Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[wingstone]

If hatch day was Wednesday, it's already too late to try to feather sex sfh. First three days only, so I'm told.

True.  I did the observation for the feather sexing pretty much as soon as they were born.  I only had 3 chicks (all black Americauna or EE) with all the same length Primaries.  All the others had long-short-long-short Primaries.  I put a dot of white paint on the heads of the ones with the same length Primaries just as an experiment.  I know as dhetzle said this will probably not work; but no harm experimenting.  

I have about 90% accuracy on feather sexing if done within hours after hatching,

Good luck on the genetics, even after all these years, I just do not get it....so glad others do, so I can just ask.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

If this does not go as planned, you can always stop in when down this way, I could always find some to process, ..

I am curious though, which one of you plans on doing the plucking,,,this part gets to most people, the smell of wet feathers can be strong...

hahaha...yeah, that one goes to DH..haha, he has the most experience with "birds". He has hunted duck/goose/pheasants...so, he does know his way around a bird..never chickens though, but I wouldn't think they are too different....we were thinking of doing the hot-bath dunk..to help loosen the feathers...
DH has been telling me "war" stories of how bad ducks smell...he said he is not anticipating these birds to be like that...it is all new to me so, this will be an education!!
I have done other game/animals..never birds though..
**

Thank you for the invite..i am serious, i will be stopping by. August I have a couple dr.apps., so we will be at my parents place for a couple days. I will let you know exact times when we get closer.

 

[joyfulshepherde]

I have about 90% accuracy on feather sexing if done within hours after hatching,

Good luck on the genetics, even after all these years, I just do not get it....so glad others do, so I can just ask.

Wow, well that would be nice! I'll try not to hold my breath, though. However getting 9 hens would be fabulous after getting NO hens last year!

 

[wingstone]

If this does not go as planned, you can always stop in when down this way, I could always find some to process, ..


I am curious though, which one of you plans on doing the plucking,,,this part gets to most people, the smell of wet feathers can be strong...

hahaha...yeah, that one goes to DH..haha, he has the most experience with "birds". He has hunted duck/goose/pheasants...so, he does know his way around a bird..never chickens though, but I wouldn't think they are too different....we were thinking of doing the hot-bath dunk..to help loosen the feathers...
DH has been telling me "war" stories of how bad ducks smell...he said he is not anticipating these birds to be like that...it is all new to me so, this will be an education!!
I have done other game/animals..never birds though..
** Thank you for the invite..i am serious, i will be stopping by. August I have a couple dr.apps., so we will be at my parents place for a couple days. I will let you know exact times when we get closer.

I will have to let you know where to find me, the in laws are moving out on august 1st, hate to put it this way but they are finally moving to a retirement home, where they will have the daily care that they need....they do not want the house sitting empty, but we will not make the move without guarantees, so still up in the air.

 

[wingstone]

I have about 90% accuracy on feather sexing if done within hours after hatching,


Good luck on the genetics, even after all these years, I just do not get it....so glad others do, so I can just ask.

Wow, well that would be nice!  I'll try not to hold my breath, though.  However getting 9 hens would be fabulous after getting NO hens last year! 

That does seem to be the way it goes, some year's I can not hatch any hen's and other times they are all hen's.

Let me know if you need more transport, Friday's work better, since we are just cleaning at wok, I can usually take breaks whenever I want.

 

[joyfulshepherde]

Thanks so much for the offer! I doubt we'll be hatching more this year, but who knows!

And any of y'all who live locally and helped in this endeavor are welcome to stop by and see the chicks if you're interested, just PM me... but of course you have plenty of chickens of your own!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Yes, I had never heard of them either until Chiques offered me some eggs a month ago when I was looking to set my broody. They sounded really neat! Here is some info: http://greenfirefarms.com/store/category/chickens/swedish-flower-hens/

Apparently they're not always easy to hatch but I was happy with my 75% hatch ratio. Maybe they do well under hens.

I checked out the link---that is so cool! They are really neat birds; I'd love to get a few myself. (I'm going to need a second coop Either that or a serious addition to my existing one!)

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I have a bunch available, lol. Mine are mostly miile fluere, some blue mixed in, some crests, most not.

I really should take a picture.

I'd love to see some of your pictures! (I'd also love to purchase a couple of these birds once I get DH to be okay with me expanding the coop, the one I've got won't ethically house anymore birds than the ones I've got)

 

[wingstone]

I did not notice earlier today that the bantam Cochin were trying to hide something but when I went to change out the waterers for the last time today, I seen this looking at me,, ( all I had was my phone )

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Having a few issues with the broodies, they are fighting over the chicks, I lost a duckling that got caught in the middle of the fighting, so I took what seemed to be the calmest broody and put her in a large rabbit cage, gave her the chicks, at the time it was just the 4 turkey and a few ducks, ...well in the last 24 the rest of theducks keep hwatching, I keep putting them in with her as I find them........I hope I am not overloading her, she has 4 turkey and 11 ducks now.



This is the meany of the group, I had to get welding gloves out of the shop to handle her, she was not like this till after they started hatching,,,she charges me and draws blood.



Hope things calm down in the broody house after a few days

I love the pics Wing!
Your broody sounds like Hen-Bree and the way she acted..she was a beast! Nasty thing...now that the chicks/eggs are totally out of the picture, she is the sweetest thing..even squats when I walk by her...crazy birds, I really don't think they are ever really figured out..

...I just go with the flow.

Here's a first! Anyone ever have their chickens find them jewelry? Just went out to given some treats and I thought I saw a screw outside of the shed. I picked it up so they wouldn't eat it and lo and behold it was a bracelet! It looks to be pretty old too. I have to clean it up and see.

That is so cool!! you'll show us what it looks like all cleaned up I hope!