Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

I'll have to keep that in mind then. I was going by the fact that the CCL hatched first a day early and is steadier on her feet lol. She's also rather small but very quick lol. The Welsummer, I was looking at the eyeliner to remember which one she was lol.
I have to double check but I think about 4 are blue and the rest are black. For a while, they were all popping out black and I didn't think there was going to be any blues. They were just taking their time

The ameraucanas are 1 splash, 2 blue. I kinda hope I have 2 pullets and one cockerel. I'm in love with their chubby form and big fluffy cheeks!

This is the first week I have a bunch of Rhodebar pullets and last night I added the single CCL to that brooder and the difference in form and "skittishness" is very obvious. Like the difference between a Rhode Island Red and a Leghorn. The previous week I had one pullet of each, CCL, RB and Welsummer. The Wellsummer is now much larger than the other 2, not sure why, as adults the Welsummer hens are slightly larger than the CCL's, but definitely smaller than the RB's.

That is a good ratio of blue to black for the Marans.

Ameracauanas are popular because they are cute, at every stage. The true blue eggs don't hurt either. The pea combs make them very frostbite resistant, but also makes them harder to sex. Last summer I was "free ranging" their uncles when they were 5 months old because I couldn't be sure of the sex until they started sparing and trying to mate.

The splash is from msladyhawke's stock and she shows them. The blues could be from the same line or from some other combination of parents. I am trying to infuse the better quality birds with the more production-oriented stock I got from Whitmore Farm and some hatchery easter eggers that were amongst our best layers last year. What I'm saying is that they are not at all inbred, LOL.

 

[dheltzel]

You guys are killing me with the chick pics!!
My one reoccurring thought is that I never had a male Marans chick. If I were to get back into chicken raising, I would never be able to reproduce those results!!
I also never had a blue egg hatch. The broodies did hatch quite a few EE. That is something I always wondered about. Maybe it was the Ameraucanas' eggs.

I had a potential chick buyer ask if our Am eggs were very thin shelled compared to the Welsummers and Marans. Could there be a genetic component to shell thickness? Our Am eggs seem just like the others, as far as I can tell, but there may be a difference between strains. Obviously, you need to start up the incubator and try some of our eggs to test this theory.

Not helping am I ?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

You guys are killing me with the chick pics!!
My one reoccurring thought is that I never had a male Marans chick. If I were to get back into chicken raising, I would never be able to reproduce those results!!
I also never had a blue egg hatch. The broodies did hatch quite a few EE. That is something I always wondered about. Maybe it was the Ameraucanas' eggs.

you ever decide to get back into them, I always seem to have extra roos if you want some lol! That's why I got some from Dheltzel, all my attempts have hatched out boys.

This is the first week I have a bunch of Rhodebar pullets and last night I added the single CCL to that brooder and the difference in form and "skittishness" is very obvious. Like the difference between a Rhode Island Red and a Leghorn. The previous week I had one pullet of each, CCL, RB and Welsummer. The Wellsummer is now much larger than the other 2, not sure why, as adults the Welsummer hens are slightly larger than the CCL's, but definitely smaller than the RB's.

That is a good ratio of blue to black for the Marans.

Ameracauanas are popular because they are cute, at every stage. The true blue eggs don't hurt either. The pea combs make them very frostbite resistant, but also makes them harder to sex. Last summer I was "free ranging" their uncles when they were 5 months old because I couldn't be sure of the sex until they started sparing and trying to mate.

The splash is from msladyhawke's stock and she shows them. The blues could be from the same line or from some other combination of parents. I am trying to infuse the better quality birds with the more production-oriented stock I got from Whitmore Farm and some hatchery easter eggers that were amongst our best layers last year. What I'm saying is that they are not at all inbred, LOL.

I've already laid claim to the little splash one lol. I specifically told the kids that she/he is mine! Lol. I was hoping to get the kids into 4H to show a couple birds. I'd love to start doing it too eventually. I haven't had anymore pip overnight. Is it normal in your hatches to have some (specifically the welsummers and rhodebars) take extra long to hatch? Should I grab one and candle?

 

[dheltzel]

you ever decide to get back into them, I always seem to have extra roos if you want some lol! That's why I got some from Dheltzel, all my attempts have hatched out boys.
I've already laid claim to the little splash one lol. I specifically told the kids that she/he is mine! Lol. I was hoping to get the kids into 4H to show a couple birds. I'd love to start doing it too eventually. I haven't had anymore pip overnight. Is it normal in your hatches to have some (specifically the welsummers and rhodebars) take extra long to hatch? Should I grab one and candle?

I'd let them in there for another 2 days, just to be sure, but if there are no more pips, it's likely that is all that will hatch. I sometimes get a straggler or 2, but often need to help them out and they usually never survive to adulthood. I lost several in this last hatch that never really got up on their feet, and the later hatchers are the most prone to that.

Celebrate what you have, rather than mourning the ones that didn't survive, it's just the way things go. There is certainly a genetic component to this, my sex-link (hybrids) hatched about 96% of what went into lockdown, the Welsummers closer to 50% and the Rhodebars even less. There may also be a factor of when the eggs were laid and if they sat in the cold too long. We try to collect twice a day, but sometimes that is not enough. It's a risk when the temps are extreme.

I wish I had had more of the Marans to send, since they hatched the best, but I think 12 will give you a really good start, and you have at least one of the others so you can try those breeds and decide what you like the best. Think of it as a Whitmans Sampler of chicks!

 

[dheltzel]

A picture of the parents of your splash chick. Hopefully, "she" grows up like her mom.
I really prefer the look of the blue over splash, but that's a personal preference. The blue roo's colors are very nice and apparently he really knows how to get the job done with the ladies, I had 3 splash chicks hatch from only 3 eggs this past hatch!

In the background are some Barred Holland hens, that's how I get blue egg laying blue sex links.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'd let them in there for another 2 days, just to be sure, but if there are no more pips, it's likely that is all that will hatch. I sometimes get a straggler or 2, but often need to help them out and they usually never survive to adulthood. I lost several in this last hatch that never really got up on their feet, and the later hatchers are the most prone to that. Celebrate what you have, rather than mourning the ones that didn't survive, it's just the way things go. There is certainly a genetic component to this, my sex-link (hybrids) hatched about 96% of what went into lockdown, the Welsummers closer to 50% and the Rhodebars even less. There may also be a factor of when the eggs were laid and if they sat in the cold too long. We try to collect twice a day, but sometimes that is not enough. It's a risk when the temps are extreme. I wish I had had more of the Marans to send, since they hatched the best, but I think 12 will give you a really good start, and you have at least one of the others so you can try those breeds and decide what you like the best. Think of it as a Whitmans Sampler of chicks!

I did candle the rhodebars and it looks like they all quit. All but one anyway. One was still moving a bit in there so fingers crossed. I didn't bother trying the welsummers lol. I'll let them ask go 2 more days. I love the ones I have but I have to admit, I had high hopes for the rhodebars. They were all looking good and kicking like crazy at lockdown but I guess that's just the way it goes. After tomorrow, I'll do some eggtopsies and see what's up. I'll let you know if anymore hatch. As for the Marans, I think I'm set lol. They hatched out like champs! And I did go double check and I got 3 blues, not 4, so that's exactly 25%

A picture of the parents of your splash chick. Hopefully, "she" grows up like her mom. I really prefer the look of the blue over splash, but that's a personal preference. The blue roo's colors are very nice and apparently he really knows how to get the job done with the ladies, I had 3 splash chicks hatch from only 3 eggs this past hatch! In the background are some Barred Holland hens, that's how I get blue egg laying blue sex links.

They're beautiful! I hope so too ideally, one of the blues is hopefully a roo and the other 2 pullets.

 

[BullChick]

You guys are killing me with the chick pics!!

My one reoccurring thought is that I never had a male Marans chick. If I were to get back into chicken raising, I would never be able to reproduce those results!!

I also never had a blue egg hatch. The broodies did hatch quite a few EE. That is something I always wondered about. Maybe it was the Ameraucanas' eggs.

So MC.... how long are you going to be around before heading out on the road again?   If you are really missing chicks we can set you up with a bunch of cornishX and let you keep them (with us providing the feed) until they are ready to butcher or you are ready to hit the road, which ever comes first.... you'd get to enjoy them for a few weeks and end up with some meat in the freezer.... win/win! LOL

Only another two weeks. I do plan on staying home again in a few months to raise meat. I want to plant a few long growing crops (cabbage and pumpkin for example) and come home in June/July (less use of heat lamps). I know a guy with all the equipment to process. The plucker wil work better for the chickens than it did for my humongous turkeys!

 

[BullChick]

You guys are killing me with the chick pics!!

My one reoccurring thought is that I never had a male Marans chick. If I were to get back into chicken raising, I would never be able to reproduce those results!!

I also never had a blue egg hatch. The broodies did hatch quite a few EE. That is something I always wondered about. Maybe it was the Ameraucanas' eggs.

I had a potential chick buyer ask if our Am eggs were very thin shelled compared to the Welsummers and Marans. Could there be a genetic component to shell thickness? Our Am eggs seem just like the others, as far as I can tell, but there may be a difference between strains. Obviously, you need to start up the incubator and try some of our eggs to test this theory.

Not helping am I ?

no

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Does anyone know why some chickens lay more orange eggs than others? My Malificent lays the most gorgeous deep eggs, even though she eats the same that my other girls do. Does age have anything to do with it? She is a year or so older. In the pic, there are two other chickens eggs next to Malificents.

Pics of my Aerogarden! Should be a couple weeks before I can have fresh basil!

 

[wingstone]

i will have glazed please!


sounds about right