Spitzhaubens

[Faraday40]

I have sad news to report. From my shipped Spitz eggs, only 2 chicks hatched.


A few days later, they passed. (Hatch March 5-6, and died on the 8th.) They ate & drank very little & seemed so much weaker than the other chicks from their hatch (Dominiques & Orpingtons ). No other chicks died, and I see no signs of cocci or other illness. The broody hen is a 2nd timer and has done well keeping the chicks warm & teaching them. The only ideas I have is that perhaps they were pullet eggs or the USPS journey was too rough. (That would also explain why only 2 hatched.) I guess there will be no spitzes for me this spring.

 

[SueT]

I have sad news to report. From my shipped Spitz eggs, only 2 chicks hatched.

View attachment 1295805
A few days later, they passed. (Hatch March 5-6, and died on the 8th.) They ate & drank very little & seemed so much weaker than the other chicks from their hatch (Dominiques & Orpingtons ). No other chicks died, and I see no signs of cocci or other illness. The broody hen is a 2nd timer and has done well keeping the chicks warm & teaching them. The only ideas I have is that perhaps they were pullet eggs or the USPS journey was too rough. (That would also explain why only 2 hatched.) I guess there will be no spitzes for me this spring.

Oh no..... ) :

 

[SueT]

Our Spitzes are 6 1/2 weeks now. Still hard to see wattles. Just the slightest so far.
A while back a BYCer on the MO thread said she has some -- she calls them Appy's. I thought to myself, when I hear Appy, I think of this:

But now that they are older I see they are indeed appaloosa chickens....
can you see the wattles?

 

[Faraday40]

Our Spitzes are 6 1/2 weeks now. Still hard to see wattles. Just the slightest so far.
A while back a BYCer on the MO thread said she has some -- she calls them Appy's. I thought to myself, when I hear Appy, I think of this:
View attachment 1303907
But now that they are older I see they are indeed appaloosa chickens....
can you see the wattles?
View attachment 1303908

My friend calls mine my dalmatian chickens.
I call them Spitzes for short.
.... and my DS calls our hen his "Poof-Poof."


BTW- We make all sorts of crafts and Spitz feathers are the BEST.

 

[Alaskan]

But now that they are older I see they are indeed appaloosa chick

I can see where the wattle will be...super tiny.

 

[SueT]

Here are wattles at 7 weeks--what do you think? 1 and 4 look like boys? Any others?


1.

2

3.

4.

5.

 

[Alaskan]

Here are wattles at 7 weeks--what do you think? 1 and 4 look like boys? Any others?


1.View attachment 1307943
2View attachment 1307945
3.View attachment 1307947
4.View attachment 1307948
5.
View attachment 1307950

good guess for now.

I like waiting for the rooster feathers

 

[SueT]

Oh, and before I opened the coop this morning, I heard a squeaky little cock-a-doodle-do! I haven't heard it since. Here they all are on the outdoor roost. In this one, #2 has wattles, I'm not absolutely sure they are in the same order as above.

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, and before I opened the coop this morning, I heard a squeaky little cock-a-doodle-do! I haven't heard it since. Here they all are on the outdoor roost. In this one, #2 has wattles, I'm not absolutely sure they are in the same order as above.
View attachment 1308000

nice looking bunch.

Man... I wish I could remember from one year to the next....

I wonder why 2 have such dark backs

 

[Faraday40]

@SueT Great photos.
I agree that #1 & #4 look male.

This is what I meant by "attempting to guess." In another 3 weeks you may be able to confirm our guesses.

I really like the looks of the middle one.