Pipd's Peeps!

[Crazy Maizie]

I did just a quick photo shoot of the corn crib gals today! They're grumpy because it's snowy and no one wants to go outside, so they aren't the best pictures. But, we tried our best! They're a little over 28 weeks old as of now, about 6 and a half months old.

First, the confirmed egg layers, Poly the green queen:

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Chowder the Easter-egger:

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Pudding the Delaware:

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Suspected egg layers, Johnnycakes the other green queen:

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Tash the Easter-egger:

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Pretty-sure-NOT-egg-layers, Flint the Easter-egger:

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And Chicha the Sumatra:

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These are the nicest looking chickens. Of course your chickens always look so nice.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Is it crumbled feed? That's one of the reasons I don't like crumble feed--they're such messy eaters with it!

They always get crumble feed and I don't have issues with that. It's anytime I try something different, they will bill it out like they are trying to find something else (probably those crumbs).

That's interesting that only brown eggers are affected! Yes, cream-colored eggs would be a white shell with a light coating of brown coloring, so maybe that's enough? There are a bunch of different brown shell genes, some of which do more than others and some that only make a slight shade difference. Ivy likely has one of the latter genes, or it's possible she has a brown egg gene and a whitening gene that makes it's impact less visible, creating cream colored shells. My understanding is that there isn't a whole lot of research into the egg shell genes outside of the blue shell gene which is fairly well understood.

Ivy is a mix and when I got her the lady thought she might be mixed with Maran which is a brown egg layer. I don't see any Maran in her and the eggs are cream in color as I have a hard time distinguishing between hers and Lemon's eggs when they are both laying. Except, Lemon's egg is a little lighter. Ivy's sister was black and when I first got Ivy, I wanted them both, but the sister had already been taken.

I will just enjoy them as long as I can. I started looking into white and pure blue egg layers as it seems the rest are mixed with brown at some level from the little reading on it that I have done. Of course I won't be getting any until I have room. But also, a lot of white egg layers aren't the temperaments that I look for as I need ones that can live in harmony in confinement and also do well in the heat as well as the cold. Or take a break from it all. I don't really know at this point.

In other news my cochin rooster, Cheddar, has been making sounds like a hen. He's been doing the long squawk like he wants some attention. He is in a sectioned off area with Lemon as he likes to start fights with Rebel even though he can't finish them. My roosters have never really been vocal except during crowing. So, it's an interesting development. When he started I kept looking around to see which hen was doing it.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

They always get crumble feed and I don't have issues with that. It's anytime I try something different, they will bill it out like they are trying to find something else (probably those crumbs).

Whenever I change the most minuscule bit of their feed, my chickens know that I am once again trying to kill them.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Whenever I change the most minuscule bit of their feed, my chickens know that I am once again trying to kill them.

This is why I love keeping chickens, they are such dramatic characters!