Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Laney]

I wish Helen would get some vibes from Gracie. Oh well.

I couldn't take it folks. I went and bought 4 eggs at Whole Foods and I'm going to try to hatch them. Two are beautiful large green/blue eggs. Some kind of EE I'm sure. One is speckled brown, the other is a solid creamy brown. My Mottled Java laid a creamy brown with light speckles...so I'm hopeful.

We will see. It's all your fault, I needed more and I couldn't get the Delawares!

Laney

 

[that_crazy_lady]

Quote:
I thought about doing that too, but I don't have a battor and if I let my EE go broody there go my egg a day, my family gets the store eggs for now

so I mite have already said this on here, but I think I'm going to get some EE, Cochin and Silkie chicks from ideal {$25 mini not 25 chicks

}for my Christmas gift to my self

I can't belive I went years with out chickens, they make me soooo happy

Go Gracie, you can do it!
my girls are getting some color in the face, maybe all of my pullets will start by feb. who knows...

 

[kathyinmo]

Gracie is 21 weeks and 4 days old. ...... Makes me think ....

I'm thinkin' ... end of March. The Dellies (hatched Nov 6) will be 20 weeks old. Then, I can start lookin' for eggs! By then I should know who the breeders should be, shouldn't I? I can't remember ... was it 20 or 24 weeks (or was it longer)? Oh yea, I remember thinkin' it would be a full 6 months before making the final choice. I'm anxious and excited to see how these babies turn out!

 

[speckledhen]

You should be able to make choices by 18-20 weeks. The temperament of the rooster is probably the last thing you can assess and you just have to wait for the raging hormones stage.


Tonight, Isaac showed what a calm, sweet guy he is. We were putting them all to roost and locking up. Ike hopped up to the top step of the roost and I saw that someone had nipped on his wattle a bit. Told DH to check his right wattle. He reached over and just said, "Ike, Let me see that." Isaac looked up in his face and just stood still while DH picked it up to look at and rubbed the edge of it. He's so easy to handle, but still, tough when it counts.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
That's my kind of man! Hey ... that IS just like my husband ...

OH NO .... I did NOT say that!

 

[delawaregirl09]

Awwwwww, what a sweet boy! And GO GRACIE! I hope she lays soon. You know, all my Delaware pullets hatched in Late April/Early May, and still I have two or three not laying... grrr!

Oh! Scott! That was funny, I like it, definitely telling that one!

Alright Laney, good for you! I'm doing everything I can to not hatch anymore... Its so hard not too!

 

[that_crazy_lady]

Quote:
oh don't you dare say that! mine are aug babys { I think

}

thats real cute Kathy

 

[Laney]

Helen was June 15, I got her on June 17th....and still not a single egg. Her comb is just starting to redden so we shall see. Biden is really starting to feel his oats so to speak.

We let my little dog into the pen with the chickens and goats. He mostly ignores the chickens, but with Biden's hormones raging he and Brodie get into some confrontations. It's hysterical to see Biden in full rage. His hackles fly up and he puts his wings out. It's like watching Jurassic Park. Brodie (24lbs) thinks twice about that.

I can't wait until Helen Lays though!! I've got my plastic to make my coop/outdoor brooder more winter worthy. Now I just need to decide what to put down over the wire flooring for those baby toes? I'll keep them in the garage for a day or two to fluff out, but then they have to go outside. I'll string a long cord out to get their heat lamp out there, will have food and water. I'll probably get a second heat lamp. When I have Hens and Pullets in there I'll probably use Straw or Pine Shavings. What should I use for tiny feet? I'm thinking a layer of cardboard with shavings over it?

Laney

 

[delawaregirl09]

Laney, that sounds like a good idea, if they dont pick at the cardboard. I used newspaper covered with paper towels the first two days, then covered with shavings, pretty thick. After they feathered, I just used straw and shavings.

 

[delawaregirl09]

Quote:
Bwahahahaha! They may lay soon, dont fret! Lol. Man, you should have seen the first pullet when she started getting ready to lay, her comb got huge and RED! I mean like... FireEngine RED! She is bigger than her mom. A lot of them are.