San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[dfdesigns]

Uh, oh.... I might need one of your Cream Legbars in the future. I think I have a case of Chickencollectoritis brewing!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

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[Knock Kneed Hen]

Here are my two Swedish Flower chicks that Cari hatched out for me. Thank you Cari!!
Your chicks were beautiful. . . hard to resist pocketing one of 'em!!

 

[dfdesigns]

Did I read that the SFC's are "auto-sexing"? (Or maybe I am getting some of those other cool breeds mixed up in my head.)

SO CUTE! Seriously, it is very hard to top the cuteness factor of brand new chicks...

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
Ok Dana, define "auto sexing"

All I know is is that one of these chicks is already getting it's comb and it's two days old:

 

[All-American-Chick]

kkh
those 2 are so cute.

 

[Phage]

Quote:
Ok Dana, define "auto sexing"

All I know is is that one of these chicks is already getting it's comb and it's two days old:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/49067_img_3808.jpg

Do you think that chick is going to be crested?

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
Ok Dana, define "auto sexing"

All I know is is that one of these chicks is already getting it's comb and it's two days old:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/49067_img_3808.jpg

Do you think that chick is going to be crested?

I'm told that you won't see if they're crested until they around a month old. I also read that you shouldn't breed crested to crested as it will create a larger than what's safe crest and the bird couldn't safely free range. I was told that one of my birds looks like it'll be black and white, the other a dark grey and white cockerel. I may have a pair, but would like more variety in color. Hope I get something different the second batch.

 

[dfdesigns]

When I was reading that neat breed site, it said that some breeds could be auto sexed at hatch, for generation after generation. (Unlike a sex link, which is only reliable on the F1 generation.) I can't remember if the SFHs were one of those breeds... let me go look.

Nope - no mention of auto sexing. It did say this:

"Few breeds are as practical as Swedish flower hens. The roosters have a powerful upright bearing and a broad chest. The hens are prolific layers for most of the year, and they far out-produce other breeds like Orpingtons. The first ‘pullet eggs’ produced by a young Swedish flower hen can be rather small. Be patient: Within a few months the hens will be generating extra-large eggs that are perfect for the table. The breed is also well-adapted to colder temperatures. Occasionally, flower hens have a feathered head crest, although the woman from whom we received our first shipment of birds selected against this trait in her flock. We later were able to locate and import four crested birds from an unrelated flock, so we have the ability to produce genetically diverse chicks in both the crested and uncrested varieties and in all the colors associated with this breed: black, gray, white, and red."

And they sell straight run day old chicks for $19/each. (That is a huge bargain over the Cream Legbars, where the auto sexed pullets are going for $99/each!)

 

[Phage]

At $19 a chick I have ordered mine as they are as near to a cert thing as you can get

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Better than eggs, not that I would not buy eggs if they were reasonable. Have to put something into that bator