My new Easter flock

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

Hey guys,
Just making a fun new thread for people interested in seeing my new cute mixed flock and to share pictures and stories. I set the eggs March 31st as I was going for surgery the following day and thought I would be entertained during recovery. It was a blast waking up Easter morning to 2 adorable damp chicks in the bator and a bunch more on the way. Anyways here are the breeds I put in the incubator.
Blue laced Wyandotte x Wyandotte (Silver, Blue, Black)
Blue laced Wyandotte x RIR
Blue laced Wyandotte x Ameraucana
Blue laced Wyandotte x Lavender Orprington
Barred Rock X Ameraucana (Black & Splash)
Barred Rock X RIR
Cuckoo Maran X Wyandotte (Blue and Black laced)
I think that's it. Now for a fun experiment I thought I'd try a bunch of the sexing techniques to see if any of them are accurate.

Today we started with feather sexing. One thing I did notice that the chicks that looked female were harder to handle then the ones that seem like males. I got a lot of females. Hope I do get this many hens lol i've never been super lucky.

Wyandotte 1 (seems like a silver laced) Female

Wyandotte 2 (looking Blue) Inconclusive

Wyandotte 3 Female

"Cloudy" (ameraucana mix) Female

"Rusty" (feathered legs, Maran?) Female

"Silver" (Maran) Female

"Baby" (Maran) Female

Yellow (Ameraucana/Wy) Male

Stripey (ameraucan/Wy) Female

#10 Male

"Blackie 2" Female

#12 (Barred rock x Ameraucana) Female

"OG Blackie" Male

"Blackie 3" Inconclusive

#15 Male

#16 Female

#17 Female

#18 Female

#19 Female

#20 Female
No Picture but identical to #17

Will update as they grow and as I try more sexing tricks to see
There's a few that i'm really excited to see what they look like. As you can probably tell I really like the Wyandotte breed and am most excited about my laced and possibly partially laced birds.

 

[Amc29]

Such adorable little chicks! What a fun little project

 

[drumstick diva]

How do you get them to stay put while you take photos?????? BTW the photos are gorgeous - chicks too.

 

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

How do you get them to stay put while you take photos?????? BTW the photos are gorgeous - chicks too.

Thank you! Was a little tricky lol basically had a 5 second window before they moved a lot but they sit still for pets I just had to be quick

 

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

Thought I'd post an update since they are now a week and a half old. Tail feathers have grown is as have some of their wing feathers.
Here are the results for tail sexing. I was rather surprised that some that feather sexed as female are now sexing as males and vice versa. There's 3 consistent males and many consistent females. There's a couple that aren't feathering as quickly as the rest which I've read is a male trait. I'll mark all the ones that previously tested as a different sexe with a *.
#1 Female (SLW)

#2 Female (not sure whats going on with the wing colour here)

#3 Female

#4 Female

#5 Female (probably one of my faves still unsure on breed)

#6 Female

#7 Male* (I really hope this one is female)

#8 Female*

#9 Female

#10 Female*

#11 Female (super curious as to what this one will look like)

#12 Female

#13 Male (notice this one isn't as feathered as the others)

#14 Male

#15 Male

#16 Female

#17 Female

#18 Male*

#19 Female

#20 Female


Which chick do you think is the cutest/most interesting? I have to pick 10-12 to keep for my personal flock. I think the leg test will be the hardest because there are a lot of different breeds. Wondering if I should try the gold ring test for fun. Chicks are so fun! I'm thinking of hatching some more. Would have to do it in secret lol Hubby thinks I have enough birds.

 

[Amc29]

They're all so cute! From these photos, I would say my favorites are seven and twelve

 

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

Thought I’d give a mini update. Not much change but they are 2 weeks old. #2 has started developing waddles and com is much more pink compared to the peachy combs of the sisters.
Here’s
#2

And #1 to compare


I will monitor to see if this is an early developing cockerel or just a bright combed pullet. Still very early to see waddle development.

 

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

An update, more for myself I guess. Its been such fun watching them grow. They will move to the coop this week. 3 weeks old. Some of them are really starting to get red combs and wattles. I've been considering putting another batch of wyandottes into the incubator this has been so addicting.
Anyways here's the gang:
#1 Really need a name for this one. Pretty sure she's a keeper.

#2 Thinking this one is a cockerel still has more of a blue/gray colour

#3 Very dark in colour some silver and some gold? was from the mixed coloured Wyandotte eggs. Wonder what it will look like.

#4 Cloudy also known as Trouble and Pidgey lots of names floating around. Has barring on the breast which is really cool. This one was barred rock X Ameraucana.

#5 Rusty, still a favourite.

#6 Dovey still completely white. From a maran X Wyandotte egg. camera had problems adjusting the lighting.

#7 Baby, no longer the smallest of the gang! Still really cute though.

#8 Now named Sunshine.

#9 This ones dark feathers all turned very light and is starting to look like a blue laced red/gold Wyandotte. Very cool. Hopefully its a pullet.

#10 I'm thinking cockerel for this one as well

#11 Blackie 2, so interested in what this one would look like but think its another cockerel.

#12 Thinking cockerel for this one.

#13 Original Blackie, now the smallest bird even though it was the first to hatch. Least amount of feather development.

#14 Blackie 3

#15 Not pictured
#16

#17

#18 Not pictured
#19 Thinking cockerel

#20 Not pictured

Sorry about the lack of pictures on a few of them some are hard to tell apart and they kinda fly now so hard to keep them still.

Here's a pic of #1 taking a nap on the roost

 

[Thatothercrazychickenlady]

Another update, they will be 4 weeks tomorrow. They no longer stay in their brooder and fly 2'+ high so they will be moving to the coop shortly. Now there is a lot of comb development. I'll be setting up the incubator tomorrow with more Wyandotte eggs. I've included my guesses of sexe based on current comb and wattle growth. Have a different opinion? let me know
Here's the gang:
#1 Named: One (reference to Jurassic park and the alpha raptor) still on the fence about the sexe of this one.

#2 Blue laced cockerel (might keep this one)

#3 Unsure on sexe thinking cockerel

#4 Cloudy cockerel? loving the barring thats finally coming in

#5 Rusty pullet <3

#6 Dove pullet

#7 Baby pullet

#8 Sunshine pullet

#9 Unsure about this one i'm thinking pullet

#11 Blackie 2 cockerel very bright large comb

#12 Cockerel

#13 Original Blackie still very small not as feathered as the rest pullet?

#14 Blackie 3 cockerel

#19 cockerel


Unfortunately I can't tell most of the others apart anymore
Pullet

Pullet

Cockerel

Cockerel


So looking more like 50/50 in sexes. Sad about some but excited to see what hatches in the next batch. Hope someone enjoys my post. Next update will probably only be at 6 weeks unless some big changes happen then i'll do a mini update. Enjoy this cute picture of Sunshine showing off her(?) muff <3



~ThatOtherCrazyChickenLady~

 

[SPlummer]

Any updates?