Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[SilkieSensation]

I have seen you guys posting for years that a big white dot on a BR's head meant male. The first time Chad posted it, I had just gotten three BR. Two had a big dot. All three were girls. I have always wondered how.

The amount of white on barred breeds is not fixed (lot of variation), I've heard that some strains of BR can be color sexed at hatch, but for most I think it's unreliable. Once their wing feathers start growing in, that is a far better indication as the male's feathers have white stripes that are about twice as wide as the females. If you look at a whole group of straight-run chicks, the males pop out visually as much lighter in color. This effect starts in just a few days, but gets increasingly prominent as the wing feathers grow longer. At about 2 weeks, it's very obvious. Black barred chickens are not considered to be "auto sexing" because this effect is not reliable at hatch time, and also the effect is a matter of degree, unless you are very experienced, you need to compare a bunch of chicks and hope you can sort of the sexes.

As a rule this applies equally to any black barred chicken, so the same effect is seen on Dominiques, Barred Hollands, California Greys, and the various "cuckoo" colors like Marans.

Barred brown (with wild type down coloring, i.e. "chipmunk stripe" chicks) chickens are a mixed bag, if they have certain other genes, it hides the white spot on their head, but if those genes are not present, you get autosexing chicks, to various degrees. Examples of this are Rhodebars, Legbars, and Norwegion Jaehons (so I've read, never had these). In true autosexing breeds, anyone can see the difference, it's as if they are entirely different breeds, no comparison or "trained eye" is needed.

The majority of the barring in my flock has come from a couple roosters that are half legbar. My head spots have been pretty dominant & pretty reliable so far. Any barred baby that started out with a spot has been male & the ones with solid black heads have been female. Maybe it's the dominance of that legbar gene making the markings so distinct. The funny part is, my half legbar roo is red barred. It's 3 black barred hens throwing the barred babies. I also have a blue barred roo that came from crossing the red barred roo with a soild blue hen.

 

[wingstone]

Hello! I'm not from PA, but I'm pretty close to the border in WNY, near Bradford. Hoping to network with some folks on the western side. Also, my husband is from Lancaster county and all his family still lives there. Whenever I come across a chicken I like from that area, I scheme about combining poultry fun with in-law visits. There seems to be an abundance of hatcheries and smaller breeders in the Lancaster area.

Mount Joy, Lancaster county here, stop in when you come to visit family...WARNING..we are processors and you will see all the equipment used.. so please consider that.

Quote:
There's still hope...read the next part.. On a good note, Barred Rock roosters fill in nicely at a young age to make good fryers

Quote: I have found many that defy these things lately...I think maybe the barred rock breed has so many accidental mixes in it that it is harder to tell.

I have 2 BR roosters in my grow out pen now that had no head spots and did not show a lighter color even at 2 weeks when picked out from a group of 50...I went with a relative who was picking them out to help out on that.. so of course I get bashed when they started crowing.. funny thing is the one that I wasn't sure because it was light colored, turns out it is a hen..

I will go back to waiting for an egg or a crow ( with the rocks, those crows usually start at a young age )

 

[Sristi]

@wingstone Thanks! my father-in-law works as a consultant in the commercial poultry industry and can't have any birds on his place b/c of biosecurity. I wonder how that would affect my activities when we're staying with them.
It's one of my life goals to process a chicken myself completely. Usually my husband cuts off the head and I do the rest. Then we moved here and a local Amish lady will process birds for $1 each, and one of my life goals got moved to the back of the shelf

.

 

[kada6305]

I posted on Facebook. Was told I have 2 pullets and 1 mle BR. I'm okay with that

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I was told even with the warmer temps they can't go outside. because they are kept at 70* so it'ss be 30-40* change during the day and about 40-50* change at night? I wish they could go outside! I even have 1 hen who is laying already LOL But on bright side being inside in the warmth she lays every day lats 8 days she only took 1 day off!

My chick is in our 68* drafty kitchen, and I have been "hardening" her off any day it goes a bit above freezing. I put her out with her "Mama" all day. I have a small coop and too many chickens in it, with insulation, so I'm sure it stays toaster than the temps outside. She also has her Mama who tolerates her still snuggling under wing, so I know she will be warm enough. I have to put them outside, I hopefully have the contractors coming next week to work on the kitchen.

Quote:
I have some emu eggs. Due to hatch 2 days before easter. Well you can raise them for meat and they have good red meat. Or they can be awesome birds if imprinted on you. I used to have one that would come running if I whistled and would go on walks with her through the wood.

That's so cool! How long do they take to hatch? How often do they lay? Do you need a special incubator? Dreams....

Thanks for sharing. I'm looking to do what I am doing to spend the quality time with my daughter. In my recent research because of getting back into chickens, it seemed to me that chickens bring a lot of people together. Be they family or strangers. Your post really cemented that thought in my mind.

You'll be amazed. As soon as people hear you have chickens, they have questions. And want updates. And eggs...

Emu meat is red, much like beef and very lean. Have to be careful coming out so it isn't tough. It is quite good though.

Coming out? Did you mean cooking?

Hello! I'm not from PA, but I'm pretty close to the border in WNY, near Bradford. Hoping to network with some folks on the western side. Also, my husband is from Lancaster county and all his family still lives there. Whenever I come across a chicken I like from that area, I scheme about combining poultry fun with in-law visits. There seems to be an abundance of hatcheries and smaller breeders in the Lancaster area.

Hello! I am heading to Bradford County on Wednesday to deliver chicks to family. They are right near Nichols, NY. I can't wait! There are a lot of excellent breeders in Lancaster. I am getting the chicks from Dheltzel, he is near Pottstown. So excited! You are very welcome here!

 

[chiques chicks]

Coming out? Did you mean cooking?

Uh, yeah. Autocorrect.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Uh, yeah. Autocorrect.

haha!

 

[LisaYolkUm]

spring is coming...................SPRING IS COMING...........

I started some seeds today.
some I planted indoors on my windowsill and

I started a bunch in the milk jug cloches that I have heard a lot about.

I put several milk jugs of seeds out in the snow..............and will see how they do...............

It felt good to be working with the dirt and seed packets even if I did so indoors!

let them grow now, let them grow...

more seeds to be started in a month or so...................some plants i start too early just dont do so well...........

and/or ...........i just need more milk jugs!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

spring is coming...................SPRING IS COMING...........

I started some seeds today.
some I planted indoors on my windowsill and

I started a bunch in the milk jug cloches that I have heard a lot about.  

I put several milk jugs of seeds out in the snow..............and will see how they do...............

It felt good to be working with the dirt and seed packets even if I did so indoors!  

let them grow now,   let them grow...

more seeds to be started in a month or so...................some plants i start too early just dont do so well...........

and/or ...........i just need more milk jugs!

I just got seeds in the mail today! Has anyone ever planted corn salad (mâché)? Or orach? I'm excited o grow more greens this year.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Some cuteness for your day!