I picked up my chicks today from Ideal.
15 Naked Necks and 10 New Hampshires. I will use a generic "he", as I have no idea on genders (though I swear I think I can already tell one of the little Nn cockerels by comb size at day one - games we play with ourselves...) Yes, they've already made a bit of a mess...
Of the "Naked Necks", 6 are black, and 9 are lighter (some more yellowish, some more reddish yellow, two of these with a dark spot on the head). I tried to take a tally of the NNs while putting them in the brooder, but I got distracted and it was hard to keep count for the light ones (and now they're all facing down eating and I can't see their chins!):
Black: 3 NN (tiny bowtie fluff), 2 Nn (full bowtie/muff in front), and 1 nn (no naked neck at all - he came with a pasty butt, but we fixed that. Guess he had too much fluff around his butt!)
Light: 3 (maybe 4?) NN, 6 (or 5?) Nn (and no nn). Interestingly, some of the light Nns looks exactly like the NHs, but with naked back of neck - has someone started my hybrid experiment for me?
All NN seem healthy and very vigorous so far - they skid around the brooder so fast already!!! All but one NH are healthy and vigorous - one seems to maybe be blind and weak. Another NH has a bit of a bloody comb - possibly some roughhousing in the hatchery or in the box on the drive home? I'm off to search BYC for (1) whether I can put iodine or something else on his comb area safely (feed store closed, no Blukote on hand, would like to avoid separating him - no picking at him yet), and (2) any ideas on the blind chick (though he's also wobbly/doesn't stand well, and doesn't really eat much even when I put his beak in food, and he cries incessantly, so regardless, he may not make it. I will try Nutridrench, though, in case he'll live - if so, I will mark him so I don't use him for breeding - I got a toe punch, so I can use that).
Plan is to follow size and speed of growth (as well as hardiness, etc.), and to keep a few pullets of each, plus one (or two) roosters, to breed (just for myself) Naked Necks to each other and as hybrids with NHs. I WAS only going to keep Naked Necks with full NN features, but now I think I'll also get serial weights on some of the Nns to see if they carry good meaty features...
Time to go check on them again (much better than TV!)
- Ant Farm
15 Naked Necks and 10 New Hampshires. I will use a generic "he", as I have no idea on genders (though I swear I think I can already tell one of the little Nn cockerels by comb size at day one - games we play with ourselves...) Yes, they've already made a bit of a mess...
Of the "Naked Necks", 6 are black, and 9 are lighter (some more yellowish, some more reddish yellow, two of these with a dark spot on the head). I tried to take a tally of the NNs while putting them in the brooder, but I got distracted and it was hard to keep count for the light ones (and now they're all facing down eating and I can't see their chins!):
Black: 3 NN (tiny bowtie fluff), 2 Nn (full bowtie/muff in front), and 1 nn (no naked neck at all - he came with a pasty butt, but we fixed that. Guess he had too much fluff around his butt!)
Light: 3 (maybe 4?) NN, 6 (or 5?) Nn (and no nn). Interestingly, some of the light Nns looks exactly like the NHs, but with naked back of neck - has someone started my hybrid experiment for me?
All NN seem healthy and very vigorous so far - they skid around the brooder so fast already!!! All but one NH are healthy and vigorous - one seems to maybe be blind and weak. Another NH has a bit of a bloody comb - possibly some roughhousing in the hatchery or in the box on the drive home? I'm off to search BYC for (1) whether I can put iodine or something else on his comb area safely (feed store closed, no Blukote on hand, would like to avoid separating him - no picking at him yet), and (2) any ideas on the blind chick (though he's also wobbly/doesn't stand well, and doesn't really eat much even when I put his beak in food, and he cries incessantly, so regardless, he may not make it. I will try Nutridrench, though, in case he'll live - if so, I will mark him so I don't use him for breeding - I got a toe punch, so I can use that).
Plan is to follow size and speed of growth (as well as hardiness, etc.), and to keep a few pullets of each, plus one (or two) roosters, to breed (just for myself) Naked Necks to each other and as hybrids with NHs. I WAS only going to keep Naked Necks with full NN features, but now I think I'll also get serial weights on some of the Nns to see if they carry good meaty features...
Time to go check on them again (much better than TV!)
- Ant Farm
