Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[scottcaddy]

Sounds good to me, might separate them for the day and stick them in the mobile coop to have a graze and quiet time, with some scratch and fresh water. As long as it's not going to cause a processing issue other than a bit of mess I am happy to make them comfortable.

One thing I have noticed is that some birds will get excited if they see John-Boy get his head chopped off and start the no-head dance. I think its the dance more then the chopping part that gets to them. I make sure nobody sees anything anymore.

Scott

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks Scott, last time we did this (not for eating) I did it away from the others. Seemed wise to do it that way, I try keep them calm and quiet.

I will be using the invert, cone and bleed out method again. Then get one in the hot water while the second one is bleeding out. Seems more subtle and quiet that way. That will be my first time to pluck and process for eating, as the other times we had health concerns.

 

[scottcaddy]

Thanks Scott, last time we did this (not for eating) I did it away from the others. Seemed wise to do it that way, I try keep them calm and quiet.

I will be using the invert, cone and bleed out method again. Then get one in the hot water while the second one is bleeding out. Seems more subtle and quiet that way. That will be my first time to pluck and process for eating, as the other times we had health concerns.

Ok, I was old schooled and had never heard of the cone before I joined this board. I am thinking it would be easer then dealing with the dance!
Thanks for reminding me about that.

Scott

 

[NovaAman]

Oh gosh, that gave me the giggles.. John boy and the no head dance! LOL

 

[Bens-Hens]

Hahaha, I had to go back and re-read that!

So, birthday weekend has come and gone, and all the birds are in the one coop for their first night tonight, they are not the same sizes, but we just could not keep so many birds in the little coop. The younger birds are 9 weeks old, the older birds are 14 weeks.

Lucky and Milo are still with us, not yet crowing so we will keep them growing.

The way we went about it was over the past week we let both flocks free range at the same time in the yard, plenty of room to get away from each other. As the week progressed, I was moving the mobile coop closer and closer to the main coop fence.

While supervised, I threw all the birds into the main coop on Saturday for an hour or so, no blood. They all spent the night in their usual spots, I wanted to do the same on Sunday but I was busy all day out and about, so they shared a fence until today (Monday) Today, they spend the morning in the yard together, then I herded them all into the coop together. Plenty of feed about on the ground, added a second water-er and second feeder, and also cleaned and recommissioned my PVC feeder so everyone has someplace to eat. I then sat in there to make sure no head would get torn off.

Was some expected scuffling as they got to know who was who, but it went much smoother than I expected, so I left them in there all day, coming back every so often to check up.

Come dusk, the big birds went to bed, the little ones huddled in a corner of the run. Alicia and I patiently put them all n a roost. I went back down after dinner, one had gone back to the same corner, so I put him back on the roost. Hopefully the learn as fast as last time that where to sleep! My morning rounds just got halved..although the poop scoop is going to be MASSIVE hahahaha

Some pics. I had my phone in my pocket, and just snapped away.

Two groups, the young ones seemed very happy to be able to dust bath together.


Feathers are a comin! This is Jewel (I think)


Baby being stalked


Miss Thing, Luna, Queen of the shoulder rides


Lazy bloody chickens!


Mr Tea "What you lookin' at boy!"


All the Australorps are getting their green tints.


Our two Silver Pencil Wyandotte'sI am going to post in the gender area about these two, not sure if there is a way to tell male female apart yet. REALLY want two girls but not sure if that's the case.


Pipe feeder back in action




Went to take a photo of Luna on my back....photobomber by Milo.


....and then Rosie and Milo


"You head is scratchy!"


Our King, Lucky the Light Sussex.


That's about it. I am confident of the sexes of all of them now, with the exception of the SPW's. I think we have two females, I really want two females but they have slightly different tails. I am going to ask a public opinion on the matter in the sexing forum. I think we have a total of 6 males, if one of the SPW is male that would take it up to 7 in the new flock. If we add in Milo and Lucky, that's 9 males and 8 females.

On the upside, I was reading about breeding, and if we put an Americana over a RIR or BA, we will get an EE that lays mint green or powder blue eggs. We don't have an Americana, but we do have (non standard) Araucana's. Will that yield the same result? Very tempting to plan our next hatch to include some of our own eggs too.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Love the photos! They are so funny - seem to love the camera - You too !!! yes - blue egg x brown = green, so your araucana combined with any brown egg layer. That's what I'll have with my EE crosses. Next cross will be with my marans...olive eggs. Your araucanas have pea combs, right? Can't see well on my phone. If you have some with pea combs and some without, use the ones that have it. The pea comb and blue egg gene are connected from what I read.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Hahaha, I am just a goose! I do smile and take nice photo's, but I had three chickens cramping my style!

I did read that the Pea was dominant. All our's have a Pea anyway. Very glad to hear we will get a green layer! We will already have some blues in the works so green would be perfect!

How did the Oliver come about? Is that a blue over dark brown egg? I was looking for how to make a Blue Australorp, but we would need a splash for that and I don't think Jewel or Baby will turn out splash, they are just lighter with yellow legs/skin.

I am crazy, already excited about the eggs that will come 6 months from our next hatch, probably in six months hahahaha A year or working to breed our own mint layer!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Yes - olive egg is using a dark brown layer breed. They produce either olive or khaki. I only have one green egg layer right now but I hatched two of her eggs. At that time I had two EE roos and many other brown egg layers, so potential for lots of varied green, possibly blue from the EE hen's if crossed with EE roo. And boy are those pea combs and muffs/fluffy cheeks dominant! I don't think I posted this pic for you to see - my EE/NH chick, I think she was almost 7 weeks here.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Those cheeks really do stand out. Love the green legs, is that a sign of egg future colour? Our's don't have anything that obvious, and they are 9 weeks old now. They are starting to get the big fluffy head feathers, but no beards yet.

I was searching dark layers, and the BV's have a dark brown egg, not like the Maran's but I wonder how that would work. Have to wait and see I guess. Now I have to find a way to keep a rooster for long enough to accomplish the deed with a few of our ladies. I have keep some insulation panel from work, just in case I had to make a rooster box

EDIT: I also posted about the SPW's, turn out the males and females feather out very differently, and we have two little ladies!

 

[Wrightsx4]

2 SLW ladies!!! Hooray!
Begonia (the ee x nh chick) I expect will lay green eggs. Oh - I think the araucana "tufts" are different than muffs. The muffs and/or beards are upon hatch whereas the tufts may show up later...? Not sure, but my ee crosses all popped out of the shells with cheeks Big ones on a few of them. My little male ee x sf (Baby's) has a big fluffy face too. His daddy and mama had a beard (lol!)
I bet your bv's would cross for olive. Welsummers lay dark eggs too if you have access to those. So far it appears I have several marans girls and equal boys. I'd like to keep them all but I will need to narrow down the boys in the fall.