New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks, Lisa. Bonnie has 6 of the 7 hatched and maybe even #7 has made it out by now. It had a big pip a few hours back. MaryJo is acting more and more broody. I really, REALLY don't want to deal with another broody. Tom's back is really out today and it's not easy to deal with all the various chicken dramas, try to continue my quilting projects plus do all the other stuff that needs doing around here.

I went from wanting broodies to breaking broodies pretty quickly. I currently have 5 hens sitting on eggs for me.

I have a complaining back too. Poor Tom. It really cuts down on doing things. Hope it at least calms down or feels better.

 

[speckledhen]

I went from wanting broodies to breaking broodies pretty quickly. I currently have 5 hens sitting on eggs for me.

I have a complaining back too. Poor Tom. It really cuts down on doing things. Hope it at least calms down or feels better.

Thank you, Lisa. He's really bad off tonight. I had to do all the chores. I had to take my life in my hands to reach under Bonnie to get the last shell out, but she has calmed down some now that all seven have hatched, thankfully.

 

[speckledhen]

Bonnie got off the nest and showed me her chicks. One is super duper light so I'd say a definite splash partridge. The others are, of course, blue partridge or partridge. Two are Bonnie's, two are Betsy's, two are Cora's and one was not labeled, but it appeared to belong to Bailey, my very dark, not-very-laced partridge hen. I'll try to get pictures. Bonnie is much calmer now that they're here, as she usually is. She's pretty fierce, that one, while they're moving under her just prior to hatch and during the hatch.

 

[speckledhen]

The first look at Bonnie's chicks, all seven hatched clean as a whistle.

 

[speckledhen]

Dang it! Looks like my splash/maybe lt blue pullet is turning into a splash/maybe light blue cockerel. And it is so friendly (of course, it is. I am a rooster magnet). The one I thought was male, labeled Chick #2, is the pullet (I think)! And someone already claimed that one. Just my luck, darn it.
The shoulder feathers on Chick #1 began coming in patterned, but suddenly, I see more solid orange feathers on this one. The thing is, Betsy, it's probable mother, was mis-named a cockerel at first because of that same thing, but she just happens to be more reddish, possibly carrying mahogany. So, what do you Brahma folks think?

 

[speckledhen]

Brandy's chicks, 2 weeks old tomorrow. Two splashes, looks like. I think one is a blue partridge and probably a pullet, but who the heck knows?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Brandy's chicks, 2 weeks old tomorrow. Two splashes, looks like. I think one is a blue partridge and probably a pullet, but who the heck knows?

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Are Brahma like Orpingtons and cochins where the males feather slower? I don't know the breed well enough to be able to tell when younger.

 

[speckledhen]

Are Brahma like Orpingtons and cochins where the males feather slower? I don't know the breed well enough to be able to tell when younger.

Generally, they are, however, the #1 chick is feathering pretty quickly, but has more male coloring coming in, so that one has me stumped. There are naked chicks still that I'm sure are male. Most of the time, they are the smaller chicks, not the big round ones, but nothing is really reliable until their shoulder and chest feathers are all the way in. Chick #1 has a more pullet-like pea comb, too. Bad child to make me suffer this way. If that one is male, I have no splash partridge pullets for my Bash because the customer I have needs splashes for her Brahma flocks and I already have the older splash pullet and the two with Brandy sold if they're pullets, maybe even if they're male.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally, they are, however, the #1 chick is feathering pretty quickly, but has more male coloring coming in, so that one has me stumped. There are naked chicks still that I'm sure are male. Most of the time, they are the smaller chicks, not the big round ones, but nothing is really reliable until their shoulder and chest feathers are all the way in. Chick #1 has a more pullet-like pea comb, too. Bad child to make me suffer this way. If that one is male, I have no splash partridge pullets for my Bash.

I usually get a gut feeling about who's a rooster long before I know for sure, what's you but saying?

 

[speckledhen]

I usually get a gut feeling about who's a rooster long before I know for sure, what's you but saying?

Auto-correct? LOL. That chick is the friendliest of all the Brahmas in that group, comes up to me along with the BRs. Must be a boy. I am a rooster magnet, after all.