Showing off My Very 1st Hatch of Chicks

[AccentOnHakes]

OK, that Cochin you think is a boy? You must name that one Neapolitan.

 

[Buns]

Quote:
Agreed. Neo for short.

 

[Buns]

Quote:
I've never seen an airedale that calm before. Amazing!
Your chicks are super cute - love the little one you think is a roo. I hope he won't be dog food. Or people food for that matter. (I'm not vegetarian, it's just that he's so darn precious.)
Glad you are enjoying your babies. You have inspired me and I'm going to take pics of my baby bantam tophats now!

~ Mary

 

[sharol]

I've seen other pictures of Rummy on other discussions, I think. He is an amazing dog.

That tri colored (calico?) chick is adorable. If it were a kitten it would be female (third color on the XX part of the XY/XX chromosome that determines gender. One can always home, anyway.

 

[DPC poultry]

good looking birds

 

[Robo]

x2

 

[sheilawagner]

That Cochin shall be named Neo, thanks for the suggestion, I haven't had a name for him yet. Been calling him gold head. Not such a nice name is it?

Well, they aren't mutts, they are pure breed Large Fowl Cochins, and they came from a mixed colored pen of Cochins from a BYC breeder, Gold Laced, and a few others. So I'm eager to see what colors they turn out eventually. This is part of the joy of raising chicks for me. They really are very very cute.

In about 2 weeks, they become like wannabe vultures, with weird feathers, but I still love them.

FirstHouseMP, I think you should so go into getting an incubator and hatching, cos you can tell your DH, u'll stop building more coops and focus on the eggs and chicks. The only thing you need to worry about is having enough brooders.

You can always eat or sell your roos that you have excess of, and then sell laying hens if you really have too many. People like laying hens.

As for Rummy, thanks for your kind words about him, he IS an amazing Airedale, and he loves them without me teaching him really. I don't know how he learns, perhaps by observation, but he knows to move slowly around them, no abrupt actions or movements. When he is outside with the free ranging birds, I think he learned quickly if he wanted to get close to the birds, he had to move very slowly and gently, cos if he rushed to them to get closer, they would scatter. He learns very fast, and he is a very smart dog.

The 2 Airedales still play rough and play chase and bitey face indoors and out, the chicks in the brooders get used to the ruckus, so by the 2nd day, they don't even flinch when they hear loud barking or play fighting noises. Outside, the adults and juveniles just know to stay out of the way, or they'd get run over, but nothing has happened, the birds are too fast. Thank God.

Yes, the Airedales could easily gulp the chicks in one mouthful, but they know better, they know the chicks belong to me, I'm the GOD around here, and everything in this house, or in their world is MINE, so chicks are out of boundaries for the dogs. The social order is strictly enforced around here. I'm not extremely alpha-y, I rule with benevolence and a kind soft voice, I'm only 5'2, so I'm not very strong or big either, but I am very firm and consistent. If these 2 strong muscular dogs wanted to out strength me by sheer power alone, they could, but I am by nature, a strong leader, so they follow willingly and lovingly. The chicks sense that too, and they trust the dogs immensely. If they were fearful, the dogs will smell their fear, and the prey drive could kick in. This is another advantage of raising my own chicks, so I can control every factor in their upbringing and condition them to accept dogs as protectors.

This is very important to me, because I am peace loving, I cannot and I choose not to live with animals that cannot co-exist. I avoid drama and conflict, so I create this world between my dogs and chickens that they would love and accept one another. This is the only way we can all live happily together.

Here is my older Airedale, Kimi, watching over the flock. He treads slowly toward them when he approaches, and lowers his head, so they do not feel threatened. He is actually less interested in the birds compared to Rummy. You can often find Rummy hanging out in and around the chicken enclosure.