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

[Bens-Hens]

I missed that you were here too, practically a neighbour!

A couple of locals in here, plus I try find the local breeders on FB too so I can see who has what in our area.

 

[babyfoot]

I am a Scot, only been here four years almost but hubby is an Aussie through and through, from Hedland. He said I couldn't have a cat or a dog here so I asked if we could have chickens. He said yes cos I wouldn't get attached to them and cry when I lost one. HA! how wrong could he be. Now he has his favourite and when he gets home from work, grabs a beer and goes to see his hen, not me!!!!!!

 

[Bens-Hens]

I need to appologise for the table....info is there hopefully, but it's kind of BIG!

There are just two left to pip, but I have a feeling they on't be joining us, after the rest are dried, I will candle those two (FW Maran and 'Lorp) in the morning, yes, picture me hiding in the hallway cupboard seeking darkness!

Other than that, pretty happy, keen to see the in the morning and get some nicer pics of each breed.

Happy some of our girls are mum's too, even if that makes me a grand father (of sorts) at the tender age of 33

EDIT:

I will come back and fix that table up tomorrow, it has not pasted well from Excell.

 

[NovaAman]

Lol, grandpa! Lol. Nice counts so far. Great chick pics too!

 

[Bens-Hens]

Here is the table data for those that way inclined, I am just going to put together my pics from some photo's today.

Breed No. Start Weight Day 7 Candle Day 7 Weight Candle 7 Comment Day 14 Candle Day 14 Weight Candle 14 Comment Ideal Lock Down Weight Lock Down Weight Comments
BV x ARA 1 41 40 39 36 39 Hatched
BV x ARA 2 42 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 37 ~ Removed
BV x ARA 3 44 43 42 38 41 Hatched
BV x ARA 4 45 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 39 ~ Removed
BA x ARA 5 55 53 50 48 49 Hatched
BA x ARA 6 55 53 51 48 50 Hatched
BA x ARA 7 54 52 50 47 49 Hatched
BA x ARA 8 55 52 50 48 49 Hatched
LS/Sun x ARA 9 50 X Clear ~ ~ ~ 44 ~ X
LS/Sun x ARA 10 54 X Clear ~ ~ ~ 47 ~ X
LS/Sun x ARA 11 53 X Clear ~ ~ ~ 47 ~ X
ARA 12 31 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 27 ~ X
ARA 13 36 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 32 ~ X
ARA 14 37 36 34 33 33 Hatched
ARA 15 33 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 29 ~ X
ARA 16 31 1 29 27 27 Hatched
ARA 17 34 33 31 30 30 Hatched
RIR x ARA 18 50 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 44 ~ X
RIR x ARA 19 54 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 47 ~ X
RIR x ARA 20 51 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 45 ~ X
RIR x ARA 21 51 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 45 ~ X
LS/Cleo x ARA 22 48 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 42 ~ X
LS/Cleo x ARA 23 47 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 41 ~ X
WELLIE'S 24 65 X ~ Clear ~ ~ ~ 57 ~ X
WELLIE'S 25 56 54 52 49 50 Hatched
WELLIE'S 26 65 62 59 57 58 End pip, died in shell
WELLIE'S 27 64 62 59 56 58 Hatched
WELLIE'S 28 62 60 57 54 56 Hatched
WELLIE'S 29 62 58 56 54 54 Hatched
WELLIE'S 30 60 X ~ Clear ~ X ~ 53 ~ X
SAL FAV 31 61 59 57 53 55 Hatched an A/Lorp
SAL FAV 32 64 62 X ~ Blood Ring 56 ~ Early Death
SAL FAV 33 62 61 58 54 57 Hatched
SAL FAV 34 61 58 56 53 54 Hatched
A/LORP 35 58 54 52 51 51 Hatched
A/LORP 36 58 55 54 51 52 Hatched
A/LORP 37 64 62 59 56 58 No Pip
A/LORP 38 52 50 49 46 47 Hatched
A/LORP 39 56 55 52 49 51 Hatched
A/LORP 40 64 62 61 56 60 Hatched
FW MARAN 41 61 58 57 53 56 Hatched
FW MARAN 42 64 62 60 56 59 Hatched
FW MARAN 43 51 49 47 45 46 Hatched
FW MARAN 44 63 61 58 55 57 Hatched
FW MARAN 45 66 64 62 58 60 Hatched
FW MARAN 46 49 46 44 43 43 Hatched
FW MARAN 47 69 66 63 60 62 No Pip
All up, Set 47, 32 into lock down, 27 live chicks. The two left overs in the 'bator have done nothing, so they will get opened later tonight when I have finished cleaning it and vaccinated the chicks.

Happy with those results, just hope for bountiful 'chick' chicks...and not so many 'dude' chicks lol

 

[CB and CG]

Good result Ben. Shame about the DIS though. Maybe next time you could try a lower humidity setting as quite a few of the eggs did not meet the weight loss target? This is often the reason for DIS in lockdown.
I hope for your sake you hatch a lot of pullets. A lot of breeder friends have been having a cockerel season unfortunately.
I will stay tuned for some pics...

 

[Bens-Hens]

Here we go, feel free to share thoughts and comments, even if you want to have a stab at sexing. About the only thing I have a guide of is the Wellies, but plenty of people seem to say that the eyeliner and 'v' method are not accurate. Our eggs came in many different forms for them too, so I am not (maybe wishful thinking)

Sorry for anyone on a slow connection...there will be a few pics.

iPhone's panoramic doodad.


3x Lavender Araucana's





We only had 5 on paper, but due to a miss marked egg we got six. I think only two may be blues and I am PRAYING to the fowl gender gods to let there be a blue pullet in there. Suspect blues are far left and 3rd from the left.






6x French Wheaten Maran's. They came from some pretty dark eggs by our standard, except one seems to not be 'French' and has clean shanks. One was clearly not happy about the shoot and did some re-decorating.






2x Barnevelder x Lav Ara....I am keen to find out why they came out black. Maybe someone can shed some light on that, or if they know a link that explains it would be handy.


More later, trip to docs, kids just opened up his head!

Back now, emergency fixed up the little ones head so on with the show.

The pair of Salmon Fav's, we only had four eggs, one was clear and one turned out to be a BA. Five furry toes of coolness. Already some pretty advanced wing tip feathers.






4x Wellsummers, going by the 'V' method, it looks like two boys and two girls, but going by the eye liner it's not the same. These four came from four very different eggs so I am just going to have to ride it out and wait for combs. I also heard these were excellent foragers, makes sense as they were the first to dig to the bottom of the brooder box!






Finally, four more of our babies, also black with white down, but more white, kind of Orca looking with a pea combs and whiter faces/beaks. These came from Luna our BA and Smudge.







That's all of them, I will post some ore later and see how we go for sexing. We are hoping to sell off the extra's as pair or trio's once we are sure of the sex's in an effort to not get lumped with the roo's.

 

[CB and CG]

I agree in the Australorp colour department. 4 blacks, 1 dark blue and 1 very dark blue (Almost black). Love to see pics as they develop.
Post some wing pics of your marans in a couple days and I will have a stab. As you know I don't breed these but I am happy try lol.
Love the first pic and good luck at the doctors!

 

[NovaAman]

My word! Which kid this time? Hope he didn't need stitches. Aiden had to get them on his forehead and he still has learned NOTHING!

AW Chiko chiko chiko!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Stab in the dark on this as I'm not well-read on BV genetics but since they're laced...
the lav genes block any patterning, lacing. The bv's are black with red/brown lacing so the lav is just blocking the pattern. I don't think it's a sexlink cross. I'll see if I can find a link, but you might look at lav or self blue x laced (BV, wyandotte...)