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Also, I didn't expect so much variation in colors on my mixes... is it normal to get a wide variety of down colors when you cross breeds? I have one with grey down, two with brown down, and 5 with yellow down. The yellow down chicks also have varying amounts of chipmunk stripes - two have pretty distinct stripes, the other three are just splotchy down the back. These chicks all come from the same cross - Delaware roo (yellow down as chicks, often with a tiny black speck around the head) over Dark Cornish hen (brown down with distinct chipmunk stripes).

Could the variation of down color be gender based? Think they will feather out differently? This is all so interesting and surprising to me!
 
emorems0 said:
Also, I didn't expect so much variation in colors on my mixes... is it normal to get a wide variety of down colors when you cross breeds? I have one with grey down, two with brown down, and 5 with yellow down. The yellow down chicks also have varying amounts of chipmunk stripes - two have pretty distinct stripes, the other three are just splotchy down the back. These chicks all come from the same cross - Delaware roo (yellow down as chicks, often with a tiny black speck around the head) over Dark Cornish hen (brown down with distinct chipmunk stripes).

Could the variation of down color be gender based? Think they will feather out differently? This is all so interesting and surprising to me!
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Yes, wildly different down colors is the norm. There are many factors the come into play with down color and a cross makes most everything heterozygous. Since most of the genes are not completely dominant, you get all sorts of colors.
 
dheltzel said:
I am expecting ducklings this Friday / Saturday. PM me if you want me to hold some for you. I have a few people that have expressed interest, but they have been largely no-shows when contacted.
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Will do, thanks dheltzel.

Um I have some bad news guys. Last night one of the yahoos on my road set off illegal fireworks in their back yard. They were huge and really loud and not even 100 yards from my house. My birds in the brooder freaked out and when I checked on them this morning two of my bantams were trampled to death. I already spoke to the police department since I had to call 911 last night to get someone to come over, and I've called the magistrate's office. I'm gonna talk to the officer on the scene tonight when he gets in and see what information he can give me. I'm just trying to keep it together right now, it's tough though because I really really want to march on down to this jerk's house and give him a piece of my mind.
 
So sad to hear about Tom. I hadn't heard he was ill.

In other chicken news, the 3 remaining chicks are doing well. They can still fit through the 2" x 4" mesh fencing. I think this fall, once the vegetation dies down, we'll have to put up the chicken wire as a better containment barrier.

Rory still sits in on the nest in the day, but she gets out often enough that I don't think she'd be a good broody. And the other girls are not laying as much. Not sure why. I went back to the regular feed since they stopped when I tried the fermented. They are slowly getting back to the 4-6 a day - I hope! But I am still not sure what caused the slowdown.
 

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