@Fire Ant Farm Your birds are looking fantastic! Tank is definitely impressive, but I think Apoc is looking pretty good too. What's his body structure like? And Trinity? I think you should try showing her....just to increase recognition of the breed.
Sweetie looks like a great stress reliever to me. I love when they behave like that!
Thanks so much - I have been so impressed with these NNs from Ideal! When I culled, I culled for body type as well as size. Dozer didn't make the cut though he was very heavy (second only to Snape in weight), because he had long legs and a narrow body - in fact, during processing, it became clear that his body was narrower even than the very smallest cockerel in the cull group - more like the little New Hampshire boys. I kept Apoc because he has a nice blocky body type like Tank and Snape, and his growth has been good. (He's also so lovely and interesting looking, as a bonus.) Currently I don't have a family of girls for him (current plan is Snape with the main flock and Tank with the Speckled Sussex girls, and I suppose Apoc will either maybe make it as a second cockerel in the NN flock or, more likely, need to live solo except breeding time).
Trinity is the largest of all the pullets, with a good blocky shape, and she's NN phenotype, so she'll be a preferred breeder in pairs I set up. (Mystique is big with good body type as well, though she's Nn.) I eventually want to work toward all NN in my flock except deliberate outcrosses, but that'll take a little time, as some of the NN in this group were too small. I'll pass on the complement to Trinity (I'm sure it'll go to her head - she photo bombs constantly as it is!). Not really up for trying to show, though... (And she doesn't like to be handled - I leave her be.)
And yes, Sweetie always makes everything better - has since she was a little thing. She runs up to me when I come out there, follows me around, hangs around my feet (I have to be sure not to step on her), and I pick her up and cuddle her at least once a day. Polly (the lone remaining hatchery New Hampshire that I am keeping for pullet balance in the flock) is also a big cuddler and loves to jump up and fall asleep on my lap even more than Sweetie...
- Ant Farm
