxes, but both were still nervous and at one point I think Clara pecked Amelia.

They both went in and out of the coop a few times, Clara would always go right back in with a sense of urgency but Amelia hopped up on the perch branches in the run where her other three sisters were waiting patiently, like they all had with Clara's third egg as if that was the waiting room and the coop was the delivery room. So Amelia flies up to the perches and starts nuzzling her head under her sisters' fluffy bellies, as if to hide under them and its clear she's looking for a safe, comfortable place to lay. So I take her off the perch and put her back in the coop, she tried out the nest boxes again but is unsatisfied and goes back out. She repeats trying to bury her head under her sisters and I take her off again. Then the third time I see her muscles begin to contract so I scoop her up and hold her close to my body and we go to sit down in the coop together, I'm petting her trying to calm her down, when Clara comes out of a nest box and over to my lap and I think oh good someone for her to snuggle with, then I look down between my legs and there is Amelia's freshly laid egg! Looking all pinkish purple with its white bloom.


Poor dear stayed on my lap for another 10-15 minutes, mostly with her eyes closed, while Clara fussed and scratched in one of the nest boxes. Finally she settled down for a few minutes, then stood up and we heard the thunk of her egg. She stood frozen and I thought she might peck me when I grabbed it, but she just tapped the egg with her beak and stayed in the nest box for a good long while as I left the coop to show my husband, who had the day off, the two eggs.


Love these colors next to each other, you can see Amelia's first egg is bigger than Clara's fourth

The husband hadn't wanted to join me in watching and said I should leave them alone and let them do their business. But I'm pretty sure if I hadn't been there Amelia's first egg would have ended up cracked on the ground and the girls would have eaten it. It's crazy that I've had both girls lay their first egg in my lap, I definitely feel like a chicken midwife now. But I am really glad Clara laid in the box this time. I've added more fluff (feathers and dried grass) in there to make it more nest like. So we'll see if Amelia lays a second egg today. Clara's been laying every other day but that might change. They are 22 weeks/5 months old.

Always love your stories and Amelia is so pretty.... I hope one of mine looks like her. Love all the white in her. I have 5 GB right now but may only keep 3 or 4. Do you have pics of her at about 8-10 weeks old? Just wondering if she had all that white in her then or did it come in later. That's when I may have to make my decision as who to keep. I'll also go by friendliness too. I don't know what else to really look for.

I can't help but think they must be so confused after that first egg comes out and then they have to be so relieved and think, ' oh thank goodness, that's over with. Hope that never happens again' and then the next day it happens to them again. Poor girls.
Your eggs are very pretty!!!

Wow you have the best eggs stories and those are some gorgeous eggs, love the colors!

I got some glamour shots of the girls today, they all were being hams!

I think this is Mouse - yes she got her name because she killed and ate a mouse her first day free ranging.


Pepper - the first egg layer of the bunch, she is a sweetie.



Isis


Left Eye being nosey and noisy!

So pretty... did I miss it?? How is Left Eye doing?

 

[COChix]

So pretty... did I miss it??  How is Left Eye doing?

thanks, Left Eye is good, she is back in general population so to speak. She doesn't like to come down off the roosts in the run, guess I need to stop feeding her up there. I did that as she was getting chased off the food, she still puts herself away in the small coop (aka - chicken hospital) Isis roosts with her and we close them up. She got chased into the big Coop by the boys the other night and was panicked. I put her and Isis in small coop and tonight they put themselves in there. The EE and most the girls are nicer now to her, the boys still chase her and she runs sounding like she is being killed. I am sure it is traumatic after being pecked. I have to stop intervening and let her figure it out, it is hard. Besides that she seems adjusted.

On the Black bird front, our dark Cornish, we will probably harvest them all, but time will tell.

 

[chickadee5002]

I put antibiotic cream on it yesterday and today sprayed it with Granulex. That is the best stuff ever and I credit it with saving the life of our EE when she got attacked. She was completely ripped up from chest to tail. We sprayed that on her after a couple days of antiobiotic ointment. It helps skin regrow and supposed to keep flies off. We put the EE back outside before she was completely healed and even though the area had a ton of flies, I never saw one land on her. It's oily and stays put well. You don't have to spray it every day.
Sadie, the BLRW, is in our bathroom right now so she doesn't need blukote on. No one will be picking on her. She won't go outside until she has at least scabbed over.

I have never heard of Granulex, that sounds like some awesome stuff! I'll have to look into that! How is she doing today? Hopefully not to traumatized?

 

[chickenpooplady]

Hey everyone! I was just wondering how many people have bought chicks out of the extra bin at Meyer hatchery. How many chicks were available in the bin when you went? What were the breeds that were available? How hard was in to find the breeds that you were looking for in the bin? Thanks!

 

[chickadee5002]

When my BO went broody I hung up the old cage and put her in it. It was the 1st time I had used it for a broody and she was scared to death! I thought I my I'm such a horrible chicken momma! But she snapped out of it within 2 days. I gave her some really good treats because I felt horrible, which of course she enjoyed

The other BO acted broody a few days later and I thought I am putting her in the cage well she went in I gave her some good treats and left. A few hours later I went to check on her and she acted normal, no broodiness or anything. I thought that's kind of strange so I kept her in there all night well by morning she was squawking wanting out so I thought lets try it. I let her out and she didn't act broody anymore. Well the next day the same thing she's acting broody and standing under the cage I put her in so I thought I guess I can stick her in there and see what happens. Put her in the cage and some treats and left for a few hours, checked on her and she's acting normal again! I swear I am going crazy!

She kept doing this for like a week. I realized something very important as the week went by. My chicken was playing me for a fool! She was acting broody to get the good treats and once she got them she was ready to get out of the cage! After that week of her doing that she acted broody again so I just gave her some treats on the ground and she gobbled them up and walked away pleased with herself! That little stinker! So it always gets me when people say chickens are stupid, I tell them come to my house for awhile that'll change your mind! lol

 

[COChix]

She kept doing this for like a week. I realized something very important as the week went by. My chicken was playing me for a fool! She was acting broody to get the good treats and once she got them she was ready to get out of the cage! After that week of her doing that she acted broody again so I just gave her some treats on the ground and she gobbled them up and walked away pleased with herself! That little stinker! So it always gets me when people say chickens are stupid, I tell them come to my house for awhile that'll change your mind! lol

Funny, I have thought the same thing about Left Eye, thinking maybe she was playing me as well. Today, I caved and feed her on the roosts in the run again as it has been raining all morning and I know she won't go out to the free range area for food. Maybe tomorrow I won't be so gullible, lol.

 

[NotableNancy]

When my BO went broody I hung up the old cage and put her in it. It was the 1st time I had used it for a broody and she was scared to death! I thought I my I'm such a horrible chicken momma! But she snapped out of it within 2 days. I gave her some really good treats because I felt horrible, which of course she enjoyed

The other BO acted broody a few days later and I thought I am putting her in the cage well she went in I gave her some good treats and left. A few hours later I went to check on her and she acted normal, no broodiness or anything. I thought that's kind of strange so I kept her in there all night well by morning she was squawking wanting out so I thought lets try it. I let her out and she didn't act broody anymore. Well the next day the same thing she's acting broody and standing under the cage I put her in so I thought I guess I can stick her in there and see what happens. Put her in the cage and some treats and left for a few hours, checked on her and she's acting normal again! I swear I am going crazy!

She kept doing this for like a week. I realized something very important as the week went by. My chicken was playing me for a fool! She was acting broody to get the good treats and once she got them she was ready to get out of the cage! After that week of her doing that she acted broody again so I just gave her some treats on the ground and she gobbled them up and walked away pleased with herself! That little stinker! So it always gets me when people say chickens are stupid, I tell them come to my house for awhile that'll change your mind! lol

LOL... played by a chicken. Yup, some are very smart... others not so much!!

Hey everyone! I was just wondering how many people have bought chicks out of the extra bin at Meyer hatchery. How many chicks were available in the bin when you went? What were the breeds that were available? How hard was in to find the breeds that you were looking for in the bin? Thanks!

Sorry, I never did before. You mean you can just walk in and they have a bin of chicks? Wow, sounds like heaven!!

thanks, Left Eye is good, she is back in general population so to speak. She doesn't like to come down off the roosts in the run, guess I need to stop feeding her up there. I did that as she was getting chased off the food, she still puts herself away in the small coop (aka - chicken hospital) Isis roosts with her and we close them up. She got chased into the big Coop by the boys the other night and was panicked. I put her and Isis in small coop and tonight they put themselves in there. The EE and most the girls are nicer now to her, the boys still chase her and she runs sounding like she is being killed. I am sure it is traumatic after being pecked. I have to stop intervening and let her figure it out, it is hard. Besides that she seems adjusted.

On the Black bird front, our dark Cornish, we will probably harvest them all, but time will tell.

It's hard to not intervene but I read that every time I do, then it just takes another day of pecking to get them to resolve it. I have to just make myself walk away sometimes.

 

[COChix]

LOL... played by a chicken.   It's hard to not intervene but I read that every time I do, then it just takes another day of pecking to get them to resolve it.  I have to just make myself walk away sometimes.

yep,gotta tell myself, just walk away...walk away!

 

[NanaLynn]

LOL... played by a chicken. Yup, some are very smart... others not so much!!

Sorry, I never did before. You mean you can just walk in and they have a bin of chicks? Wow, sounds like heaven!!

It's hard to not intervene but I read that every time I do, then it just takes another day of pecking to get them to resolve it. I have to just make myself walk away sometimes.

Glad to hear Izzy is doing better. Good luck with selling her. I imagine she will sell pretty easy. Too bad she is being so mean.

yep,gotta tell myself, just walk away...walk away!

It is so hard to do.

So with our latest conflict Andi is still running off to the roost a lot. I think since we no longer free range some of these high flyers are having
issues with the older chickens and against each other. Everyone else seems fine. It has been cooler here the last couple days so maybe since it is not hot in the coop she is just resting in there a lot too and avoiding the conflict.

She is molting too but I see her out eating and she does come out to the run for treats. It seems she heads into the coop when she battles with her breed sister, Splash.


When I went to check on Andi, Splash had also went in to the coop, I guess to torment Andi a little more. Splash is a conflict starter and she keeps picking battles with Olivia the older EE who is in charge and the lead hen now. Our Golden Campine (the 3rd high flying one) has been disciplined by Olivia the EE a few times too. I guess the Blue Andulasions and the Golden Campines do better in free ranged environments. I may considered Craigs List too soon.


My daughter was fussing saying it seems like all of our white chickens are mean. The White Rock, Daisy was mean to the others and now Splash too.