Miscellaneous Meeps - Hatching my Dreams

[2ndTink]

I've been thinking about what my breeding goals are. I want really hardy, resilient chickens as close to the SOP as possible. I know the first couple years I have to hatch from everyone since I can't just wait 4 years to see who is still alive and hatch from them. Freak accidents happen to healthy birds too, so I could lose some really valuable genetics by waiting.

I guess over the years I'll be looking for who hasn't had any sick days, wry neck, crop issues, the obvious things.

I have one mauve silkie who I always say is really robust, how do I know this? it's just a feeling, so how do I capture things as facts, stuff I can write down and track?

She's really active, always bustling around, she just seems full of life, where others are less active, walk slower etc. Does this mean they aren't as healthy? Probably not

What are some solid metrics I can use to judge if they are a "strong" bird to make sure I'm not breeding only for SOP but also long living, healthy, productive birds?

 

[2ndTink]

This chick had a full grey beard and now at 14 weeks he has a little clump of white feathers on the one side. Otherwise he's all black.



Here's a little black frizzle pullet at 12 weeks now.

 

[Debbie292d]

I've been thinking about what my breeding goals are. I want really hardy, resilient chickens as close to the SOP as possible. I know the first couple years I have to hatch from everyone since I can't just wait 4 years to see who is still alive and hatch from them. Freak accidents happen to healthy birds too, so I could lose some really valuable genetics by waiting.

I guess over the years I'll be looking for who hasn't had any sick days, wry neck, crop issues, the obvious things.

I have one mauve silkie who I always say is really robust, how do I know this? it's just a feeling, so how do I capture things as facts, stuff I can write down and track?

She's really active, always bustling around, she just seems full of life, where others are less active, walk slower etc. Does this mean they aren't as healthy? Probably not

What are some solid metrics I can use to judge if they are a "strong" bird to make sure I'm not breeding only for SOP but also long living, healthy, productive birds?

Well, chickens aren't like horses in that we can't check their teeth and hooves. I think it is just in their overall looking healthy over time. Like not fair to judge if they're molting for example.

I think it would be harder to discern most of the time which ones are more robust but easier to decide which ones aren't.

Hubby found some miniature zip ties I just used on two chicks that are spoken for so I could put them with their siblings that I was keeping. You could zip-tie a leg of the ones you pick out as strongest with one color, and use another color for ones you think don't look so tip-top to you. Give it a month or so and reevaluate them to see what you're thinking now about them.

 

[2ndTink]

Well, chickens aren't like horses in that we can't check their teeth and hooves. I think it is just in their overall looking healthy over time. Like not fair to judge if they're molting for example.

I think it would be harder to discern most of the time which ones are more robust but easier to decide which ones aren't.

Hubby found some miniature zip ties I just used on two chicks that are spoken for so I could put them with their siblings that I was keeping. You could zip-tie a leg of the ones you pick out as strongest with one color, and use another color for ones you think don't look so tip-top to you. Give it a month or so and reevaluate them to see what you're thinking now about them.

The ziptie idea is a good one! I use little colored zip ties on the right leg for ID or which breeding pen they hatched from, I could put another color on the left leg for hardiness ID.

This will definitely be a long term process.

Once I have enough birds to select from, I also want to look at broodiness, egg laying, and a big emphasis on character.

My mauve frizzle is still a favorite of mine, she's spunky, lays really well, very interactive with you, seems very healthy, and when she did go broody she broke herself after two days like it was too boring. My other silies are just determined to stay broody and it's been a pain trying to stop them.

 

[TwoCrows]

This chick had a full grey beard and now at 14 weeks he has a little clump of white feathers on the one side. Otherwise he's all black.

View attachment 3875555

Here's a little black frizzle pullet at 12 weeks now.

View attachment 3875557

 

[2ndTink]

I will be doing one last hatch for the year (I feel like @ElfenLied89 here! Yup, the last one, for real this time!) I'm setting up 2 pens to collect from.

Pen 1:
Satin paint (Chonkers) over 3 black silkie hens

Pen 2:
Blue satin over 3 splash silkie hens

Chonkers has been in with layer hens since the start of December last year, I just moved him in with the silkies and he's looking quite confused what the fluff are these little things!?!



I still need to get Pen 2 ready.

 

[ElfenLied89]

I will be doing one last hatch for the year (I feel like @ElfenLied89 here! Yup, the last one, for real this time!) I'm setting up 2 pens to collect from.

Pen 1:
Satin paint (Chonkers) over 3 black silkie hens

Pen 2:
Blue satin over 3 splash silkie hens

Chonkers has been in with layer hens since the start of December last year, I just moved him in with the silkies and he's looking quite confused what the fluff are these little things!?!

View attachment 3886462

I still need to get Pen 2 ready.

Why you calling me out? Lmao. I still have eggs in the incubator bc the ladies were hoarding (they all hatch in the next few days). Cleopatra (one of my RIR) went broody and adopted 5 babies that hatched. Both Dolly and Atropos lost their singular babies as an animal somehow got in again. It made a small hole I didn't notice. It's patched. That "chicken wire" isn't great. We have 2 Seramas left. Had 3. One is a frizzle Serama too btw! Currently have 5 babies in the incubator needing to go into the brooder.

 

[2ndTink]

Why you calling me out? Lmao. I still have eggs in the incubator bc the ladies were hoarding (they all hatch in the next few days). Cleopatra (one of my RIR) went broody and adopted 5 babies that hatched. Both Dolly and Atropos lost their singular babies as an animal somehow got in again. It made a small hole I didn't notice. It's patched. That "chicken wire" isn't great. We have 2 Seramas left. Had 3. One is a frizzle Serama too btw! Currently have 5 babies in the incubator needing to go into the brooder.

See!?! Exactly what I was talking about

Wow, you are on a roll! My youngest are 13 weeks old right now, but soon there will be little peep peeps running around again.

My oldest of the year just started laying! They are indecernable from silkie eggs, same color and size

 

[ElfenLied89]

See!?! Exactly what I was talking about

Wow, you are on a roll! My youngest are 13 weeks old right now, but soon there will be little peep peeps running around again.

My oldest of the year just started laying! They are indecernable from silkie eggs, same color and size
View attachment 3886697

I wanted to just toss em but I felt bad with baby chicks in there growing. Idk what day they are all on, I can only guess as they grow. I candled and kept all the ones that were halfway or more. Tossed all the starters that had barely any veins, or the dead ones etc. Ended up with like 15ish eggs

Now we wait. I have like 9 left in the turner.

Speaking of the turner! One hatched in there. I candled and the baby inside looked a day or two out from lockdown. Nope. Walked back in about 12 hours later and there was a baby. There wasn't even a pip when I candled!

 

[ElfenLied89]

See!?! Exactly what I was talking about

Wow, you are on a roll! My youngest are 13 weeks old right now, but soon there will be little peep peeps running around again.

My oldest of the year just started laying! They are indecernable from silkie eggs, same color and size
View attachment 3886697

Btw. I need silkie eggs with both Chonkers and Grinch dna!