Selecting Mutts To Create the Perfect Flock

[Ruthster55]

These are November beetles. They usually eat the vegetation on living fenceposts, but are an occasional pest on citrus trees because they eat citrus flowers and thus inhibit fruit set. The time to collect them is right at dusk while using a flashlight.

And they drive the chickens absolutely WILD!!
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[Ruthster55]

They are all very pretty! I love the one with gold on her chest in the front left.

That one has the cutest face!!
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[Ruthster55]

Guess who decided to have the first hatch of 2021?

This hen has been very dedicated with a clutch of eggs since around Christmas.

Today, she showed up with some results!

A note is that this is a repeat performance after a mite disaster last year. A permethrin treatment (with a lice shampoo intended for human children) a couple months ago was the trick that encouraged her to make that broody commitment once again. Dedicated is the word...heard her clucking to her eggs yesterday.

This time, she was successful and hatched ~5 chickies!

The weather for the past three months has been mostly rainy and damp. Here’s hoping that she keeps the little cuties warm and dry!

P.S. I gently selected the eggs. I let her have the blue and green ones!
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[bhawk-23]

These are November beetles. They usually eat the vegetation on living fenceposts, but are an occasional pest on citrus trees because they eat citrus flowers and thus inhibit fruit set. The time to collect them is right at dusk while using a flashlight.

And they drive the chickens absolutely WILD!!
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We also snatch those bugs off our fruit trees for the ladies. They go nuts! They follow us from tree to tree talking like crazy

 

[Ruthster55]

The brown hen won't let me get close enough to take a picture of her 7 little fuzzies, so I took a couple pictures of our blue rooster! He has filled out some lately. Anybody want to suggest a name for the blue rooster?

Who's that hen beside him? She is the roosters' absolute favorite, although I rarely see them actually mounting her. She lays a beautiful blue egg.
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[Ruthster55]

Here are a few more pics of the flock. I like how the two pullets in the first two pictures are looking! They aren't laying yet, but will soon.
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[Ruthster55]

These are the eggs from the last few days.
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[Rldad1]

I like mutts in both dogs and chickens. I think they are healthier and stronger. No reason to go pure bred unless you plan to show them.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

The brown hen won't let me get close enough to take a picture of her 7 little fuzzies, so I took a couple pictures of our blue rooster! He has filled out some lately. Anybody want to suggest a name for the blue rooster?

Who's that hen beside him? She is the roosters' absolute favorite, although I rarely see them actually mounting her. She lays a beautiful blue egg.
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View attachment 2510103View attachment 2510104

Is that rooster hen-feathered?

 

[Ruthster55]

Is that rooster hen-feathered?

I don’t really know, but if he’s henny, that is fine with me!

Hope to have more pics in a few days....