My Easter Eggs!

[3KillerBs]

And (I hope), a video my son took of him petting some of the chicks last night.

https://discordapp.com/channels/771835438343651398/771842364086943794/965930573770158080

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm told by the person who checked for me that the video only works if you log into Discord. I can't get it onto YouTube right now. Sorry.

 

[3KillerBs]

I haven't figured out the video thing yet, but I did get new photos last night. Speeds are better today so I can upload reasonable batches.

6 Olive Eggers -- Unspecified Marans roosters x Easter Egger hens. All hatched from blue or green eggs and all with feathered feet. (Unfortunately for my preferences, all seem to be some form of gold though the guy said that two of his EEs were pure white).

 

[3KillerBs]

One yellow with black spots. Undoubtedly Chipotle's chick.

Pure coal black without the usual Australorp white underparts.

More blacks:

Or is this blue? Maybe blue. I don't know if there is a way to know if it was Ludwig x one of the Blue Australorp girls or Rameses x one of the feather-footed girls.

 

[3KillerBs]

Definite blues. I was really hoping for a splash.

 

[3KillerBs]

Things I do not understand:

#1. I had 2 of Chipotle's big, white eggs and both did hatch. I have one yellow chick with spots as expected. Which one is her other chick?

#2. I had 2 definite Marans eggs hatch. I have a Langshan for one of my rooters and a Langshan and a Cochin among my hens. Why am I not getting more feather-footed chicks?

 

[3KillerBs]

Since I've been so very sick I haven't been able to socialize the chicks. I'm feeling a little better today so I spent a while sitting in the door of the brooder, which I normally would have done every day that was decent weather.

At first they were terrified, huddling then hiding.

Then they started to peek-a-boo around the board.

Finally, they found the prospect of wet mash too enticing to resist.

 

[3KillerBs]

Today we are 2 weeks old.

We've had access to the full brooder space for a week and use every inch of it. We use our brooder plate to sleep and for brief warm-ups, but spend very little time under it and like to look out of the vent wall at the wide, green, world.

Today we were giving the first tiny bits of green stuff, sourgrass (woods sorrel), from the yard, carefully washed. Also, a treat of wet mash after the ordeal of being caught, banded, and individually photographed.

(Normally I'd have given them a clump with the roots and soil, but not in the time of Avian Flu risk. The other day I did bring a double-handful of litter from the big coop up to start introducing them to the soil bacteria).

 

[3KillerBs]

Individual photos:

First, the 6
Olive Eggers. All hatched from blue/green eggs and all are feather-footed. Their mothers were Easter Eggers and their fathers some kind of unspecified Marans.

Unfortunately, they're all in the red/gold/brown tones I dislike.

I must say that some of the wings are developing a handsome patterning. But the guy said he had two white ones so I was hoping for at least one of those gorgeous white birds with black patterning all over that you see so much in Easter Eggers.

Like this beauty:

Or this one:

But one can't complain too much about free hatching eggs, right?

 

[3KillerBs]

And Chipotle's children:

This black one is a girl based on sex-link coloration and identified as the daughter of Ramses the Blue Australorp by one of our local genetics experts. So she's double-banded as a definite keeper and has been given a name, Ancho.

And this one is already obviously a boy. Of course he moved his head so you don't get the full effect of that comb in profile, but WHOA!