Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[Finnie]

They are so nice! Yes, I'd say you've been waiting forever!!

 

[autumnhearth]

I liked Meyer Hatchery a lot, actually. They sent me hardy chicks, considering the temps were in the 20's. We ordered 5 Golden Cuckoo Marans, 10 Salmon Faverolle's, and 1 Meyer Meal Maker which turned out to be a White Leghorn. Here are a few pics of them as babies, and then when they were a month old. Nearing their 6th week, Monday!

Welcome Allisha, looks like ou've got yourself a bunch of French chicks I'm curious to see how your Faverolles turn out color wise. Most hatchery SFs have too much salmon so I'm just wondering since you have 10 of them, what the balance is. I would really like some eventually, I love their fluffy cheeks, feathered feet and creamy tinted egg.

Very cute!

Hi nordiacres I just wanted to say that I like your avatar and name

 

[Allisha]

I can take a few pictures of them, if you want. A few seem like they are coloring in good, but a few look like they have way too much Salmon, so we'll see how it goes, once they fully mature.

 

[autumnhearth]

I can take a few pictures of them, if you want. A few seem like they are coloring in good, but a few look like they have way too much Salmon, so we'll see how it goes, once they fully mature.

Thanks, no rush, most interested when they are adults but we all love to see pictures of chicks growing anyway

Amelia, our Golden Buff (sex-link) has really been trying my patience lately. She's the only one who still chases and pecks the little ones, everyone else is pretty chill now. Clara actually was digging right next to them while they dust bathed and didn't make any sounds or movements to scare them. The chicks also put themselves to bed at dusk yesterday while I was reading to Rowan inside. His chick Snow actually decided to roost on the top perch with the big girls, she's pretty bold. But back to Amelia, I was free ranging everyone this morning so they would quiet down (I've been really self-conscious about their noise lately with the earlier light, especially on weekends when folks are sleeping in, but when I talked to my neighbor today she said she never hears them, so I guess I'm worrying for nothing).

So Amelia apparently did not like that I changed out the straw in the nest boxes last night and she tried to run away to lay an egg outside of the yard. She hopped the fence into the neighbor's yard, not that hard to do as it is low fence but the big girls never go over that side of the fence. After I retrieved her she ran over to the gate and crouched in the corner, then tried to squeeze through the fence, so I put her in the pen, she didn't like that, I shut her in the coop where Victoria was laying just fine, she freaked out, so I let her out into the run, she pushed against the door of the run so hard it pushed open and she made a break for the gate and found a patch of tall weeds next to out backdoor to hunker down in and started fixing herself a nest. I sat with her until she laid her egg, tired of fighting, then carried her over with the egg and put it in the nest box. Later on when the nests were free I chopped up the straw and made it more cozy. If she didn't lay so well and wasn't so pretty... Well I probably still wouldn't do anything, but oi!

Our chickens have been my favorite form of stress relief, but lately they've been a source of it Between the stress or integration and not enough sleep I had an awful migraine yesterday and today. It was the first time I second guessed keeping chickens :/ I know it will get better. When the little girls are Amelia's size some of them may put her in her place.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

My chicks were escaping there area into my dog area so i thought i blocked off the spots they were using to find out there jumping over so i gave up. My dogs dont bother them if they do they get shocked.

Does anyone know why some roos feather like this?

[VIDEO]

 

[Finnie]

Autumnhearth, I'm sure your chickens will eventually get it all sorted out. Of course anyone would second guess having chickens at least once in a while. Anything that's worthwhile is going to be difficult at some point, since nothing in the world is completely perfect. But then it will work itself out and you will still be glad you have them.

I almost forgot today was Monday, and I almost forgot to take birthday photos of my little one in the brooder. But I did get some before lights out. It's just Ella now, because Highness didn't make it.

And Poppyseed the turkey is in there, too.

Ella (Partridge Plymouth Rock) at two weeks old:







And Poppyseed at 3 weeks old:



I especially love the spotting pattern she has on her wings.


I am hoping the store will be able to get another Sicilian Buttercup from Meyer's overhatch this week, because I think after this week, Ella will be too old to add any new chicks in with her. I also might add another Crested Cream Legbar from another source I know. I just don't want Ella to be a flock of one when it's time to integrate her with the older chicks and hens. I'm pretty sure Poppyseed will ditch her as soon as she sees there are other turkeys to be with.

Oh- and Pandapaws- that video of your dogs is so cool. I think my 13 year old Sheltie might be that nonchalant if I let her near the chickens, but my mini dachshund gets way too overexcited, and I know she would chase them endlessly if given a chance. I love how your dog is so calm and ignores the chickens all around her.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Autumnhearth, I'm sure your chickens will eventually get it all sorted out. Of course anyone would second guess having chickens at least once in a while. Anything that's worthwhile is going to be difficult at some point, since nothing in the world is completely perfect. But then it will work itself out and you will still be glad you have them. I almost forgot today was Monday, and I almost forgot to take birthday photos of my little one in the brooder. But I did get some before lights out. It's just Ella now, because Highness didn't make it. And Poppyseed the turkey is in there, too. Ella (Partridge Plymouth Rock) at two weeks old: And Poppyseed at 3 weeks old: I especially love the spotting pattern she has on her wings. I am hoping the store will be able to get another Sicilian Buttercup from Meyer's overhatch this week, because I think after this week, Ella will be too old to add any new chicks in with her. I also might add another Crested Cream Legbar from another source I know. I just don't want Ella to be a flock of one when it's time to integrate her with the older chicks and hens. I'm pretty sure Poppyseed will ditch her as soon as she sees there are other turkeys to be with. Oh- and Pandapaws- that video of your dogs is so cool. I think my 13 year old Sheltie might be that nonchalant if I let her near the chickens, but my mini dachshund gets way too overexcited, and I know she would chase them endlessly if given a chance. I love how your dog is so calm and ignores the chickens all around her.

The one thats calm in the video is grabbed my gooses neck and shook it before thats why she has a shock collar. I probably wouldnt trust her out there if i wasnt out there. She still has a tentency of chasing them but gets zapped she never killed one though. My dogs dont like raw meat. They like it cooked. Lol

 

[hyzenthlay]

Meyer Monday birthdays! So I'm a couple days late in posting....

Anyway, the girls are 8 days old in these pics, and doing great. They are all growing like weeds--it seems like they are twice as big and strong as they were last week when we got them--and getting along fine, eating well, etc. The marans chick looked like she was getting pasty butt a couple times, but I got her cleaned up and I think she should be ok. We are trying to keep them socialized, and they are all still a little flighty, but they calm down quickly when we hold them, fall asleep on our arms, etc., so I think it's going fine.

Crazy week last week, so still haven't settled on names--that will come soon.

Here is our blue ameraucana girl:





The silver gray dorking (I do think she's the calmest of the bunch):



And the cuckoo marans (she really likes to snuggle up to the ameraucana):





Here are a few of their glamor shots on the window sill, hanging out as a group:













And we've taken a few field trips outside, although not as many as I would like, since they can still waltz right through the bars of our little pen (it's one of those foldable wire animal runs that we used to use for our bunnies), so they need to be watched very closely. They TWICE managed to walk right out under the noses of our two big dogs, and I was terrified they'd become chicken nugget snacks in about half a second, but the dogs didn't touch them. Our dogs are uber-wonderful with our adult chickens, but they have a strong prey drive for squirrels, wild rabbits, etc., so I was worried, but apparently the dogs realized these little ladies were off limits. I'm hoping by next week or so they will be big enough to stay inside the pen, and then they can have a little more outdoor time without putting me in a constant state of panic.

 

[Finnie]

I can't decide which of these two photos are my favorite. I really like the expression on the Ameraucana's face in the second one!

You take very good pictures, by the way.

Keep up the good work on taming them. I can really tell a difference in my chick's attitudes towards me between the ones I had time to socialize, and the ones that I was too busy, so they didn't get much snuggle time.

I wish I had unlimited time to snuggle all of them.

 

[Finnie]

I can't wait- tonight I get to go pick up a new legbar pullet chick to be a friend for Ella!

I'm trying to decide between these two princess names: Leia or Zelda...