Oregon

[Zanna]

Howdy everyone!
Just got caught up. I was over 2 weeks behind on the thread. Tis' the season for to much dang stuff to do.

Zanna, Those BCM eggs look GREAT. What lineage? How maney hens of yours lay eggs of that quality?

Some Broody hens just dont know how to quit. Mine finally snapped out of it after she had staked claim to an invisible nest on the CONCRETE step to the shed for like 5 hrs. Crazy Bird! Had me fooled for a bit. Thought she was ill. Nope. Just crazy.

Love the chicken on a pig pic.

Now for my new adventure!! Pigs !!!! Yep a friend of mine convinced me to get a pig. Well it didnt take much. He had me at, BACON!

So we got a pair of Bluebutts. Pick them up the 25th of may.
Also, I've got almost all my parts for the WHIZBANG chicken plucker.

My hen and roo are supposedly of Davis Lineage but I suppose, who really knows....... The roo was a craigslist special with 11 others who were all culls (breeding for SOP as well as egg colour) and the hen is from a reputable breeder in New York. She is my only BCM hen, so I just have the breeding pair right now. Hopefully the roo will darken the offsprings eggs but of course he could lighten them as well so I have about 5 mos. wait to find out!!! I had a another Davis girl last summer who laid a gorgeous egg but she was so far from SOP I sold her as a layer.

You will love your pigs!!! We bought four york/hampshire cross last fall (great time for us as we can get all the free pumpkins we want and they loved them!!!). They are almost ready to go to butcher, I will really miss them!

DH built a great whizbang plucker using a used washing machine drum. If you run into any problems, feel free to pm with questions. They are the most awesome tool!

 

[Zanna]

Questions for Marans people. I have mostly blue hens (no copper in their feathers at all) and one splash hen (different lineage from 1/2 the flock). I currently have a blue copper (some have told me wheaten) rooster. He has produced almost all blues over blue hen. My question is this, I get pretty dark eggs which I want to keep or get darker eggs (just because they look cool) but love blue chickens. What is a good page to look at for genetics? I'm wondering if Black over these would give me any blues? and better egg color. Marans websites are a little to fast and being a pet flock breeder I don't always get a response.

Genetics are way over my head but Cloverleaf is correct....... I also think blacks over blues give you a certain percentage of both.........Your blue hens may be overmelanized blue coppers (my bcm hen is all black). True blue and or black marans are very rare. Typically the BCM (and some of the blue coppers) do lay the darkest eggs..........If you want to darken your egg colour, try to get a roo hatched from a very dark egg. If you are not worried about SOP you should be able to find one. Talk to Sue (Marquisella) here on BYC. Her flocks consistently lay the darkest of any eggs I have seen. She is in New York but will ship, she is who I got my hen from (plus a dozen other babies that got torn up by a skunk last summer). If my BCM roo lightens his offsprings eggs he will be replaced. My hen only lays a 6 on the Marans chart but she is consistent. I would love to get darker but want SOP as well.
Anyone on here more knowlegeable, please correct me, always learning..............

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Blue x black = 50% blue, 50% black

Blue x blue = 50% blue, 25% black, 25% splash

Blue x splash = 50% blue, 50% splash

Black x splash = 100% blue

Black x black = 100% black

Splash x splash = 100% splash

 

[CrittersNPets]

You guys are awesome, thank you for the info and already headed for the website!!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

You guys are awesome, thank you for the info and already headed for the website!!!

 

[MWchickens]

broody hen resolved..

we just kicked her outside and free ranged her more while the sun was out

..we had taken turns swatting her off her little imaginary nest through out the yard for a week end
+ we have a secrete weapon our 3 year old daughter that can leave that chicken alone.. not one of us feels sorry for it either..that little red devil got the jebesus loved out of it for 3 straight days..

So thank you thank you CLF for the ofter... but for now we are ok...

anywhoo
its lice lice lice yeah..on my chickens lice lice lice yeah.. they're on my chickens
thanks for all the advice about broodys do all hens go broody cause the wyandottes show 0 signs of being broody..0.
@ Wbruder..I was hoping DD would have stuck with toast for butternut but she decided against it last moment.. toast with eggs now thats funny

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

LOL No, you're just "lucky" ...can you believe some people WANT broody hens?

 

[OR4-hmom]

Well, eggs are on there way. Can anyone tell me if BLRW's can be sexed by wing feathers after hatch? I have 2 Sussex and 2 Partridge Rocks that have gone broody, figured that since they aren't doing anything else I may as well put them to work. Down here I see ads quite often for people wanting broodies. Don't think I could give up any of my girls though.

 

[Dukeofhawg]

Ever try to do some gardening only to find your helpers don't help too much... LOLOLOL

 

[wbruder17]

Sure theyre helping! Theyre evening out that mound in the corner. They knew you needed more in the middle!