Only a single hen left, and mites issue!

[rosemarythyme]

Admittedly I find Orpingtons hard to sex, so I hope someone more knowledgeable can pipe in, but compare Peachy to my hatchery Buff Orp. This was taken at around 8-9 weeks:

 

[ZazasMom]

Is the size of the comb important? I may be wrong about how old Peachy is, too. The farmer was giving me a lot of information to take in at once.
We had two Buff Orpington hens last year and I think their combs were quite short and pale for a while.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is the size of the comb important? I may be wrong about how old Peachy is, too. The farmer was giving me a lot of information to take in at once.
We had two Buff Orpington hens last year and I think their combs were quite short and pale for a while.

In most breeds, males combs redden and enlarge earlier and more noticeably than females.

Did you happen to ask how the chicks were sexed?

 

[ZazasMom]

I have to call him again to ask how they do it. I just read how young roos are very friendly, so that would fit as well. Ugh!

 

[aart]

It just so happened that we were given a little 8-week old pullet when we picked up our hatching eggs from a farm.

At 8 weeks it's pretty obvious, IMO.

The farmer said they regularly have a professional chick sexer come to determine what they are... I wouldn’t know how to tell.

<coughcoughBScoughcough>

 

[ZazasMom]

Well, at least he offered to take all male chicks back that we would get from his eggs, so I guess I'll be giving this one back, too. Not looking forward to explaining this to my daughter We have limited space and prefer hens only.

I'm glad I posted this picture, and thank you for bringing this to my attention!

 

[aart]

Well, at least he offered to take all male chicks back that we would get from his eggs, so I guess I'll be giving this one back, too.

Nothing to worry about then....that's great!
Well, the daughter's attitude could be a worry.
I don't envy you dealing with that, best of luck.

 

[maroongrad]

We lost ducks and hens to foxes, hawks, and a falcon over the years. Once we added a scotch collie, we haven't lost a single one. He stays out there and guards them during the day. He can come in whenever he wants, he's figured out how to open the back door, but he'd rather lounge in the yard and keep an eye on everything. We got him once we lost our last two big ducks, Brownie and Aflac, who were very much pets, and both went in one day. If you have predator problems and you are considering adding a dog to your family, a scotch collie or english shepherd may be good choices. Good family pets, good city dogs (as long as you don't get one of the rare high-energy ones!), and excellent flock guards.
For mites, we've had good luck with Sevin Dust. It's sprinkled in the pen, into the bedding, into the dirt baths in the yard, and every few months or so we pick up each hen and work some into the back feathers and neck. There may be better things out there, but I know Sevin was originally designed for mite control on poultry so it's something I feel confident using.