They are very feisty! I've seena few of them grab another chick by the foot and drag it away from the feeder. Is that normal? I've never brooded chicks before, only had broody hens do it.
Any guesses on what colors I have?
Thanks!
Babies! Very likely they will turn out black tail buffs/reds, like Fire Ant and DesertChic's birds. The black may turn out solid black or more likely black with some color 'details'- like Snape. Mystique etc.
This is the NN pullet with the pale comb I had commented on earlier. I managed to get a decent photo of her. Her face flushes pink/red, but not her comb. She weighed in at 2.74 lbs at 16-weeks....the same size as my bantams of the same age and about half a pound less than her sisters.
Looks normal for a pullet still a good ways from laying. If she has good meat on her breast, she could simply be genetically small.
I'm noticing the hatchery NN chicks I picked up at the feed store last fall aren;t growing out to be big heavy birds. To be honest, it's a bit disappointing.. was expecting much bigger/heavier birds like past birds.
OK, OK - I'll get weights tomorrow. (As they've gotten older, it's gotten harder to get weights.) I think I need pet scale, though, for Snape.
While I'll see what the scale says, I'm actually considering culling Tank. Something is just... off... about him. He grew really big and fast at first, then tapered off. He's not quite so big anymore vs. the other boys (Snape and Apoc) who have continued to fill out - this is from holding Apoc (escape this morning - big boy) vs. Tank (lighter and smaller than I expected). Tank has lots access to food, and is the dominant one in the pen (actually kinda beats on Apoc). Tank has never grown a real tail - his behind is more hen-like. And he has these little weird neurotic squeaky clucking noises - it sounds like he's trying to tidbit for someone, but it's kinda crazy. At the moment I can't really think of anyone I really want to cross him with (I have also decided to admit my error and cull the little Speckled Sussex that I originally got wanting to introduce mottling - way too small).
Chickens grow up in different ways. Some grow like Tank- fast but stop early, others like Snape, Apoc, yet others like the tall but skinny boy that was already culled. With the hatchery stock being mixed, this is not too surprising.
Go with what works for you.. if you want a meaty bird at X weeks, then select for that, does not matter much their growth pattern as long as they reach the target amount of meat at a certain age. It's up to you for the birds that finish growing at that age or continue to grow past the target age. Other than that, just choose and breed however you like.
The birds I had for several generations usually end up being pretty consistent in their growth pattern. However when there is a cross, it can throw this out of whack.. could be in a good way(maybe Snape is an example of this) or not in a good way or it's mixed like big birds but tiny eggs.
Handle the birds again with production quality in mind before settling on another decision.
My head boy this past year, Shakespear, I felt was "off" nothing I could put my finger on, until the eggs started not being fertile. Even so there was nothing about his behavior I could absolutely say this is bad, he still mounted, crowed, chased the young boys, tib bit called etc..... However I bit the bullet and culled and he was very ill inside, bad liver, abd full of yellow liquid, small testes. So very glad I culled, wished I had done it earlier when I started having "a feeling"
Chickens grow up in different ways. Some grow like Tank- fast but stop early, others like Snape, Apoc, yet others like the tall but skinny boy that was already culled. With the hatchery stock being mixed, this is not too surprising.
Go with what works for you.. if you want a meaty bird at X weeks, then select for that, does not matter much their growth pattern as long as they reach the target amount of meat at a certain age. It's up to you for the birds that finish growing at that age or continue to grow past the target age. Other than that, just choose and breed however you like.
The birds I had for several generations usually end up being pretty consistent in their growth pattern. However when there is a cross, it can throw this out of whack.. could be in a good way(maybe Snape is an example of this) or not in a good way or it's mixed like big birds but tiny eggs.
Handle the birds again with production quality in mind before settling on another decision.
Thanks. I'm going to sit with the decision for a while. I might try a trial mating with him before culling...
I got weights! No graph yet, but Snape is 7.7 lbs. The girls are between 4 and 4.75 lbs (biggest is Sweetie who has pulled ahead). Didn't get weights on Tank or Apoc (harder to get hold of them) - will try tomorrow. Apoc got out of his paddock and led me on a slow, merry chase around the entire yard before work before I managed to corner him (which of course freaked him out), so I'm leaving him alone for the rest of the day.
Speaking of Sweetie, I was in their tractor and noted her hunkered down in a depression in the bedding. I thought she was dust bathing, but she was still and had THAT LOOK on her face. Checked her behind - WAY READY TO LAY. Let her alone, came back 30 minutes later to her first egg. A slight smear of blood - she seems fine (should I be worried?). Egg was very bumpy.
Checked all the other girls, and the NN pullets are all really really ready (the lone New Hampshire girl isn't ready yet). This took me a bit by surprise - they're one day older than 20 weeks (I guess I waited so long for the CLs to lay and had that in mind - 25 weeks...) Argh!!!! No nest boxes, no oyster shell!!!! (Probably why egg was bumpy). I'm such a bad Mommy!!!!!
So I rushed to put out oyster shell and rig some nests in the tractor. Who knows if they'll use them. I hope to finish the coop this weekend - I REALLY HAVE TO FINISH IT!!!!
Off to try to do some more chores before it gets dark...
Little bowtie (like the photo below) means NN (fewer feathers, homozygous). Big muff in the front, naked neck in the back means Nn. - Ant Farm Edit to add: they are rarely ever truly naked necked...
Can't tell for the first one, but second two are NN, last one Nn. I got a mix as well (actually got one full feathered, but it didn't thrive). Did you get them from Ideal?
Can't tell for the first one, but second two are NN, last one Nn. I got a mix as well (actually got one full feathered, but it didn't thrive). Did you get them from Ideal?
This is the NN pullet with the pale comb I had commented on earlier. I managed to get a decent photo of her. Her face flushes pink/red, but not her comb. She weighed in at 2.74 lbs at 16-weeks....the same size as my bantams of the same age and about half a pound less than her sisters.
she looks like my laura who was the last one to mature. she now lays about 4 eggs/wk. it seems the others didn't let her eat. I moved her to another coop with a bigger run where she developed better.
Thanks. I'm going to watch him while thinking about it.
Thanks. I'm going to sit with the decision for a while. I might try a trial mating with him before culling...
I got weights! No graph yet, but Snape is 7.7 lbs. The girls are between 4 and 4.75 lbs (biggest is Sweetie who has pulled ahead). Didn't get weights on Tank or Apoc (harder to get hold of them) - will try tomorrow. Apoc got out of his paddock and led me on a slow, merry chase around the entire yard before work before I managed to corner him (which of course freaked him out), so I'm leaving him alone for the rest of the day.
Speaking of Sweetie, I was in their tractor and noted her hunkered down in a depression in the bedding. I thought she was dust bathing, but she was still and had THAT LOOK on her face. Checked her behind - WAY READY TO LAY. Let her alone, came back 30 minutes later to her first egg. A slight smear of blood - she seems fine (should I be worried?). Egg was very bumpy.
Checked all the other girls, and the NN pullets are all really really ready (the lone New Hampshire girl isn't ready yet). This took me a bit by surprise - they're one day older than 20 weeks (I guess I waited so long for the CLs to lay and had that in mind - 25 weeks...) Argh!!!! No nest boxes, no oyster shell!!!! (Probably why egg was bumpy). I'm such a bad Mommy!!!!!
So I rushed to put out oyster shell and rig some nests in the tractor. Who knows if they'll use them. I hope to finish the coop this weekend - I REALLY HAVE TO FINISH IT!!!!
Off to try to do some more chores before it gets dark...
I was asked on another thread whether it was typical for NNs to lay so early. I didn't know, as this is my first group of NNs. What has been you guys' experience?
