Peeps in Europe!

[AnnaWolf]

I am happy!!!! After work I am going to look at some Dutch Bantams!!!

 

[abpatchy]

I am happy!!!! After work I am going to look at some Dutch Bantams!!!

Ohh dangerous... you might come home with some!!
Good luck! I hope they are what you are looking for!

 

[abpatchy]

So I replaced the dudd rooster almost 2 weeks ago. Since then I have seen the new rooster mate with one hen. I also saw an attemt to mate with one or two others.
Over the past weekend one of the hens layed an egg that was not suitable for hatching (rough and thin shell) and when I opended it I could see it was fertilized. Such a good boy!!! I can look forward to get chicks today in 5 weeks from him.
I just can't tell you how relieved I am! They are the best hens! And yes, they get calcium treatment as soon as I see an egg with issues.

I also turned off the incubator with 26 eggs. None!!! were fertile. When I butchered him, his testicles were really small. I have butchered 11 or 12 week old cockerels with larger ones! One even ripped while I pulled them out. His organs did not look sick though. He seemed to have feather mites... the only one in the whole group! I checked and treated them all just in case. Something was off with him, just don't know what.

I know the door looks poopy but it's not. Pre previous user of the coop had pigeons. and I guess their poop bleached out the wood. It really isn't poopy.

 

[Erba]

@AnnaWolf So exciting! Dutch Bantams...woopie!

@abpatchy So glad to hear the rooster is doing his job! Looking forward to chick pics again!! I need to slaughter some roosters, before I attempt to incubate again. I have a very good looking Light Sussex rooster and now about 6 good looking Light Sussex hens. So I am almost where I want to be. Finally!

 

[abpatchy]

@AnnaWolf So exciting! Dutch Bantams...woopie!

@abpatchy So glad to hear the rooster is doing his job! Looking forward to chick pics again!! I need to slaughter some roosters, before I attempt to incubate again. I have a very good looking Light Sussex rooster and now about 6 good looking Light Sussex hens. So I am almost where I want to be. Finally!

@Erba Me too!!! Facebook just gave me a memory of last year with my Bielefelder girls just a few days old. So cute!!
So cool to hear you are going into the right direction with your breeding!! It's is always a celebration when you see the success.
How are your "chicks" doing... I bet they are pretty big already!

 

[Erba]

Chicks are great and growing fast. Here's what my flock looks like.

The first two, Rooster and hen, are from the first hatch, they are my profile pic, the others are younger in the third pic.

 

[abpatchy]

Very nice!!!

How many ridges are you allowed inthe comb for a rooster? Looks like the rooster in the first picture has 7... not sure if you care to breed toward the standard or what your standard says.

Do you keep different breeding groups?

 

[AnnaWolf]

@abpayou prodicted right I came home with 3 Dutch bantams. They are 4-5 weeks old.

 

[Erba]

standard for Light Sussex. Nice and spikey must be evenly spaced. But he is still quite young.

 

[BDutch]

@abpayou prodicted right I came home with 3 Dutch bantams. They are 4-5 weeks old.View attachment 2540979

All partridge coloured? Bit early to see but I do hope you have at least 2 girls !