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

[ozexpat]

My RIR are always roo heavy. The orps are the opposite.

 

[Bens-Hens]

50 bucks the blue 'lorp is a roo

Anyone?

It is the smaller of the bunch, but also the youngest. I know our track record! I think we are up to 0 out of 5 attempts at getting a blue pullet. It could be an easy $50 for you lol

8 goats gave me 9 doelings.

Bens Blue 'lorp run could be as long

Show off hahahahahaha

just got home from a night away for another wedding. All the flocks are happy and healthy on return. I was expecting a swag of eggs as we had not received any before we left....came home to four eggs! It's like they knew we were not around.

 

[ozexpat]

I am praying its a girl Ben but I cant help wetting myself if it crows

sorry mate

 

[scottcaddy]

I am praying its a girl Ben but I cant help wetting myself if it crows

sorry mate

OZ, are on your phone again?

Scott

 

[ozexpat]

OZ, are on your phone again?

Scott

no. that was intentional lol

 

[satay]

I am praying its a girl Ben but I cant help wetting myself if it crows

sorry mate

Good to see you have lost none of that aussie sense of humor

 

[ozexpat]

Good to see you have lost none of that aussie sense of humor

I am still the same sick minded, perverted Aussie lad from the bush that I was when I left for Merka in 1989.

Except now my knees are not so good and my hair is grey.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I am about to attempt a photo shoot with the chicks.

As a very early guess, I am think the Black is a male and the blue is a female......time will tell if that works out.

Off to get some little ones to behave then wrestle the pics onto here.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Okey dokey...some images to share!

I will try include a bit of info about each chick ( 10 in total)

Group brooder shot




THE Blue Australorp, youngest of the batch by a day or so.


Very small thin comb visible


The Black Australorp, this one I am leaning towards a male as it's visible comb is thicker at the base. Am early indicator I am told




The younger FWM, petite and smaller than the other, but they are different ages. No black band visible yet but it will probably be another week before we can guess with that technique.


The older FWM, bigger in body and some suspect darker wing feathers visible....see how that goes over the following week.


Second FWM's comb. I am bracing myself for the inevitable!


Now we move onto the Wellie's. These (for those that don't know) are said to be early sexed by two methods, the 'sharpness' of the head V, and the eyeliner. Females have a more defined V and the eyeliner, males have no eyeliner and a 'fuzzy' V. By the first day we got them, we should have had two males and two females, but I don't think this method is breeding true in our line. Again, time will tell. All have the same little tail and shoulder feathers

We have 4 chicks, and there are two pics of each.

No 1, small visible comb, no eyeliner and blurry V




Chick 2 Eyeliner, defined V and small comb




Chick 3, larger comb, no eyeliner and blurry V




Chick 4, defined V, eyeliner and a more prominent comb




then we move onto the two SLW's.

I am not the best at this gender picking game on my won flock, but I am going to guess one of each. This is based on the comb width at this age and nothing else.

Chick one, much wider base of the comb




Chick 2, has a more slender comb at this point.





Other than one case of pasty butt, they are doing really well and growing like weeds!

in our main flock, we are down to one broody as our RIR finished her attempt. The little Tasmanian roo is getting bigger but so far as I can tell has not figured out how to crow but he certainly has some saddle feathers going on!

 

[vehve]

Lovely pics, Ben. That eyeliner looks interesting.

Our baby roos haven't started crowing yet either, but but they do chime in on the egg song. It's a pretty crazy cacophony.