***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[artsyrobin]

I looked through an online "breed chooser" tool to choose what chickens I wanted. I chose docile breeds and picked from those. One of the breeds that came up was the Rhode Island Red, so I got one. Well, actually, I got two, because the hatchery gave me an extra which turned out to be a rooster. Anyway, the rooster, of course, is very dominant, but so is my female (or what I assume is a female). She jumps on the other chicks, she has no tail feathers yet (all of my other breeds do), and her incoming comb is the same as the other RIR I am sure is a rooster. Are RIRs generally a little more aggressive? Did I actually get two roosters? The "female" is stretching in the first pic and seems as tall as the other. She is darker and has a dark band down her head. The roo is about a head taller and is very light. Any thoughts??

Well, i'd agree on hatchery birds to a point- my girl Donna RIR was real standoffish till she started laying, i didn't think she'd ever tame down, now she is one of the friendliest, not a lap bird, bt will come and visit, same as Tick, my black astralorp. BUT, every hatchery orp i have had, (except Sugar, lost her right after she started laying, she was like a puppy), is not friendly at all- -

Donna


it really is iffy i think, when i started getting breeder birds, what a difference!





@KSANE Sonny is getting spoiled fast- he loves fermented feed!!

 

[NanaKat]

Also in the Breeds, Genetic and Showing section is a thread headed CSU (stands for Chicken State University) which has been a discussion thread on all the large fowl breeds noted in the Standard of Perfection.
Each of the breeds has been discussed by the breeders including great photos. The discussion is focused on one breed at a time and then moves to a new breed.
There is not yet an index for the thread but if you search for a breed, the pages covering that breed will pop up.

 

[Ksane]

@artsyrobin if you're feeding Sonny fermented feed that explains his dramatic improvement in just a week. I've been feeding fermented scratch slopped overtop layer pellets for a few months now and this stuff really *is rocket fuel. Once it's warmer I'm going to set barrels outside for it in the shade somewhere. Right now I'm feeding about a 5 gal bucket a day but I have to keep it inside. I don't know what it is about that stuff but it'll pack some weight on them in a hurry.

@NanaKat where did you get your Heritage Cochin? Are those the ones from Bo? So very tempting. I've been stuck in this Chicken Candy Store for 3 yrs come spring and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for me :-/

 

[artsyrobin]

@artsyrobin if you're feeding Sonny fermented feed that explains his dramatic improvement in just a week. I've been feeding fermented scratch slopped overtop layer pellets for a few months now and this stuff really *is rocket fuel. Once it's warmer I'm going to set barrels outside for it in the shade somewhere. Right now I'm feeding about a 5 gal bucket a day but I have to keep it inside. I don't know what it is about that stuff but it'll pack some weight on them in a hurry.

@NanaKat where did you get your Heritage Cochin? Are those the ones from Bo? So very tempting. I've been stuck in this Chicken Candy Store for 3 yrs come spring and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight for me :-/

the first day or two he wanted nothing but scratch,so i mixed that in the feed, he wouldn't touch fermented, i kept offering it now thats his main course- lot less messy too- i had to bring ours in too, found it froze solid

 

[mjgigax]

It seems to me that the difference between hatchery and heritage lines can really be seen with the RIR's. I was excited to try them and was shocked to discover that my hatchery RIRs were down right vicious (jumping on my children and me). I put every last roo in the freezer and the hens are aggressive enough that I will not be getting anymore until I can find a good breeder. I hope you have better luck.

BTW they are too young to tell for sure on sex yet.

Jack, (my neighbor), has some heritage RIRs in his flock. Right now all the roosters are together in a huge pen without the girls and the RIR roo is the dominant guy among all the roosters but is far and not harsh in his leadership and is super friendly to me. The hens are curious and will jump in the feed bucket. They are a beautiful, deep red too.

 

[jaudon77]

Woot woot!! I had no idea there was a valentines day hatch but I was counting days and mine should be hatching the day before. Super excited!

29 black copper, black, blue and splash eggs in the bator...! My first time with shipped eggs. Wish me luck.

Sorry I know that was a random post. Lol. Just eggcited!! Anyone know anything about candling maran eggs? They seem a little dark.

 

[hotcurltr]

I work in Tulsa. No preferences on hatchery.

I want to go in with ya'll on the speclkled sussex. I have found that Welp Hatcherie has better qualitie birds and excellent customer service. They have all the brreds I want. I haven't compared prices because i like cackle hatcherie too. Their birds a good but maybe not the quality whelp has. Take a look at Whelp and see what you think. You have to have a minimum order of 25, but can mix and match breeds. I would be willing to go with 10 unless ya'll want more or less, but I am willing to make up the differnce.

 

[TRUE5]

Murry has them and available

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/speckled_sussex.html



Looks like all my silkie babies are sold, and people waiting on more! Whoa! another side business, they are too stinkin cute!

I need Silkies! If you have any chicks like the third on the very right let me know! EDIT: I meant the one on the far left and middle.


I tried to multi quote about the Spitz photos that someone shared and said they would be hatching their eggs. Oh my goodness! I didn't want any until you showed those! Let me know when you start to sell eggs as well! I would love to add those to my flock! Such awesome chickens!!!

Sonny is definitly boy- look at the dfference a week makes- he is really amazingly calm, i think i have found my LARGE breed... he is 12 inches at the shoulder and from what i have read, won't attain full growth for another year, he has lost 3 toenails so far to frostbite, am hoping that is the extent of it

Robin he looks amazing! It's like night and day for that guy! With what everyone says about fermented feed I really am thinking of making my own.

Hate to keep buggin you all...but....still hunting some Frizzles, or at least a roo or some eggs.

Thanks, Cheryl

You need to look on ebay. I just got some SFH eggs from a breeder who has a project of SFH crossed with Frizzles... thus getting Flowered Frizzles. These really have to be pretty neat looking. I just wish there were more pictures.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Flower...d=100011&prg=1005&rk=1&rkt=5&sd=301071203694&



Update on my Splash Marans with Cocci. This morning I did the usual feeding and adding water by syringe. I left for Arkansas and when I got back this late afternoon all of them were eating on their own!

I was SO worried because we were gone longer than I intended. Still keeping a watch on them but I am so happy to say they are not lethargic and having to be syringe fed tonight. I think my problem was that my babies are in the garage. We have our drier vent connected to the garage and I was doing a lot of laundry to get caught up one weekend. All that humidity I think is what caused the problem.

They will be leaving to the shop as soon as weather and their health permits.


Happy Happy Happy!!! I have my eggs gathered for hatching this first part of cruddy weather pre-Spring!!!

So excited!!! My chicken math has really gone over board this time. My trip to Arkansas was to get eggs from a breeder for SFH and Olive egger eggs. Then my main stop was for my heritage breed of Light Sussex at Heritage Hill Poultry Farm. You can look them up on Facebook. The breeder was SO nice and gave my daughter and I a little tour. Even though it was SO COLD we still enjoyed seeing all of what he had. He has such a great variety! And one of my favorites was his black English Orpingtons! Oh my goodness those birds were gorgeous!!!!!

I have to have some but they are so expensive. So now I will search for eggs to hatch. So...
Does anyone happen to have an incubator I can borrow???

I promise to give it back in the same condition I get it! I just happen to have so many eggs that hatch at different dates that I need to find one to incubate in while I hatch in this one I am using now. A friend of mine just happened to loan this one to me and she asked if I could hatch some for her. Now that I am up to 36 eggs for myself I am in dire need to find something that will give me room to have separate lock down dates. I would GREATLY appreciate it! I promise we have a roach and smoke free house and take better care of things that I borrow than my own.

Cant wait for some babies!!!

 

[artsyrobin]

Cheryl, the eggs i gave you will either be selfblue or black. This groups mama went broody and is raising them, once she starts laying again....LOL!


The way i do fermented feed is combine in a 5 gal bucket crumble, scratch and acv water till you can mix it up, adding water if needed- let set a few days and once it bubbles dish it out, add more crumble and scratch to replentish as you use it, i stir it a couple times a day- it will smell like sour dough starter- they love it

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Woot woot!! I had no idea there was a valentines day hatch but I was counting days and mine should be hatching the day before. Super excited!

29 black copper, black, blue and splash eggs in the bator...! My first time with shipped eggs. Wish me luck.

Sorry I know that was a random post. Lol. Just eggcited!! Anyone know anything about candling maran eggs? They seem a little dark.

Woohoo good luck! On Marans eggs, when you candle at day 10 the clears (undeveloping) will light up like a Christmas tree light. The developing ones will look dark. At about day 15 sometimes you can candle from the bottom and pull out early quitters but not always. Most of the time anything that I don't pull out on day 10 stays in until after lockdown.