Spitzhaubens

[SueT]

Here you go.....
These are 3.5 weeks
Spitz BView attachment 1515407

Spitz C
View attachment 1515409 View attachment 1515401 View attachment 1515402




Spitz A is the oldest at 5 weeksView attachment 1515410 View attachment 1515411
two more for fun:
View attachment 1515412 View attachment 1515413

Have you submitted any photos to the BYC calendar? I think you have some really nice ones. Deadline is Aug 31.
They need to be horizontal format.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/2019-byc-calendar-your-pictures-needed.1249418/

 

[mmcraig70]

Those are great pictures! The towel backdrop is a nice touch, too!
Are you able to tell if these are female at this stage?
My Esther looks spot on like yours and I'm hoping that she's an Esther not an Esteban.

 

[Faraday40]

 

[Faraday40]

Thanks. A quick grab of an old pet towel not only provides a backdrop.... but it also hides a cluttered, messy house. LOL (Not to mention chicks often make frequent poops, so the towel also protects the chair.)

I have no idea of the genders. So far none are screaming male.

But this one was literally screaming:

 

[mmcraig70]

Esther says hey!

 

[mmcraig70]

So these were sold to me by tractor supply as spitzhaubens. Clearly the only viable candidate is Esther there on the far left. The others have cute personalities but are most likely, pardon my candor, mutts???? I'm pretty sure the lighter colored non-Spitz is a non-pullet!

 

[Faraday40]

My youngest spitzes are 4.5 weeks old. No gender signs yet but I know from past experience that it doesn't mean much at this age. The only guess I have is that A has a more wild crest which may indicate female. All my past chicks with a nice tight shaped crest, turn out to be male. I was unable to get pics of the older chick today but it also shows no signs of male-ness.


A

B

 

[SueT]

My youngest spitzes are 4.5 weeks old. No gender signs yet but I know from past experience that it doesn't mean much at this age. The only guess I have is that A has a more wild crest which may indicate female. All my past chicks with a nice tight shaped crest, turn out to be male. I was unable to get pics of the older chick today but it also shows no signs of male-ness.


A
View attachment 1527204



B
View attachment 1527205 View attachment 1527206

Well good luck on them being females! Have they met the rest of the flock?
Here is the size of our Spitzhauben eggs now. Left to right----leghorn, Spitz, Sussex. The Spitz eggs are noticeably bigger than last month when they were smaller than bantam eggs.
So are we close to full size yet? I don't know what to expect. They are the only fertile eggs so far. Flugel only mates with his 2 pullets. If someone were to go broody are these big enuf to hatch?

 

[Faraday40]

Well good luck on them being females! Have they met the rest of the flock?
Here is the size of our Spitzhauben eggs now. Left to right----leghorn, Spitz, Sussex. The Spitz eggs are noticeably bigger than last month when they were smaller than bantam eggs.
So are we close to full size yet? I don't know what to expect. They are the only fertile eggs so far. Flugel only mates with his 2 pullets. If someone were to go broody are these big enuf to hatch?
View attachment 1527491

Your pullet technically becomes a hen at a year old. However, I found that fertile eggs can be hatched about 2-3 months after the bird starts laying. By then her cycle is regular & eggs are decent size. No need to wait until they're a year old. The main reason why it's not recommended to hatch pullet eggs is because the chicks will be smaller & may not have the vigor to survive (or worse become hens with years of health issues). I save myself the possible heartache by waiting a few months before attempting to hatch. Seasons also matter. There's plenty of food & favorable temps for broody hens to raise chicks in spring/summer. In the colder months with less free ranging opportunities, any weaker chicks may not be able to compete.

Last Dec, my stubborn silkie hatched 2 giant English Orps and raised them through several days of -10'F (to -30'F at night) temps. Our coop is not heated. One key was not giving her too many eggs so she could cover the chicks as they grew.

 

[SueT]

Your pullet technically becomes a hen at a year old. However, I found that fertile eggs can be hatched about 2-3 months after the bird starts laying. By then her cycle is regular & eggs are decent size. No need to wait until they're a year old. The main reason why it's not recommended to hatch pullet eggs is because the chicks will be smaller & may not have the vigor to survive (or worse become hens with years of health issues). I save myself the possible heartache by waiting a few months before attempting to hatch. Seasons also matter. There's plenty of food & favorable temps for broody hens to raise chicks in spring/summer. In the colder months with less free ranging opportunities, any weaker chicks may not be able to compete.

Last Dec, my stubborn silkie hatched 2 giant English Orps and raised them through several days of -10'F (to -30'F at night) temps. Our coop is not heated. One key was not giving her too many eggs so she could cover the chicks as they grew.

That sounds like a wise idea for all the above reasons, plus I don't really relish the idea of going out to check on them over and over in bad weather. If anyone goes broody, then, it's the wire cage.