Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[autumnhearth]

Just realized our girls are 6 months old today! My how the time flies. So when are you going to lay an egg Morgaine?


Who, me?

 

[NotableNancy]

Just realized our girls are 6 months old today! My how the time flies. So when are you going to lay an egg Morgaine?


Who, me?

I know... me too!! Waiting on my 2 Brabanters and Silkie to lay! I finally am 99% sure my silkie is a girl... unless boys can sing egg songs and squat for other chickens. I have heard of them sitting in the nest box to teach pullets where to lay but never an egg song. But I want an egg first to to say 100% sure.



I'm starting to sprout for my girls for the fall/winter since there's nothing green for them to eat outside. They love scratching through the wet leaves for worms/bugs and what not but I'm letting the sprouts go to grow for 5 days or so to get them green rather than more protein. Does anyone else do this and is it really helping them get more veggies in them or should I just buy bruised zucchini and things like that??


Oh, and I'm starting to integrate my little ones with the biguns' since I realized my 8-9 week olds are as big as my Silkie!! LOL, guess it's time

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yes, roosters can and do sing the egg song. The egg song, out of the nest, is actually a warning call which both sexes use when panicked. Still, roosters don't typically squat, so that's a good sign!

I plan to try sprouting this year as well. In past years, I have gotten veggies for the girls to peck at during the wintertime and they do seem to enjoy it. I think either way would be fine, not sure which the girls would prefer. Maybe a little of both for variety?




P.S. I love that picture of Morgaine, Autumnhearth! Judging by that comb, she couldn't be too far off of laying, so maybe soon? My girls will be 5 months at the middle of the month, so nowhere near eggs from them, I don't think. One of my Dorkings and my Welsummer are both looking like they are starting to get ready for laying, though!

 

[christine9]

Just realized our girls are 6 months old today! My how the time flies. So when are you going to lay an egg Morgaine? Who, me?

Love her!

 

[twoboystwogirls]

I know... me too!! Waiting on my 2 Brabanters and Silkie to lay! I finally am 99% sure my silkie is a girl... unless boys can sing egg songs and squat for other chickens. I have heard of them sitting in the nest box to teach pullets where to lay but never an egg song. But I want an egg first to to say 100% sure.



I'm starting to sprout for my girls for the fall/winter since there's nothing green for them to eat outside. They love scratching through the wet leaves for worms/bugs and what not but I'm letting the sprouts go to grow for 5 days or so to get them green rather than more protein. Does anyone else do this and is it really helping them get more veggies in them or should I just buy bruised zucchini and things like that??


Oh, and I'm starting to integrate my little ones with the biguns' since I realized my 8-9 week olds are as big as my Silkie!! LOL, guess it's time

We had 4 silkies (two roos and two hens). The roosters definitely looked alot different than the hens by about 5 months. The roosters had really wide combs on them and very "mottled" looking. It is hard to explain. The hens started laying way later than my big chickens. The weird thing is that my one silkie hen that is left lays an egg every day, like clockwork. I was told they only lay about 2 or 3 a week. She is a year and a half and she still lays an egg every day. The only time she doesn't lay an egg is when she gets broody.

As for the veggies, I would like to try sprouting for them. I usually get cabbage, zucchini and such from either Aldi's or Meijer's discount bin. My hubby hangs the cabbage from the ceiling of the coop and they peck at it all day. That way if it is blizzard out they do not have to go outside for entertainment.

 

[NanaLynn]

We have a couple that have finished their molt and others took their spot so we have different eggs, but still less than usual.

We processed Dinner yesterday. Do not continue reading if you don't like these things.

Note, do not try to skin an old bird. Young ones are easy but this older (6mo) rooster was tough! Next time I know to have the water ready to pluck it.
He had more meat than I expected. Unfortunately I didn't have time to weigh him, I was running out the door to pick up my dad at the airport. DD was all gung ho about doing the deed but when the time came she couldn't do it. I can't be around for it so luckily DD's best friend was there to hold the cone for DH. I had read about someone using branch cutters for cutting off the head so we brought some new ones (our current ones were really dull) and gave that a try. DH said it didn't work well at all.

Dinner has been in the crockpot all night. If I had plucked him I would've roasted him low and slow but with no skin he would've just dried out. We're making stock and giving the meat to our pregnant dog. She is just days from giving birth and she all she wants to eat is meat and lots of it. She is turning her nose up at anything else even though she used to be a pig. My other dogs know she's getting special food even though we feed her in a different room and they are now on strike about their normal food. Pests!

I bet you're glad that is done. How is your flock now? We plan on just sticking with the quick knife method. We've only processed the one still but we learned from that one to have a very sharp knife on hand. So since then I purchased a new knife.

I know... me too!! Waiting on my 2 Brabanters and Silkie to lay! I finally am 99% sure my silkie is a girl... unless boys can sing egg songs and squat for other chickens. I have heard of them sitting in the nest box to teach pullets where to lay but never an egg song. But I want an egg first to to say 100% sure.

I'm starting to sprout for my girls for the fall/winter since there's nothing green for them to eat outside. They love scratching through the wet leaves for worms/bugs and what not but I'm letting the sprouts go to grow for 5 days or so to get them green rather than more protein. Does anyone else do this and is it really helping them get more veggies in them or should I just buy bruised zucchini and things like that??

Oh, and I'm starting to integrate my little ones with the biguns' since I realized my 8-9 week olds are as big as my Silkie!! LOL, guess it's time

I sprouted a little for them last year in my sprout jars. I sprouted some for me and them. The BOSS sprouted really well but when I sprouted beans they did not do to well, they got all nasty looking. Also, oats sprouted really well too. I used small jars, so I need to sprout on a bigger scale this time. If you get a lot of jars set up within a weeks time you can have a nice rotation schedule set up so you are always feeding them one jar and starting them another each day.

I am going to try this once our kitchen remodel is done, too much going on here right now to add more work.

Good luck with the integration!

Nice to know about the branch cutters. I also had head that they were a handy solution but I am beginning to think the cut throat and let bleed out is best and fastest. No blood to the brain = brain dead and not signals from the nervous system. I am only guessing here since I have never done the deed myself and am not really sure how. I have looked at the YouTube video instructions and it is much like watching Texas Chainsaw Murders. We have always been a "no kill" farm except for critters that were not welcome here and having to put down the occasional seriously injured bird. However, I have 5 Andalusian hens that are 8 months old that are pushing their luck. I may end up just re-homing them but I know that I will never buy a Mediterranean breed again. They just are too aggressive as they mature. You say you skinned the bird. That is a lot more logical if you are going to skin and de-bone in the end anyway. But, what about gutting? Is it done the same way?

I am going to pass on the Andulasions next time too. I have two of them. One of them is still being picked on by most of the other chickens and she now is scared of everything, including us. She screams when we enter the coop. I guess since everyone is picking on her, I can't blame her. They're also 2 of the reasons why I cannot free range the chickens since they were always flying out of the yard. I love my Golden Campine too, she is so beautiful but too flighty for us and our setup.

 

[NotableNancy]

Yes, roosters can and do sing the egg song. The egg song, out of the nest, is actually a warning call which both sexes use when panicked. Still, roosters don't typically squat, so that's a good sign!

I plan to try sprouting this year as well. In past years, I have gotten veggies for the girls to peck at during the wintertime and they do seem to enjoy it. I think either way would be fine, not sure which the girls would prefer. Maybe a little of both for variety?

OK, so then I still don't know. LOL I did see my Silkie, Patty, sing the egg song when they were free ranging and they were all a little skittish looking like there was a predator around and she and a couple other started the song; a little tentatively. I told them to hush up because they were attracting attention but since I don't speak 'chicken' they didn't understand me. This was the first time I ever saw them do this. What I don't understand is why would chickens start squawking like that if they think there is a predator around because then they are practically ringing a dinner bell. They didn't run and sing the song they just stood there and sang it. Do you know??
Anyway, Patty has squatted a few times but not for me... it was for a more dominant hen so I'm still not sold on her being a pullet. Maybe she/he squatted just because they were more dominant?? Time will tell. No biggie.

We had 4 silkies (two roos and two hens). The roosters definitely looked alot different than the hens by about 5 months. The roosters had really wide combs on them and very "mottled" looking. It is hard to explain. The hens started laying way later than my big chickens. The weird thing is that my one silkie hen that is left lays an egg every day, like clockwork. I was told they only lay about 2 or 3 a week. She is a year and a half and she still lays an egg every day. The only time she doesn't lay an egg is when she gets broody.

As for the veggies, I would like to try sprouting for them. I usually get cabbage, zucchini and such from either Aldi's or Meijer's discount bin. My hubby hangs the cabbage from the ceiling of the coop and they peck at it all day. That way if it is blizzard out they do not have to go outside for entertainment.

Still not much of a comb or wattles and she/he is almost a full 6 months old. But I always remember the breeder I got my CCL from and she also breeds Silkies. She showed an 8 month old pulled and won first place then SHE crowed 3 days later. So not only could the breeder not tell its sex but even the judges couldn't tell!! I'm just gonna hang in there and see. Patty/Pat is so tiny it's like she's not even there. That's great you get an egg a day from a Silkie. Never heard that before. Are they really small?

I sprouted a little for them last year in my sprout jars. I sprouted some for me and them. The BOSS sprouted really well but when I sprouted beans they did not do to well, they got all nasty looking. Also, oats sprouted really well too. I used small jars, so I need to sprout on a bigger scale this time. If you get a lot of jars set up within a weeks time you can have a nice rotation schedule set up so you are always feeding them one jar and starting them another each day.

I am going to try this once our kitchen remodel is done, too much going on here right now to add more work.

Good luck with the integration!

Right now I just have 2 really big jars but that should work because I use the first jar after day 4 and then use it for the next 3 days or so since there's so much in there. Then the 2nd jar is ready and do the same thing. We'll se how it goes. Right now I just sprout wheat berries maybe also called hard winter wheat? My girls like the BOSS better just plain rather than sprouted so I don't do that anymore. I'm going to go to Whole Foods and see what else they have to sprout. I just don't have a place around with large quantities of products to sprout so I can't really get this stuff to cheaply.

What are you doing to your kitchen? Are you 'put out' of the kitchen or are you able to work around it? And most importantly any more sonograms???

 

[NanaLynn]

@ NotableNancy funny you should ask. We just found out yesterday. My 1st granddaughter will be born in March!!!! So excited! !!

 

[Melabella]

My little Blue Ameraucana, 7 weeks old.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

OK, so then I still don't know.  LOL    I did see my Silkie, Patty, sing the egg song when they were free ranging and they were all a little skittish looking like there was a predator around and she and a couple other started the song; a little tentatively.  I told them to hush up because they were attracting attention but since I don't speak 'chicken' they didn't understand me.  This was the first time I ever saw them do this.  What I don't understand is why would chickens start squawking like that if they think there is a predator around because then they are practically ringing a dinner bell.  They didn't run and sing the song they just stood there and sang it.  Do you know??  
Anyway, Patty has squatted a few times but not for me... it was for a more dominant hen so I'm still not sold on her being a pullet. Maybe she/he squatted just because they were more dominant?? Time will tell. No biggie.  

In my experience, that call is used to alarm the flock and make sure they are aware of potential danger. When my birds have had hawks fly low over their pen, for example, they have been silent save for a few clucks as they ran for their lives for cover! The alarm call is more of a warning to be on guard. This is one reason why it is speculated that they make he same call when coming out of the nest. It is believed that this is to get the flock looking, to make sure that as the hen is leaving the nest, there is nothing possibly sneaking up on her or her flock. This is all speculation, of course, but seems plausible when you consider how the same call is used otherwise.


I have had hens squat for more dominant hens, but have never had a cockerel squat for a hen. That's not to say it can't happen, of course, but it would be unusual. The squat, again, is one of those things that people connect to one thing (mating behavior in chickens) but is actually another thing, and that is a sign of submission. That's why some hens will squat for other hens, especially in flocks that don't have a rooster to be the top bird. Roosters tend to be too proud to squat for one another and prefer to flee rather than show submission, but I have heard of it happening. So yes, we still don't know. Give her another month or two and hopefully she'll stay a she.