My Flock Story -- 2023

[3KillerBs]

Got a better look at the babies when Mocha took them out into the run. 3 Splash, 2 black, 1 blue.

I didn't get a photo of them out in the run because I had my hands full and she herded them right back into the coop when I put the stuff down to get my phone out.

 

[3KillerBs]

Mocha is not far out of the shot, but I got photos while the babies were under the care of their Auntie for a minute -- the only hen that Mocha allows near them.

Seti is as good as his father Rameses about chicks.

 

[3KillerBs]

Between my stress and the snake problem in my coop, I kept the Easter hatch in the brooder much longer than normal -- letting them range in the yard the last couple weeks as they outgrew the space. Today I chose 3 keepers and moved all the For Sale birds to Camp Cockerel.

Keepers are one splash pullet and 2 dark blues.

Some of the for-sales:

I also pulled two cockerels, a black a splash. The splash is Buster, because I'd thought he'd been in a fight though I couldn't see any wounds. Then I looked closer and realized that he's got red leakage.

They're separate in a big dog crate since they're a good deal larger than the others.

Alas, one of the two puffy-cheeked Australorp x OE's is crossbeaked. She's keeping up with the others, but I doubt that will last. I won't sell her but I hate to cull and uninjured bird that's too small to make a meal.

 

[3KillerBs]

More photos of both For Sale birds and keepers. The poor girls are terribly rooster-worn, but I'm working on that problem.

 

[3KillerBs]

In addition to the For Sale chick group and the boys in the dog crate, I am going to be putting my Flockmaster, Rameses, his best blue son, Rameses II, and one of the splash boys up for sale.

This last photo will be my boys for summer and winter -- Seti, and Purple. I'm planning to order Blue Australorp chicks in the fall so I can pick a new blue male to father spring chicks.

I really can barely tell Purple and Yellow apart but I *think* that Purple may be a touch larger-framed. I was picking them up off the roost last night to check them out and he has *slightly* larger feet and legs.

Rameses II is the spitting image of his father. If they're not standing together I can't see the slight size difference and have to look at the spurs.

 

[3KillerBs]

The purple-banded Splash cockerel has been named.

He's Khufu, keeping with the theme of naming my roosters for kings.

 

[Sally PB]

This last photo will be my boys for summer and winter -- Seti, and Purple. I'm planning to order Blue Australorp chicks in the fall so I can pick a new blue male to father spring chicks.

Are you moving to the new boys to widen the gene pool?

 

[3KillerBs]

Are you moving to the new boys to widen the gene pool?

Yes, Rameses is breeding with his granddaughters -- that he fathered on his daughters. It's time.

I'm going to get new Blue Australorp males in the fall and pick one for new blood.

 

[3KillerBs]

Are you moving to the new boys to widen the gene pool?

I know that chickens have a large tolerance for inbreeding, but I don't want to take the linebreeding too far.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm writing up my for sale ads now -- I just have to count the male and female chicks when they're still on the roost after dark. I usually give BYC people a few days exclusive before I put them on Craigslist.