Very first one, its 4 weeks old now. It may just be me but naked necks seem a bit harder to hatch, could be I worry over them more. I have 6 in incubator now day 9 and about to load 6 more. I just started with naked necks and I love them. You guys have some beautiful birds. I want a dark skinned one too.
Mine seem to hatch fine no problems at all. I guess the only problem I have had but its also with any breed, is that several look like they die a day or two before hatch.
I don't know what to breed together for sure to get this color. This hens daddy was this rooster:
. I lost him about a year ago.
I don't have pictures of the hens that were penned with him. Two of them were the orangey-buff and white colored Easter Eggers and I had one hen that was a Easter Egget that was mostly gold colored with black splotched on her. So any of the three could have been mana to her.
As old as I am and as long as I've had chickens, I find watching chicks and even adult birds to be more entertaining than anything ever made for tv. I still get excited with every hatch.
Well, the whole Pick-No-More/Blu-Kote conversation turned out to be particularly relevant for me. Came home this afternoon, let the little ones out of the tractor, and found this on Sweetie's neck (she had another smaller gash on the other side of her neck the day before that I thought was just an accident, but this was deeper and more serious, regardless of whether it started as a pecking injury):
I had both Blu-Kote and Pick-No-More on hand, so I put her down and was about to go get it, and within a minute of putting her down saw one of the obnoxious little New Hampshire cockerels go after her (and had her running). So I switched gears, and within 10 minutes, had all the little jerks separated out. They all have names now too, but I can't share them without getting in trouble for using profanity on BYC...
So, then I went to go get Vetericyn and Blu-Kote to treat the wound (turns out I had bought some Blu-Kote, so I thought I'd try it this time). I cleaned the wound with Vetericyn spray, pulled the feather fuzz out of it, then put on Blu-Kote - that applicator is a big mess! So I sort of overdid it and her whole lower neck and shoulder was purple. Put her down, and I noted two Naked Necks (a cockerel and a pullet) that had NOT been bothering her before start to peck curiously at it, like "it's purple - how interesting". So I immediately went and got the Pick-No-More and slathered that on top. That worked. I know it's an "n" of one, but she preened a bit at the feathers that got purple stuff on them after both applications, and it was pretty clear that the Pick-No-More tasted much, much worse to her (poor baby). I also think Neo pecked a little at her (she's near bottom of the pecking order, but he may be turning out to be a bit of a jerk as well) - he was rubbing his beak on the ground like "Yuk!"
I am hoping to be able to have her heal in the flock, rather than remove her and then have to reintegrate her (and risk more injury...)
(I spent most of the rest of the time before dark getting the food, water, and tarp set up for the New Hampshires - I'll have to figure out something else eventually, though...)
We are on call diesel mechanics in the oil field and we got a call where I didn't have phone service. So what has happened here is that I had to leave the turkens inside in the brooder while we were gone. Without any treatment, as some of you mentioned, the turkens heal fast! The bruising is gone. So I am still going to get some kind of ointment for them when running errands today just in case but when I get home, I am switching them and the leghorns. Hoping if I keep the little so and sos inside for a few days, that will interrupt the behavior. We got a front yesterday and having very cold wind, thankfully the igloo is warm. If I had it to do over, I would have put up sides on the outside yard temporarily, at least two. I think the abrupt change - the openness and light as much as temp - was stressful. Bad timing. Still hoping to keep the leghorns because of eggs but if I can't get them to play nice, they will go!
It's ugly but these birds heal so quickly. I'd get rid of some NHs...quick. One more thing...most 'tractors' seem really too small for the number of birds they hold. Perhaps things will smooth out when you get them into their larger quarters. Hopefully.
EDIT: Please don't scream...You could de-beak the criminals. Its not all that hard to do with a good dog nail trimmer.
Actually I was checking into that. They have to be a mature size for the pinless peepers so I was wondering if trimming back the top beak would help any. Hoping not to offend sensibilities either but I have a rather pragmatic approach to animals.
Oh, I hadn't thought about that, but that would make sense - the NHs were trying to mount the girls and overall being a giant pain. Location of this wound (as well as the other one) might go with that... Somehow that makes me feel a little better than pecking, and it is a slash more than a "hole" you might expect from a peck. (Still had to cover it up so no one would get the wrong idea and go after the wound while it was healing.)
Regardless, the NN boys don't seem to be anywhere near that sort of behavior yet (esp. compared to the NHs). When do y'all's NN cockerels start maturing that way (crowing, bugging pullets)?
Yeah I have seen that kind of damage before, it is usually on pullets from a cockerel, especially if there are cockerels and roosters- sometimes the pullet gets damaged when one cockerel is either grabbing her or is on top and another cockerel/rooster either objects to that or tries to get on the action. It's not a very nice thing to see, no... but fortunately most roosters improve and the chances of injury goes down fast- the exception is if there are roosters who continually physically intervene any other rooster trying to mate.
Also pullets have thinner skin than hens, very high percentage of this kind of damage is on pullets for this reason.
I think your NH are abnormally early and extreme in their first mating attempts. How old are they?
NN cockerels are pretty much the same as the usual dual purpose.. a couple weeks before the pullets are laying.
There's always exceptions but that goes for any breed.
my NN lady does not like mating. I watched them yesterday, poor cockerel kept trying and did it once only. what are the chances that her eggs are fertile? one of my hens is getting broody and as I will keep the NN cockerel till christmas only I would like to hatch some NNs. Only 2 pullets lay so I don't have a lot of choice.
If his comb and wattles are thick and all of his skin on comb/wattles face and especially the neck is red then he is most likely fertile.
A single successful mating can give fertile eggs on average for two weeks. But if he is a really young cockerel, would not be so sure of high fertility, I would keep them together if he is not hurting her or let him visit her either once daily or every 2-3 days.
It would be a good idea to put one or two eggs under the broody or incubator to make sure they are actually fertile before getting rid of the rooster.
Actually I was checking into that. They have to be a mature size for the pinless peepers so I was wondering if trimming back the top beak would help any. Hoping not to offend sensibilities either but I have a rather pragmatic approach to animals.
FWIW, depending on how much is cut off, debeaking can be permanent and there will have to be deep enough containers for feed as they can't easily pick a single item off a surface.
I like the idea of ointment on the NN and putting with the flock but, watch a little bit and see if the others aren't treating them like total strangers and beating on them bad..
Peepers usually do work. It's extensively used in pheasants as many are extremely prone to feather picking. It will be interesting to see if they have to be permanent or temporary.
I understand pragmatism. Only my pragmatism usually is making the trouble maker into dinner... or lunch...
Oh, I hadn't thought about that, but that would make sense - the NHs were trying to mount the girls and overall being a giant pain. Location of this wound (as well as the other one) might go with that... Somehow that makes me feel a little better than pecking, and it is a slash more than a "hole" you might expect from a peck. (Still had to cover it up so no one would get the wrong idea and go after the wound while it was healing.)
Regardless, the NN boys don't seem to be anywhere near that sort of behavior yet (esp. compared to the NHs). When do y'all's NN cockerels start maturing that way (crowing, bugging pullets)?
I cringe at saying this, but when your NN cockerels finally decide they're ready to start mating they'll be just as bad as your NHs in the way they handle the girls at first. In my experience they're typically the most "frisky" first thing in the morning and at dusk. Before I butchered most of my NN cockerels it would get so bad that all of the girls would find a way to perch somewhere on my body as I was the "safe zone" and none of the boys would pursue them once they were with me. My husband came outside one day to find pullets covering my legs, shoulders, arms and head.... All seven of my girls! And the boys just stood watch about 3 feet away, waiting for the first pullet to find her way back to the ground so they could pounce.
It takes a while for those randy boys to develop charm and charisma. If possible, I would highly recommend separating boys and girls as soon as the chase begins...or at least cull as many of the ones you know you won't be keeping to cut down on the number of attacks.
Latest baby, had 2 more hatch after this one.
Very first one, its 4 weeks old now. It may just be me but naked necks seem a bit harder to hatch, could be I worry over them more. I have 6 in incubator now day 9 and about to load 6 more. I just started with naked necks and I love them. You guys have some beautiful birds. I want a dark skinned one too.
Yay!!!! Babies!!! Congratulations! I still think there is absolutely nothing cuter than a NN baby. There's just something so charming and special about this breed.
Yay!!!! Babies!!! Congratulations! I still think there is absolutely nothing cuter than a NN baby. There's just something so charming and special about this breed.
As old as I am and as long as I've had chickens, I find watching chicks and even adult birds to be more entertaining than anything ever made for tv. I still get excited with every hatch.
Yep! I lose a lot of time in my day just and interacting with my chickens, but it's a great way to calm down after a stressful day too. My blood pressure has improved tremendously since I got chickens.
