***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[SharkmanDan]

Rinda,
Thanks for what I suspected all along. Though I was using different evidence. I was thinking the really thick heads and necks, were the sign of the boys. The black and white one, really strikes me as a girl, for very sexist reasons. She's friendly, sweet and loving.
The mostly white one gets a bit "butch" with both of the (I call it) calico colored EE's, and the gold laced, also. But, one of those "calico colored" boys, is also very friendly, sweet and loving. He likes to hang around me, often wanting to perch on my shoulder, as does the little black and white girl. But, she prefers my wife. If my wife is around, I'm completely forgotten.
But, both of those friendly ones, will frequently fly up and land on our shoulders, if we're walking nearby.
It will be nice, though, to have a friendly Roo. My big Black Australorp Roo, is a gentleman, and sometimes tolerates us petting him, but that's as far as it goes. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all of these boys. They are all like pets, and my wife will never allow them to go to (freezer) camp. But, at some point, we're going to have to make a humane decision. We have a Delaware, same age as the Ameracaunas, that is already showing the beginnings of spurs. And, he's fairly friendly, too.

I forgot to add, THANK YOU AGAIN, for your help, Friday and Saturday. I'm going to find a way to enjoy those boys. I may need to hire Kassaundra, to help caponize a bunch of boys.

 

[artsyrobin]

A few of the crew, the ones who posed better, from a few days ago



















these are my favs of them- beautiful birds!

 

[SharkmanDan]

A few more, maybe better photos, this time including the camera shy calico, to help me determine gender.
I'm putting zip ties loosely on their shanks, black for boys, white for girls. The gold laced, in the last two photos, has a little curvature to the tail, but very thin shanks. The "calico" in the 4th & 5th photos, without a band on it's leg, to me, evidence says girl, but overall impression, screams Boy, at me.
Rinda, Kassaundra, or anyone else, better than I am about it, please, your input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kyzmette]

Rinda,
Thanks for what I suspected all along. Though I was using different evidence. I was thinking the really thick heads and necks, were the sign of the boys. The black and white one, really strikes me as a girl, for very sexist reasons. She's friendly, sweet and loving.
The mostly white one gets a bit "butch" with both of the (I call it) calico colored EE's, and the gold laced, also. But, one of those "calico colored" boys, is also very friendly, sweet and loving. He likes to hang around me, often wanting to perch on my shoulder, as does the little black and white girl. But, she prefers my wife. If my wife is around, I'm completely forgotten.
But, both of those friendly ones, will frequently fly up and land on our shoulders, if we're walking nearby.
It will be nice, though, to have a friendly Roo. My big Black Australorp Roo, is a gentleman, and sometimes tolerates us petting him, but that's as far as it goes. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all of these boys. They are all like pets, and my wife will never allow them to go to (freezer) camp. But, at some point, we're going to have to make a humane decision. We have a Delaware, same age as the Ameracaunas, that is already showing the beginnings of spurs. And, he's fairly friendly, too.

I forgot to add, THANK YOU AGAIN, for your help, Friday and Saturday. I'm going to find a way to enjoy those boys. I may need to hire Kassaundra, to help caponize a bunch of boys.

You're not thinking the little ones were all boys too, are you? I would be mortified if that were the case!

 

[Kassaundra]

I still think that black and white one is a boy, just a little slower developing. That color pattern is usually boy in EE, and the spotchiness of it screams boy, when a girl has that color pattern it is usually much more uniform across the back and wings.


Be very careful, an overly friendly teen boy many, many times becomes a human aggressive roo.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

yeah, i keep my silkies away from the main flock, they are such sweet little birds. Its good you found a good home, i decided awhile back to get the more docile breeds, it makes a difference, depending on your goals- cochins and silkies are high on my list- i did have a new hampshire red that was a bit of a bully, and of course there are always those that don't fit the breed descriptions ...LOL!

We only have six (now five) chickens. My broody hen is also a Silkie and is the caretaker of the one who has been bullied. No one messed with either Silkie because the older one takes to guff from anyone and is not afraid to defend herself. My little one is just so sweet and timid she is easily run over. I actually picked breeds that were supposed to be very docile and good natured. I have since learned, however, that when you order from a hatchery you do not always get the best of the breed in temperament. :0/

From the hatchery, one chick just died one day (my daughters first pick). I gave her one of my two Rhode Island Red hens - which turned out to be roos and were given to the before mentioned friend, and my Brahma, my daughter's final chicken (advertised as a gentle giant) was just a bully. My daughter is just heartbroken. :0(

 

[Kassaundra]

splotchy boy w/ red coming in, any sign at all of red like you see on this one it's a done deal, all boy, no girl will get red like that.



girl, much more even patterning



boy background girl front


girl



boy is lighter patterned but still not a true reliable pattern and that red



splotchy boy



even patterned girl



This one isn't the black white we've been talking about but just showing an example closer to the others color / pattern, see the red splotchies, all boy no girl will do that, at least in EE

 

[SharkmanDan]

Not me! I'm perfectly happy with your generosity. While I always prefer layers, I'm never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm very happy with those little critters. And, since Rinda seems very confident that they are girls, I'm good with it, unless time proves her wrong. But, even then. It was a very generous gesture, on your part, and I have no complaints. I have a brooder, full of 31 boys, all about 3 weeks old. So, I'm not one to complain, at all.
All that said, this all started, with us wanting better quality eggs, then spawned a desire to provide the same, for family and close friends. Then, after experiencing that horrible sight, seeing the Tyson bird, laying in agony, we decided to start in on separately raising several meat birds, too. While I've never planned on your birds being meat birds, if I need to, I can caponize them, with the meat birds (if they prove to be boys), and they can just be beautiful little, non-egg producing members, of our flock.

Again, thank you, so much, for your generosity. It REALLY is appreciated.

 

[Ksane]

splotchy boy w/ red coming in, any sign at all of red like you see on this one it's a done deal, all boy, no girl will get red like that.



girl, much more even patterning



boy background girl front


girl



boy is lighter patterned but still not a true reliable pattern and that red



splotchy boy



even patterned girl



This one isn't the black white we've been talking about but just showing an example closer to the others color / pattern, see the red splotchies, all boy no girl will do that, at least in EE

My Oreo boys!!!!

 

[SharkmanDan]

I still think that black and white one is a boy, just a little slower developing.  That color pattern is usually boy in EE, and the spotchiness of it screams boy, when  a girl has that color pattern it is usually much more uniform across the back and wings.


Be very careful, an overly friendly teen boy many, many times becomes a human aggressive roo.

I really hope not. I think I have enough boys to caponize (BTW-whenever you can, let's get together for class. I have a friend who wants to take photos for me), and don't need more. But, they are, what they are, and I just have to deal with it.
Slower to develop, is very true. That one, and a brown leghorn, were the two, most drastically affected by the sinus infection, that came through, a month ago. He/she, is, just in the past 3-4 days, showing that he/she is back to full health, but developed a bit late, due to the sickness. That brown leghorn, just couldn't stand the stress, I believe, after having that eye surgery 3 times. This one, just needed meds, no surgery. But, because it's eye was glued shut, for a short while, with the sinus infection, we call this one our little "Pirate". That, and it, too, likes to perch on my shoulder.