Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[autumnhearth]

In other news, I got my first set of new chicks today!! To recap from a previous post, I was supposed to be getting a Dorking and a Cuckoo Marans today, and have a Welsummer, a Buff Orp, and a Black Australorp coming next month. Well, they multiplied before they got here. I was recently able to add a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte to my June order (thrilled! I have wanted one for years, and they were sold out by the time I placed my order this spring), and then today, while we were in the car on the way to the hatchery, I saw that they had added a few Blue Ameraucanas the the "available now" list. Eek! They were at the top of my "gee I wish they weren't sold out" list after the BLRW, so I added one of those as well! So, that's a grand total of 7 new chicks, and our little flock of 4 will be a flock of 11 by next month. Oops. I almost pulled a Light Brahma out of the Adopt Me bin this morning too (SO cute!), but I somehow managed to restrain myself. Have to delay some pleasure so I still have a favorite breed to look forward to next time.

My three little girls were a little sleepy today and I didn't get the best pictures yet, but here's what I have:

The Dorking



The Cuckoo Marans



Our little surprise sweetcheeks, the Blue Ameraucana






Still working on names here, I'll have to update with those when ready.

Little Dorking! I love little Dorkings! Your Marans looks a little grumpy but I think that's just the way her face is being contoured by the white mark under her chin. Oh my goodness sweetcheeks! Oh is she going to have the most amazing muff! Great to see your big girls too. I especially like Tiger Lily. I would really like an EE with that golden coloring and subtle lace/penciling. Like a lighter version of my Clara with a golden head instead of black, to fit right in between my other wild type girls- Dorking, Welsummer and to a lesser extent Golden Buff.

I have confirmed that it is a solid white. I called Meyer and asked if there was any chance of a white and they said no and I sent them I picture. They called me back and ask for more picture I sent them and they wanted the chick back!!! I didn't want to send it. So they refunded my money for the whole bunch I bought and paid for its postage to get there next day. They called me today to confirm it was alive and well. And thanked me gratuitously. I guess we may see some solid white polish next year lol

That is so weird, like it was an accidental early release of their newest product... I wouldn't want to send it back either but I am glad that it arrived safely, poor dear. It was probably hatched from a breeder's line and was supposed to be kept at the hatchery as part of their breeding program and somehow ended up with the adopt me's! Goodness. Just my speculation of course.


We had a scary moment yesterday during free range time (which was most of the day). Victoria and Clara had both in the nest box a long time and were showing signs of broodiness. Clara hadn't laid her egg yet but Victoria had, so I lifted her out and set her outside. Within a few minutes she was singing a very loud egg song, no doubt because I had stolen her egg. Then about 5-10 mins later Clara comes running out of the coop yelling and then singing so of course the two of them start a call and response egg song, I look up and there is a hawk going by, then a second hawk joins (or some sort of raptor), then a third and a freaking fourth all under a stormy sky! I try to lead the big girls back into the run but they don't want to listen. My first instinct is to grab the garden rake to wield as a weapon, but instead I go scoop up the chicks who have hidden in some tall leafy greenery under a tree and by this time the big girls are hiding under trees too, except Amelia who was under a mulberry bush. One by one I got everyone back into their respective pens and the hawks eventually cleared off as it started to drizzle. Oi!

Little girls were feeling a bit bolder yesterday and wandered into the big girls run twice while they were out. They really liked the fresh straw and were scratching through it. They also found the big girl's food dish and were standing in it and eating. I assume the big girls could see them in there and didn't care, until Amelia went to go in for a drink and chased them out, no contact was made though so that's good. Snow the White Rock is probably the boldest a few times she's gone to sneak up on the big girls, first a week ago when they were eating the chicks food I had just refilled and more recently she's crouched near the edge of the garden bed that the big girls are dust bathing in and looked like she wanted to pounce. I warned her off.


Wandering in


Love their tight formation


Here comes trouble...

 

[COChix]

You are very welcome.  I would highly recommend building the coop bigger now than expanding it later, it will actually be less work.  Always build bigger than you think you need.  Ours is 4x8 but I wish it was bigger so I could get more chicks.  We have 4 hens and 3 young pullets and they will fit just fine but then there's next year!


I'm sure she'll chime in here soon but COChix has a nice album of her Meyer EEs:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/a/6855738/easter-eggers/​ 

NotableNancy also has some beautiful EEs: https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/...icken-pics-anyone/sort/display_order/page/80/

Hopfully that link works

Thanks for posting the link to my EE album. Love, love, love our EE from Meyer, we have 5. We have four that have muffs and beards and one that is clean faced. Our friendliest girl is one of our EE, she pulls on your clothing or hops up at you wanting to be picked upped and snuggled. We have some beautiful colors and we got lucky and got an all white EE. Anyway, they laid early as well and continued through this winter, they did slow down we averaged 3/5 from our EE on egg production. All of our EE are flock friendly, not super boss or dominate and just seem to like to hang out with each other as well.

Here are a few shots of our 3 week olds from our Meyer flock hatch. I need to take individual pictures as they have feathered out so much already, it seems fast to me.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks everyone!!

I think I may go with 1 of multiple breeds like you guys said or I may even go with 2 of 1 or 2 breeds and then some more kinds, not sure.

I added a bunch to the cart in in an experiment and ended up with like 7 birds, all different breeds, because I figured I'd try some different ones but then I thought maybe I should save some for next year or go with ones that produce well. Like for instance, I think someone mentioned Brahma so I added one but then I was thinking, maybe for now I should go mostly for eggs rather than cuddle ability. Obviously that's a huge factor too for me and maybe some Brahma are good layers but I think you guys know what I mean? Like there's some breeds i really want that could wait. But most of them I think I want. Like for instance, if I got BA, BO, EE, SLW, WELLIE, AND SS, then that's 6 there and a good amount. Or include Brahma and Adopt Me or Meap Maker to 8 or 2 like BA & EE or something. I don't know, either way I think the one of each and/or 6-8 thing is good because I can try a lot of breeds, as mentioned. And besides, I could always add another of the breed next year, rright? Either way though, I think I'm still going to start with thr coop bigger.

But anyways, thanks for all the great info and pictures and everything guys!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I have confirmed that it is a solid white. I called Meyer and asked if there was any chance of a white and they said no and I sent them I picture. They called me back and ask for more picture I sent them and they wanted the chick back!!! I didn't want to send it. So they refunded my money for the whole bunch I bought and paid for its postage to get there next day. They called me today to confirm it was alive and well. And thanked me gratuitously. I guess we may see some solid white polish next year lol

I wonder if i sent them a pic of my crevvie would they want it back. Lol. I wouldnt send it back. Its my rare chick now. If i got an all white polish I would of kept it to.

 

[COChix]

Hi guys just wanted to post some of our baby pictures from our Meyer mixed flock. I apologize for the amount of pictures in advance but what better place to post them. To recap we have 23 mixed flock from Meyer. We have the following breeds - Roo - Buff Orph, Hens - Barred Rock, Dark Cornish, Delaware, Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Red and Welsummer's. We hatched 16 from our flock, we had one die the day after but was very premature. Here are our 15 babies

The prettiest feathers

same girl different angle

 

[KurtG]

This is Clara Barton who survived our home crop surgery. She is a Meyer Black Copper Marans. Getting ready to go back to the coop soon

 

[autumnhearth]

Thanks everyone!!

I added a bunch to the cart in in an experiment and ended up with like 7 birds, all different breeds, because I figured I'd try some different ones but then I thought maybe I should save some for next year or go with ones that produce well. Like for instance, I think someone mentioned Brahma so I added one but then I was thinking, maybe for now I should go mostly for eggs rather than cuddle ability. Obviously that's a huge factor too for me and maybe some Brahma are good layers but I think you guys know what I mean? Like there's some breeds i really want that could wait. But most of them I think I want. Like for instance, if I got BA, BO, EE, SLW, WELLIE, AND SS, then that's 6 there and a good amount. Or include Brahma and Adopt Me or Meap Maker to 8 or 2 like BA & EE or something. I don't know, either way I think the one of each and/or 6-8 thing is good because I can try a lot of breeds, as mentioned. And besides, I could always add another of the breed next year, rright?

I can't speak to the laying ability of our Brahma as she is only 10 weeks old, but I understand the wanting to wait. I love her in this second batch of chicks. If I were to get two of anything it would be the EEs, great layers, more color to your egg basket and chances are they will be easily distinguishable from each other. I don't know if you're someone who cares much about the overall look of the flock, but I found making a simple collage in my computer's Paint program of the breed pics side by side helps. Let us know what end up with and of course chick pics when they arrive. Are you thinking this summer, fall or next spring?

Apparently I can't multi-quote on my phone but oh my goodness KurtG what a perfect name for your amazing little survivor. Bless her and bless you!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I can't speak to the laying ability of our Brahma as she is only 10 weeks old, but I understand the wanting to wait. I love her in this second batch of chicks. If I were to get two of anything it would be the EEs, great layers, more color to your egg basket and chances are they will be easily distinguishable from each other. I don't know if you're someone who cares much about the overall look of the flock, but I found making a simple collage in my computer's Paint program of the breed pics side by side helps. Let us know what end up with and of course chick pics when they arrive. Are you thinking this summer, fall or next spring?

EE's were one of the ones I was considering getting two of and oh that's a good idea!! I'll have to do that!! I don't care too too much but I just dont really want all one color, like all black or all red or whatever, you know? That and the fact our yard is huge so I kind of want them to be able to hide too. We have like 2 1/2 acres I think and aosome of it is woods but the lawn is also huge so I kind of want them to hide. We do have plants all along the house and obviously the woods so if tthey're close, they can hide, but they're vulnerable in the middle of the lawn. Though we do have a dog but hes probably not fast enough to stop an attack. That's actually another question though - obviously there's no green birds but should I put like some sort of little shelter down there? A little lean to or dog crate or tree branch or something? Tue backyard and top of hill is small but in the front yard there's really no place to go.

But anyways, I was thinking hopefully this summer but maybe in the fall. I was worried about winter though

 

[ShrekDawg]

Not really specifically Meyer and I'm going to make my own thread in a sec but have you guys ever had any trouble with hawks? Just wondering cause I just saw one circling overhead and I've been seeing a lot more lately but this one worried me because he was circling for kind of a while before my dog came out from under the bush, you could tell he was looking for lunch and if I had had chickens, my precious little babies would have been it.

 

[Wheeks]

This is the first year of having chickens. A few weeks back I got a few of the breeds I wanted from a local feed store. Still wasn't satisfied, so placed an order from meyers hatchery that was delivered yesterday morning. No heat pack, all the holes in the sides of the box were punched out. I am missing two chicks, and 4/6 of the bantams have died since (one was DOA). The main reason I went with meyer was because of the bantams and now I've only got two left. The rest seem fine, and I will be calling tomorrow to get credit/exchange for what I lost, but I think bantams are out for the rest of the year (SO SAD!). And of the rest, I am not sure what I did/did not get, all 6 easter eggers look the same (woe) as what I think? are the wyandottes (golden and blue laced reds). Just disappointed as I've heard good things about this hatchery, but at this point I don't think I can reorder replacements.