Raising Baby Chick-Along

[AUChickenGal]

Very pretty!

what are the parents of the little barred one? Batting is sex-linked, and i see a big white head dot, so I'm assuming "his" mother was barred??

I wish I knew! I ordered a cheap batch of hatching eggs from My Pet Chicken when Hootie went broody and I couldn't break her. He hatched out of an egg labeled "Mad Scientist".

 

[WVduckchick]

Yeah, I think you're spot on with making a small run for the littles to escape into. Probably have them spend a few nights in it so they know it's theirs before opening their own personal doorway. Good thinking!

I missed JessyJess's post, glad you quoted it.
Always a good idea to give little ones things to run under, around, etc to get away from bigger ones. My seramas are so quick, i have their pen divided in two, but the fence between has 2 small openings, and 1 big opening. They dart back and forth like crazy. The little ones are better at avoidance, and the older one tire out quicker lol

Okay, next question. Skipper is now wandering around the yard looking for her babies. Ugh. I don't feel super bad about it because I don't know how long she would have wanted to raise them anyway (remember she ditched the last ones at about 2-1/2 weeks.) - and I really didn't want 8 barnyard mix chicks in my already overflowing chicken world. But, is this something that will go on for a while, or will she come out of it once she realizes they're gone?

She'll get over it. Just hope she's over it enough to not go broody again soon

I wish I knew! I ordered a cheap batch of hatching eggs from My Pet Chicken when Hootie went broody and I couldn't break her. He hatched out of an egg labeled "Mad Scientist".

cheap from MPC? Didn't know they had any
did they at least provide a list of possibilities? with a white dot that large, chances are still better its a male. *I think*

 

[AUChickenGal]

cheap from MPC? Didn't know they had any
did they at least provide a list of possibilities? with a white dot that large, chances are still better its a male. *I think*

I ordered 6 of their cheapest standard assortment. I noted on my order that I didn't care what they sent; I just needed eggs ASAP. They sent me an email almost immediately to let me know that my eggs would be shipped the next day! The eggs were all labeled. The yellow chick is a Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner, the chipmunk chick is an Olive Egger, and the barred chick was labeled a "Mad Scientist". Apparently one of the breeders they source their hatching eggs from likes to experiment! The egg he hatched out of was about the color my Welsummer used to lay. Here's a list of the possibilities: https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...hing-Eggs-Mad-Scientist-Assortment-p2292.aspx

 

[WVduckchick]

I ordered 6 of their cheapest standard assortment. I noted on my order that I didn't care what they sent; I just needed eggs ASAP. They sent me an email almost immediately to let me know that my eggs would be shipped the next day! The eggs were all labeled. The yellow chick is a Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner, the chipmunk chick is an Olive Egger, and the barred chick was labeled a "Mad Scientist". Apparently one of the breeders they source their hatching eggs from likes to experiment! The egg he hatched out of was about the color my Welsummer used to lay. Here's a list of the possibilities: https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...hing-Eggs-Mad-Scientist-Assortment-p2292.aspx

Nice! Those are some pretty chickens! I always thought an assortment like that would be fun.

 

[AUChickenGal]

Nice! Those are some pretty chickens! I always thought an assortment like that would be fun.

It was fun! Kind of like being a kid on Christmas morning.

Look at this precocious little devil!

 

[WVduckchick]

It was fun! Kind of like being a kid on Christmas morning.

Look at this precocious little devil!
View attachment 1098221

Definitely a boy!

I actually won a dozen eggs from MPC here, last Halloween. They do contests every so often, and they were awesome to deal with. I chose serama eggs or calico/mille bantam cochin eggs. They sent a dozen seramas and 2 cochins. I still have the gorgeous mille cockerel that hatched (other egg didn't develop). Several of the seramas hatched too, but i had a bunch of my own flock hatch at the same time, so the eggs got all mixed up! Lol

 

[Jessimom]

Definitely a boy!

I actually won a dozen eggs from MPC here, last Halloween. They do contests every so often, and they were awesome to deal with. I chose serama eggs or calico/mille bantam cochin eggs. They sent a dozen seramas and 2 cochins. I still have the gorgeous mille cockerel that hatched (other egg didn't develop). Several of the seramas hatched too, but i had a bunch of my own flock hatch at the same time, so the eggs got all mixed up! Lol

It's always fun to win eggs!!! Bantam Cochins are I think the only breed I don't have, but might want. They are so cute!!!

I have SUCH a hard time hatching Seramas. They are SO tiny. I tried with 3 sets of Serama eggs - Out of 36 eggs, I only had 6 or 7 hatch. I ended up with 3 boys, and 1 girl. I lost a couple - since they are so tiny, they got trampled in the mix of other chicks. They were probably girls, knowing my luck.

 

[orrpeople]

I am feeling the hatching itch, but I really, really need to downsize a little before I add anything else. After adding several new breeds to my chicken world out back, I am learning that the most tedious part is the "grow out phase" - one day you're pretty sure you have a keeper cockerel and the rest can go to the swap or the stew - and then the next day you notice a flaw or something amazing in a different bird... like so many teenaged kids, it's hard to tell what form they'll take as adults until they actually are! (I also think I may have already inadvertently sold some that I should have kept. Ah well, live and learn!)

 

[WVduckchick]

It's always fun to win eggs!!! Bantam Cochins are I think the only breed I don't have, but might want. They are so cute!!!

I have SUCH a hard time hatching Seramas. They are SO tiny. I tried with 3 sets of Serama eggs - Out of 36 eggs, I only had 6 or 7 hatch. I ended up with 3 boys, and 1 girl. I lost a couple - since they are so tiny, they got trampled in the mix of other chicks. They were probably girls, knowing my luck.

I'm getting some really pretty bantam cochins now

I am feeling the hatching itch, but I really, really need to downsize a little before I add anything else. After adding several new breeds to my chicken world out back, I am learning that the most tedious part is the "grow out phase" - one day you're pretty sure you have a keeper cockerel and the rest can go to the swap or the stew - and then the next day you notice a flaw or something amazing in a different bird... like so many teenaged kids, it's hard to tell what form they'll take as adults until they actually are! (I also think I may have already inadvertently sold some that I should have kept. Ah well, live and learn!)

I know exactly what you mean!! Someone noticed a comb sprig on a chick hatched from my choc orp eggs. (thank goodness she wasn't concerned about it), but i went and checked my rooster, then looked back at pics of some I've gotten rid of, and found the culprit on a rooster I have since rehomed. Wow was I glad i got lucky and picked the right boy to keep! But it could have easily gone the other way, because i missed it!! So I'm scouring every detail now, at least trying to. But you never catch every everything!

 

[orrpeople]

I caved in and let my broody Light Brahma sit on a few eggs. I think I have "sucker" written across my forehead! It will be nice when I actually have some pure breeds I can put under a broody or two instead of my mixes (although, apparently when you call them "unusual" or "exotic" and put pics of my two handsome daddy roos on CL, people want them!). But just watch - I will finally have nice breeding pens up and running and none of them will be broody!!