Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Germaine_11.20]

Thank you Cindiloohoo! Hey your banker called and left me a message and said that it really was a glitch and to go ahead and bid on those Brahma eggs.....

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
Ohh you people are sooooooo funny...

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Look at it this way Cindi, you could bid now--say 4 hundred and chances are you won't get them anyway. But if you did, then it's a steal and meant to be!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

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Pshhhh.....MAYBE if I had the $400..lol! They are pretty birds... My banker is now snoring

 

[Germaine_11.20]

My banker is snoring too!

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Morning all!! COLD here....39F this morning when I got up!! What happened to Spring??!!

Supposed to be 79 later, so I guess all is good.

Beth - I got a "soft shelled egg" from one of my Dellie girls yesterday. Not sure who as it was laid beside the boys basketball goal. I hope that it was a fluke and not the beginning of something. 3 of the other young girls had laid in the nest boxes and L'il Bit and Sasha WHO KNOWS what they do with their eggs. Perhaps it was the girl who laid that HUGE egg the other day and she was a bit calcium deficient afterwards.....Jenn fed them all a snack of cottage cheese so hopefully that helps

Anyway...off to get another coffee and to "work".

Have a great day all!

 

[rancher hicks]

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First of all you have none of my Western NY stock Yet! Second according to Storey's illustrated guide and I quote: "Body and breast are white to silvery white; hackle, tail and wings are white with some black barring; all feathers have white shaft and quill.
Now I wonder if there is a difference for "show" chickens and the breed itself? Both my chicks that are hens have barring in the tails. I will examine them more closely and get back to you on the hens, mothers. Am I right in thinking the shaft and quill are the middle of the feather from end to end?

FYI, so far it looks at though the X's have it on this hatch. X's being those eggs stored pointy end up, but it ain't over yet. This hatch the eggs were locked down in the egg carton method and chicks seem to zip all the way around. I may have not cut the cartons down enough as they seem to struggle to get the top off. The membrane of the egg seems to be the culprit, making it difficult. Some of course do better than others. One article in the Practical Poultry mag addresses the "malposition" of the chick in the shell. The egg carton may have helped this. Next time I'll cut the carton lower. Leaving about one third. Just enough to support the egg. I expect that once they've zipped all the way around they would have no trouble getting out once the egg falls over.
This is day 22 counting the set date. I won't call the hatch til tomorrow evening. Unless the four eggs that have not started to pip do so. I should have expected them to do so by now right? This is my fourth hatch and looks to be my best, inspite of the temps going to the 98's. Perhaps the thermo/hyrom was wrong? Temp now 99.5 and fluctuating.

Have a good day folks.

 

[joletabey]

Scott- Maybe one of your girls is just trying to get in the game? Ha! I have been sprinkling the oyster shell right on the treat plate to make sure Miss Calcium Deficient Hen gets some, and I have not seen a membrane egg for a few days- and yesterday was another 8 egg day, so maybe that is helping. People do say it takes a month or so for some hens to get their act together. Sasha and Li'l Bit had best deliver those eggs to you- how else are you going to hatch them out?

Cindiloo- I have one hen with "different" barring on her hackles- it is not pencilled, but isn't quite like the others. She has great tail black,but it's trimmed in feathers barred on the tips - I am waiting to see what happens after her next molt. It's my Lizzie, my pet, so I am being patient AND speaking of Lizzie, she took 6 upright steps this morning before her leg gave out!!! WOOPEEEE!

Rwoman, Luke is just now, at 24 weeks, starting to get some longer tail feathers- he looked like someone had chopped off his tail for the longest time- I remember Cynthia saying, as well as Cindi, that some roos take longer than others.

 

[speckledhen]

Here are some pics that may help. First three are the evolution of Gracie, daughter of Ike and Kira--the second pic that shows no tail black yet is her at 17 weeks old. You can't see her tail black very well in the last pic, but she had some nice stuff if you looked from the rear:

Here is Georgie and you can see the black-tipped hackles on her. She is super chunky with good tail black so she was one of my best girls.

 

[joletabey]

I am wondering if my Lizzie is Georgie's girl- the hackle markings are very similar- I should get some close ups of Lizzie's hackles and tail to add to the comparison pot.