Spitzhaubens

[SueT]

The giant breeds are so sweet! I used to worry about mixing bantams & LF. Then I realized that it's the bantams who have the attitude. My Sebright "thinks" she's queen and my giant orps don't waste the energy correcting her. (However they do give her plenty of space when she's broody.) Those bantams have no problem keeping up with the big girls. LOL

Here's a pic of one of my orps and her sister serama. The serama is actually 2 days older.
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oh my gosh!!! I love it!

 

[MROO]

The giant breeds are so sweet! I used to worry about mixing bantams & LF. Then I realized that it's the bantams who have the attitude. My Sebright "thinks" she's queen and my giant orps don't waste the energy correcting her. (However they do give her plenty of space when she's broody.) Those bantams have no problem keeping up with the big girls. LOL

Here's a pic of one of my orps and her sister serama. The serama is actually 2 days older.
View attachment 1852602

LOVE IT! I'll have to get a pic of Siri next to Pippin, her Nankin "big brother." Pip was the lone hatchling of a small 'bator batch. He was so tiny and so alone that he sent me searching for snuggle buddies at school. I was hoping for another bantam - any bantam - or even a crested Polish. I ended up with Siri (short for Sirius Black) and GinnyRon (because we didn't know gender ... and the dual name stuck.) Both are decidedly large fowl - especially Siri! Siri's super-sweet disposition won her a permanent place in the coop, which means that GinnyRon gets to stay, too. Herman the House Rooster finally has his harem. Maybe now, he'll leave my hand alone!

 

[MROO]

Aw, a gentle giant. You'll have to post a pic of her w the tinies.
Well now that I know how special little 'Rusty' is, I would like to keep him/her. The Sussex is top hen, 3 yrs old, we recently lost the previous top hen, so long live the new Queen who is just getting used to her role and seems to be 'live and let live' so far in this small flock. The 3 br. leghorn hens are fairly mellow, so maybe we'll be okay. I haven't integrated the Sebright hen w her Spitz chicks into main flock... she may be fierce, but she is lowest adult in pecking order now that we sold the adult Spitzes. Many dynamics will be at work here.

Exciting weeks ahead as the 5 chicks reveal their gender!

The last time I reintroduced a hen with tinies, I put an upside down crate in their box (inside the main coop/run) before turning them loose. I had holes cut into it on each side, different sizes, but all too small for the older chickens to get in. Once the babies were used to playing and hiding under the crate (a little over a week,) I put the whole shebang into the big coop. It worked like a charm. All four tinies are now healthy adults, fully integrated into the flock. I'm about ready to put one of them back in with her lone baby ... using the same crate.

Good luck with Rusty. They're super sweet little birds. My "pet" roos will walk on leash, so they do classroom visits when I do "Breed Conservation" talks at our local schools and 4H meetings. It's pretty cool! Make sure you check out the website for Livestock Conservancy's website. There is a really nice breed profile there, and you'll be surprised at how many other familiar breeds are in trouble ... from chickens & turkeys to Giant horses. It's scary!
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/conservation-priority-list

 

[SueT]

The last time I reintroduced a hen with tinies, I put an upside down crate in their box (inside the main coop/run) before turning them loose. I had holes cut into it on each side, different sizes, but all too small for the older chickens to get in. Once the babies were used to playing and hiding under the crate (a little over a week,) I put the whole shebang into the big coop. It worked like a charm. All four tinies are now healthy adults, fully integrated into the flock. I'm about ready to put one of them back in with her lone baby ... using the same crate.

Good luck with Rusty. They're super sweet little birds. My "pet" roos will walk on leash, so they do classroom visits when I do "Breed Conservation" talks at our local schools and 4H meetings. It's pretty cool! Make sure you check out the website for Livestock Conservancy's website. There is a really nice breed profile there, and you'll be surprised at how many other familiar breeds are in trouble ... from chickens & turkeys to Giant horses. It's scary!
https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/conservation-priority-list

That's really nice! Yes, I did check out that list. Poitou donkeys, brahma chickens, cayuga ducks, and many I have never heard of, especially the cattle breeds.
You and @Faraday40 both take chickens to classrooms then....

 

[Faraday40]

Yes, my kids sometimes help me with classes and assemblies. It's a lot of fun, and they love returning to their former classrooms / teachers.



We used to have a well trained Dom hen whom we called, "Bubbles the amazing psychic chicken." She did a fun card trick that blew everyone away. She could also play piano by pecking at the lighted keys. She even knew very advanced concepts when we visited a high school biology class. (She was trained to peck at a small red dot. So when asked a question she would look for and peck at whatever card(s) had the tiny dot. It looked like she was reading the cards and choosing the right answer.)

 

[MROO]

Yes, my kids sometimes help me with classes and assemblies. It's a lot of fun, and they love returning to their former classrooms / teachers.

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We used to have a well trained Dom hen whom we called, "Bubbles the amazing psychic chicken." She did a fun card trick that blew everyone away. She could also play piano by pecking at the lighted keys. She even knew very advanced concepts when we visited a high school biology class. (She was trained to peck at a small red dot. So when asked a question she would look for and peck at whatever card(s) had the tiny dot. It looked like she was reading the cards and choosing the right answer.)

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VERY cool! We don't do any tricks, yet ... although it's in the eventual plans ... but our little Nankins are Darwinian Supermen - surviving to keep their breed alive against all odds! That's enough to support our breed conservation talks - that and the fact that, for most of the visit, they're hopping from desk to table to chair to knee, looking for attention and something good to eat ...

 

[Faraday40]

Since we lost Bubbles last year our new little star is the silkie. She attends events all over town - like the Easter egg hunt, downtown's Trick or Treat trail, fall fest and even been in a parade. Her only claim to fame is that she's calm & cuddly like a floppy rag doll. She loves attention but doesn't have the same high intelligence. Likewise is our spoiled little serama rooster. Most kids in the area know our chickens by name. Bubbles, however, was something very special. She got a decent amount of "fan mail."

I tried training another Dominic last summer. I thought she could go to school assemblies whenever Bubbles couldn't. However she did not have the same outgoing personality or problem solving intelligence.

My son's Spitz comes to schools sometimes. DS enjoys showing her off & everyone adores the mohawk. In fact, DS just got a blue ribbon in photography using "Poof Poof."

 

[SueT]

Chick update--6 weeks old--almost as big as Mom now:

Any guesses on the Spitzes? I'd say the orphan is male, as is the one on far right w the hen. The 2 others looking like little pullets?
And the Nankin...comb getting more color, I am suspecting Rusty may be a cockerel as well! Integration could be a 3 ring circus! There's a big poultry swap on Aug 3, I may take orphans there. We'll see......

 

[MROO]

At just six weeks, Rusty is looking a bit "boyish," which gives me hope that my own 6-week-olds may have an extra pullet or two in there, somewhere, because we don't have nearly as much red, yet ... but it's been awfully hot, so I'm not uncrossing my fingers, yet. If Rusty does turn out to be a "He" (don't count your roosters, just yet!) you shouldn't have much of an issue with integrating him. Most of them are pretty mellow little fellows.

 

[Alaskan]

No guesses from me as to sex... I am never good at that.