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

I agree on the favs - chick one has some dark feathers coming in on the legs too so yeah, boy I'd say. I did the same with my hatch with 6 boys to 1 girl. Hoped all the light ones were girls, but they have all turned into beautiful roos. I have a lady coming to select one or two of them this week - :) Sounds like they'll get some hens of there own.
 
I have not had the chance to get more photo's of the other AUstralorps. I kind of don't want to be told they are ALL males hahahaha. From just looking in the top, they all pretty much have the same combs. Our last hatch had 100% Australorp males, I really hope that's not the case this time too.

Everyone is growing, and everyone is getting their feathers. One of the kids spotted some tiny little wattles on one of the Welsummers, no prizes for guessing the sex there. We are just waiting for the chest feathers to finish coming in to be sure of who is what with that breed.

I changed the 'big girls' nest box material yesterday, from the hemp fibres to straw. I am hoping that the straw is a little cooler than the dense fibres. It will also stick to the eggs less too.

Today they gave us 8 eggs, equal most eggs from our 9 girls.

Of the 7 of King George's eggs in the incubator, it is looking like 5 are developing nicely as Day 5 comes to a close.
 
NO prob Cous. I'll let you hatch the eggs so you won't have to worry about the "M" hitting your flock.

I have been so busy this weekend, I have only just gotten the time to sit down and really catch up on things. I have my FB on my phone, and I forget to log out most of the time, so it looks like I am always on. Heck, I only just figured out how to shut the Audible off on it. Still haven't quite figured out how to close Pandora with out force stopping it. Sigh... I am too old for such fancy technology. Of course, my Grandma has an I-Phone, and has had a smartphone, or what ever for like... ever... And she is in her 80's! I should learn. LOL

I need to get some pictures of my Blue Boy and Honey! OMG, they are just soooo pretty. And his tail! Anyway, SHE started laying. I'd mail you eggs Ben, but I do not htink they'd handle the trip down under as well as Oz's handles it. LOL
 
Oh the M...hated the M!

It's been quiet from us here, not much to report really. Everytime I hang out at the Franken brooder I just see a sea of boys looking back at me. Beginning to thing of the 27 we have only 4 girls!

I have been checking the Wellies twice a day for chest feather colours and comparing other peoples chick pics to what we have. I am so all over the place with them it's not funny. I will get some decent pics over the weekend and put a post in the breed and gender area, but I am leaning towards a full house of boys. A few points give me a doubt, but some are hard to overlook.....no matter how hard I squint!

We also spotted some tiny drops of blood on the male Fav's comb and thought it was a one off, but I just looked at a pic of the two blues and one of those looks like has had a peck off too. Is this something to worry about or is it a case of 'boy's will be boy's'

Anyway, I promised some 3 week sneak peek pics.

The aforementioned blues, side by side today.

a comparison shot of our last BA at the same age.


Here are the four Wellies, one has little pink wattles beginning to show, but none have filled in with dark chest feathers.......yet. 3 of the four have the "female" dark extended eye liner, two of the four have the "female" defined 'V' on the head.

W1


W2


W3


W4 - I have no doubt at all about this guy


I will get some more of the others over the weekend and we can continue to play the 'Ben is kidding himself' game lol

On a bright note, we got 8 great eggs today, now that made me chicken eggstatic! We also have about 18 of our first home grown Passion Fruit hanging off the vine which we can't wait to ripen.
 
Oh the M...hated the M!

It's been quiet from us here, not much to report really. Everytime I hang out at the Franken brooder I just see a sea of boys looking back at me. Beginning to thing of the 27 we have only 4 girls!

I have been checking the Wellies twice a day for chest feather colours and comparing other peoples chick pics to what we have. I am so all over the place with them it's not funny. I will get some decent pics over the weekend and put a post in the breed and gender area, but I am leaning towards a full house of boys. A few points give me a doubt, but some are hard to overlook.....no matter how hard I squint!

We also spotted some tiny drops of blood on the male Fav's comb and thought it was a one off, but I just looked at a pic of the two blues and one of those looks like has had a peck off too. Is this something to worry about or is it a case of 'boy's will be boy's'

Anyway, I promised some 3 week sneak peek pics.

The aforementioned blues, side by side today.

a comparison shot of our last BA at the same age.


Here are the four Wellies, one has little pink wattles beginning to show, but none have filled in with dark chest feathers.......yet. 3 of the four have the "female" dark extended eye liner, two of the four have the "female" defined 'V' on the head.

W1


W2


W3


W4 - I have no doubt at all about this guy


I will get some more of the others over the weekend and we can continue to play the 'Ben is kidding himself' game lol

On a bright note, we got 8 great eggs today, now that made me chicken eggstatic! We also have about 18 of our first home grown Passion Fruit hanging off the vine which we can't wait to ripen.

your chicks are doing great!

on the bright side, you have a lot of chook dinners in Autumn but my crystal ball says you are over thinking it. I say 11 girls
 
Ben I know how you feel. I have 4 light sussex chicks left and I'll go over in the morning, see 2 Roos and 2 pullets. Funny how when I go over to lock them up they morph into 4 Roos. :barnie
In my blrw chicks I have a little dark one that runs straight up to me and hops into my hand, guarantee it's a roo. The ones that steal my heart always are. Yesterday it rained all day and when I got home, momma and her 8 chicks were perched up on the verandah, waiting for crazy food lady.
Found a great home for my buff sussex roo ( that's him on my avatar ). He is making the trek to devonport tomorrow .
1000

1000

1000
 
All the chicks are adorable! Mine all have pretty much all their feathers in now, so they look like mini fluffy chickens! They are eight and a half weeks old... where did the time go?

After waiting so impatiently for eggs, my girls have finally come through for me! So far just this month, they have laid 32 eggs! That blows my mind! I have gotten 6 eggs for the past 2 days!
 

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