Nevadans?

[americanvalkyrie]

Good morning, everyone! I hope you all had a good Christmas!

Sadly, it looks like Nugget and Tender are both roosters. I'll be sad to see them go. Does anyone want to adopt them, before I put them on Craigslist? They're both sweet-tempered and curious, with a love for whole wheat sweet potato pancakes.

I loved having them so much that I think I'll gamble on another silkie chick when I order my next babies.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

What makes you think Roos? They're still so young...
But I hear ya, it looks like out of my 24 chicks I got two girls

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Quote:
Wow, did you order them straight run? That's a pretty low percentage.

They're both getting spurs. Tender's are definitely spurs, and Nuggets are already larger by comparison than my Delaware hen's spurs at fully mature. I figure 6 weeks is pretty young for pseudo-spurs. Also, it looks like their saddle feathers are higher than they should be as pullets, and their hairdos are more mullet-like. (I read that silkie pullets have afros and roos have mullets.)

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Yeah doesn't that stink? I wouldn't have done straight run but the company I ordered from doesn't sex chicks so I figured I'd at least have 50/50 odds. Sheesh

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Quote:
I think "straight run" is a sneaky way of getting rid of extra boys. They probably pull them from the bin after a lot of the sexed girls are already taken out. Didn't you order them from Ideal Poultry? That's who I'm considering getting mine from, and they have a pullet option for the laying breeds. Maybe they just don't sex the bantams?

 

[chicharomirinda]

Ideal sexes large fowl but not bantams. That's a bummer to get so many boys.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Quote:
I think "straight run" is a sneaky way of getting rid of extra boys. They probably pull them from the bin after a lot of the sexed girls are already taken out. Didn't you order them from Ideal Poultry? That's who I'm considering getting mine from, and they have a pullet option for the laying breeds. Maybe they just don't sex the bantams?

yes but there are no options to order pullets, so there is no pullet bin (otherwise that what i would have done) which is why the straight run is just that.

 

[NevadaRon]

Quote:
I think "straight run" is a sneaky way of getting rid of extra boys. They probably pull them from the bin after a lot of the sexed girls are already taken out. Didn't you order them from Ideal Poultry? That's who I'm considering getting mine from, and they have a pullet option for the laying breeds. Maybe they just don't sex the bantams?

yes but there are no options to order pullets, so there is no pullet bin (otherwise that what i would have done) which is why the straight run is just that.

I don't know about Ideal in particular, but I've heard that if you get that bad of a ratio, some hatcheries will make it up to you. It's worth a try Aubrey!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Quote:
yes but there are no options to order pullets, so there is no pullet bin (otherwise that what i would have done) which is why the straight run is just that.

I don't know about Ideal in particular, but I've heard that if you get that bad of a ratio, some hatcheries will make it up to you. It's worth a try Aubrey!

Wow thanks Ron!

 

[NevadaRon]

Whew! Just caught up from the last week I wasn't on. Luckily, you all weren't as chatty as you have been!

Must be the busy holiday season.

Aubrey I didn't see where you said if you finished your plans or not. There is a free set of plans on the Purina website. I used them to build my first coop. Click the pics for a downloadable PDF of the plans. You'll need to adjust them for size; that's what I did, too. In the Coops section there is a good sized thread on the Purina plans that a bunch of us have shared ideas on - some really good mods that I'll be using in the future!

Here's what the one I built looks like (4'x8'). As small as it is, it's easiest to make a roof that just slopes one way. So one wall is a little higher than the opposite wall.

More pics of it.