Sourdough Hens

[servant_of_fluffs]

Oh, yeah I didn't mention this, but I am also going to keep track of chicks that get pasty butt. I am fairly certain some chicks are pre-dispositioned to it. I know that extreme temps can also cause it, so if anything too crazy happens with the temps I will consider my findings moot unless it's just one chick getting afflicted.

 

[NatJ]

Actually, feathered feet are a detriment in cold. When they get damp, wet, muddy, that source of moisture can freeze. Think wet socks.
Better to be dry.
The best way to keep feet warm is a plush floof underside.
I like to call them pantaloons on my E. Orp type mixes.
That kind of floof helps on the roost, where they can snuggle their feet all the way under.
And it helps during the day, when they can stand on one leg and tuck the other up into their tummy fluff. They tend to alternate feet.

I've seen a few posts from someone in Montana, saying that feathered feet actually do seem to protect their chickens from frostbite.

From January of 2022:

I also want to point out that those feathers come in handy on feet where i am too. I have some poor clean legged birds that have fractions of their toes left and most of the lucky ones are missing at least a toenail.

My birds with feathered legs and feet have never lost so much as a toenail to the cold.

More details, in February of 2022:

Yes, forgot to add that. Out of the tens of dozens of birds that have stayed over winters here over the years, 1 feather footed bird here got severe frost bite, and the loss of toes happened before he came into my possession.

Where as my clean legged birds fare far worse. I have probably 100 birds total currently. Roughly 15 are feather legged fully and 3 are sparsely feathered. The rest are clean legged. Out of those clean legged birds, maybe 20 have all their nails. The rest either are missing multiple nails, knuckles or complete toes.

Several have also had frozen feet that result in the loss of the foot entirely and have had to be put down.


I think part of the cold intolerance is hereditary, but I still also believe that feathered legs are far less likely to get frostbite, let alone severely

And an update in April of 2024:

I will say, that count did go to 3 over the years. Two of my older silkies got severe frostbite this year. But that stills less than my clean legged ones

I have a personal dislike of feathered feet because they get muddy, but I find it interesting that someone does see benefits in really cold weather.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

I've seen a few posts from someone in Montana, saying that feathered feet actually do seem to protect their chickens from frostbite.

From January of 2022:


More details, in February of 2022:


And an update in April of 2024:



I have a personal dislike of feathered feet because they get muddy, but I find it interesting that someone does see benefits in really cold weather.

Interesting. Personally, none of my chickens have gotten their feet frostbitten, except for Griffin, my old roo, who made a very bad decision when he was a cockerel and put his feet in his water (I guess he liked that it was warm?!) Which in my opinion was natural selection lol. He ended up losing about 2/3 of all his his toes on one foot and was mostly fine after that. His remaining toe nodules (chunks? I cant think of the right word) were pretty swollen and looked kind of painful to me, but he got around fine... Generally the hens don't lose toenails, but most of the roosters do.

As long as the hens don't get wet or are outside during cold conditions they are perfectly fine. I have a "run" for the winter (that is actually more of a solarium), so they are never exposed to the wind and most of the snow. They are still exposed to cold temperatures (-20F and colder at night) and a nasty draft, but do just fine.

I want to make a "breed" that can survive very cold weather, in case their coop got the ceiling blown off by the wind or whatever else could make them need to survive colder weather than they are used to.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

I do think of the hen as more of pets than the roosters. I will rehome them, but I won't eat them (unless there is a reason other than "I'm hungry".) I'm going to put down a couple of the girls today (who aren't in this breeding project) and it's sad, but I know it's the best thing I can do for them and the flock. Keeping them alive is unfair when it only causes them and me more stress than is necessary. They both are skinny and probably would pass "naturally" (and painfully) in a few months. It's not like they are on the verge of death, but they are both old hens who are slowing down and obviously not doing well. One of them, Stormpuff, doesn't like the other girls and would be the best "house chicken" material that I have ever seen. But that's not fair to her, me, and my family. I'm gonna miss her a lot, but that's not a fair reason to keep her alive when she obviously is in pain.

This is definitely a good reason to put eggs in the incubator next month, so I can look at cute lil' fluffs and forget all my past troubles lol. (Also so they are ready to go outside in June or July, so I can hatch more chickies to sell then)

Also Vega (who I need to do a bio for), was being an angel today. Hawk, though, was broody growling??! Like, girl, you're on the perch and are definitely not sitting on eggs. IT'S ALSO -20 DEGREES!!! Chill!

We had a storm yesterday (with 50 mph wind!), which actually only made me concerned. The chickens could literally care less.

I am craving chicken.... I wish I had another rooster to eat

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

Vega (2020?)
This hen is a Black Australorp. She's very little, probably due to going broody at 4 months old in the FALL and not eating enough She has never gone broody since, but is a sweet girl. I probably will never hatch eggs from her, but she is a very tough girl and still has a good layer of chunk on her keelbone. By that, I just mean she's not skinny like my older hens have a habit of getting. She is one of the last surviving hens from our original 25-ish hatchery stock who are actually doing well (along with Hawk, Buffy, and Bumpy.) It doesn't look like it, but her comb is very red and healthy looking. She's never had any issues with bumblefoot, poopy butts, or breathing issues (like her "sister".)

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

Creek (2025)
She's a bit shy, but absolutely gorgeous. Daughter of Griffin and most likely one of my Wyan/Aussie mixes. She has a nice rose comb and is very, very fluffy. One of my only girls who goes on snow when she doesn't have to. Probably weighs 6-7 lbs. I'm pretty sure she's got lacing with the barring with how complicated her feathers are (black dots in middle, black around edges, very "smoky"/lavender looking.) She is WAY prettier in person.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

"Premium" Chicken Breed (I still need a name lol)

• Muff/beard
• forward-facing crest
• rose comb
• dual-purpose with broad chest
• 6-8 lbs (hen)
• super fluffy
• disease resistant
• intelligent
• wide tail

Plans:
Have lemon millefleur adjacent feathering
Maybe have grouse-feathered feet if the Pavlovskaya do well

• band all chicks to track growth, parentage, health
• keep 2-5 pullets hatched from Abby (and maybe a roo)
• keep 2-3 Pavlovskaya pullets (and maybe a roo)
• keep 1-2 swedish flower pullets (or similar breed)

Replace Abby with son or Pavlovskaya roo if they are GREAT! (like amazing, polite, nice to the hens, good weight/comb/whatever else)

 

[NatJ]

• forward-facing crest
• rose comb

I do not know if it is possible to have a chicken with both of these traits at the same time.

I would expect that the rose comb pushes the crest back, so it can lay backward but not forward (example: some Silkies.) But I do not know if that must happen, or if you could breed for a forward-facing crest anyway.

I know that Cream Legbars (single comb) and some Silkies (walnut comb, which is rose + pea) have crests that lay backward. Brabanter and Spitzhauben have crests that face forward, but they have V combs. I can't think of any chickens with forward-facing crests and any other kind of comb, and I don't know whether that means it is impossible, or just that no-one has tried it yet.