Minnesota!

[scandiafowl]

You can tell from coloring for starters, plus the heads are too narrow for decent breeder type. Check these ones out: The hatchery birds typically come out with a lot more black or a lot more white on them and rarely have the good lacing on them. I would watch them too. I would say 90% of the hens I am told about that attack other birds and bloody them up are SLWs from hatcheries. They are beautiful, but I would only add them to my flock if I found a good breeder to get them from, and that is really tough to find. Ralphie - Spots are just like clogged or irritated 'ink jets' in their system. I get speckled sometimes from my Buckeyes, Welsummers and Cochins, even though most of the time they are an even color. When they are transitioning to molt or out of molt or as pullets is the most often I see them. I love speckles on eggs. One of my Ameraucanas has darker speckles on hers always, but she lays a greenish egg rather than blue like she should.

Perhaps we are fortunate, Paint and Brush a gentle ladies. I'm still deciding whether to focus on breeds or eggs. Once my 15 Jerseys mature I may go a different route. Having a mix helps me learn. Many write that Easter Eggers are gentle birds, mine is an aloof, ornery creature. Maybe she's pouting because my father gave her a male German name. :-(

 

[scandiafowl]

@Minniechickmama


How many breeds do you have? Do you specialize?

 

[Scott16475]

Ever seen speckled eggs from an australop? The eggs have been pale due to a stress molt I am helping them recover from so maybe this is just the color coming back?

Yeah, I get one of those eggs daily from one of my Australop's. Our speckled eggs even feel a little rough as if the specks are sitting on top of the shell a little. Weird stuff but we get one daily.

 

[Mistahbue]

Quote: Thanks Cluckies

So far no new deaths this morning. PChick is still eating like a fiend. Roommate said this morning she found her actually sitting in her bin -- when I went to get her she was laying on her side but I think she's holding her head up more as she eats. Today is her 3rd oal dose of b-vitamins.

 

[Mistahbue]

Quote:
Ralphie - from your lips to God's ears. This morning the remaing 5 in the brooder are fine.

So hey - at what age should I be putting them in the outside housing without a light? With the guinea keets I moved them at about 3 weeks but their housing was surrounded by a tarped building so I didn't have to worry about rain and wind. Kept the light on them for several months seemed like.

Chicks the same?

 

[Mistahbue]

Quote:
Hey Ralphie maybe a field camera to see which hen goes in which nest? Or would that help? Well if it's a b/w camera that probably wouldn't help at all. Never mind - my brain just is on overload.

 

[Mistahbue]

Quote:

Quote:

Minniechickmama - those are some beautiful birds!!! We ordered some chicks from McMurray's - hopefuly the SLW turn out gorgeous. If not I'm gonna be looking for some beautiful birds elsewhere. I want to be able to sell eggs but I love the artistry of the birds coloring variation -- like having a living piece of art in my backyard and pasture.

 

[duluthralphie]

Minniechickmama - those are some beautiful birds!!! We ordered some chicks from McMurray's - hopefuly the SLW turn out gorgeous. If not I'm gonna be looking for some beautiful birds elsewhere. I want to be able to sell eggs but I love the artistry of the birds coloring variation -- like having a living piece of art in my backyard and pasture.

Which is why Ole survived here with his sexual addiction problem, as long as he did. Whatever else Ole might be, he is eye candy with all his color and his antics.

 

[Minniechickmama]

@Minniechickmama


How many breeds do you have? Do you specialize?

I am cutting back to 2 bantam breeds, one variety (color) of each and 4 Large Fowl. I breed to the APA Standard on those, then I may Easter Eggers too using a variety of hens and Ameraucana roosters.
Sorry, had to chuckle at the generalization of the EEs. I don't think you can just blanket them with a certain temperament since they are mutts, and you get what you get. I have some that are not flighty and I have had some that if you look at them they screech and run. I think it depends on what goes into them.

The Large breeds I have are Buckeyes, New Hampshire, Welsummer and I will likely keep the Black Ameraucanas around if I can find a good rooster for them. I might hold back a small pen of the Cochins too. I like some of the older ones I see growing out, so those I will wait and see a while longer then decided. Plus, I hate letting go of the roosters I have had for a couple of years, I am kind of attached to them. The younger ones got sold except all the cockerels.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Minniechickmama - those are some beautiful birds!!! We ordered some chicks from McMurray's - hopefuly the SLW turn out gorgeous. If not I'm gonna be looking for some beautiful birds elsewhere. I want to be able to sell eggs but I love the artistry of the birds coloring variation -- like having a living piece of art in my backyard and pasture.

LOL those are not my birds, just some pics I found online. I have had SLWs, but cut them early since I had too many breeds and didn't have a rooster for them. I have had BLRWs for a few years, but didn't like the quality of them and needed to cut more last year. They are beautiful, but can be difficult to breed the way I like to do it, and the ones I had are the meanest broodies I have had to date. They would rip holes in me if I didn't wear leather gloves and cover my arms.