Spitzhaubens

[Faraday40]

Poof Poof seems to be doing OK. (other than a blue stained shoulder) DS held her for a little bit after school and we're all happy she's alive.

 

[SueT]

We had a red tail hawk that swooped down toward chickens several days in a row during last summer. We had Flugel, the rooster at the time. He attacked the hawk and saved hens on 2 occasions that we knew of. After a while it stopped coming around.

 

[SueT]

Beldar likes to get up high and announce the sunrise

 

[Rockporters]

All 3 of the golden are males. If anyone in MA or NH is looking for a golden cockerel... I am obviously the chick to see.

 

[SueT]

All 3 of the golden are males. If anyone in MA or NH is looking for a golden cockerel... I am obviously the chick to see.

aw, darn it, 3 boys!

 

[Alaskan]

Fantastic ratio...

 

[SueT]

I heard a chicken commotion out front this afternoon and ran out to see a dark colored bird of prey flying away. It flew straight to the east and I could see it go a long way. I could see no white on it. I got the chickens back in their run, but one of the Spitzhauben girls was missing. I found feathers, called DH. He said if the hawk didn't carry the chicken away, then she's out here somewhere, hiding, or injured, or dead. We couldn't find her. Then at dusk there she was on top of the coop, looking fine. I opened it back up and she came down and went in. I cannot tell my 2 Spitz girls apart, but anyway she looked okay.
No one will get to free range for quite a while.....if ever!
What kind of hawks or other raptors are all dark? It almost looked blue. OK, I see there's a Swainson's Hawk, that has a dark morph phase. They are found in the west, but extreme western MO is in their range....

 

[Faraday40]

Glad they're OK.

As my Poof Poof will tell you, hawks are very scary predators! She's doing fine & acting like her old self again.

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

Hello fellow Spitz owners. I love seeing all the pictures of these beautiful birds. I’m hoping you can ease my mind some. How long did it take you to figure out if you had any cockerels? What is the longest time it took for a cockerel to show itself?

I currently have 8 silver spangled Appenzeller Spitzhaubens that are now 15 weeks and they all appear to be pullets. I really don’t know how that could happen. I was expecting about half to be boys but no wattles have dropped yet on any of them. A couple are pink and one is starting to get a pink comb but by this age I figured the pullets could be starting to get that too and the boys would be more obvious by now. These are pictures from 13 weeks. I’ll try to get some new ones today. Also any pictures of your flocks at about 3-4 months would be helpful. Also at what age did yours start to lay?

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Hello fellow Spitz owners. I love seeing all the pictures of these beautiful birds. I’m hoping you can ease my mind some. How long did it take you to figure out if you had any cockerels? What is the longest time it took for a cockerel to show itself?

Hopefully this will set your mind at ease.

All chicks in the pictures are pullets. Pictures are fine. By 12 weeks, sexing a spitzhauben is obvious. Since these pictures are at 13 weeks, I feel confident saying these are all girls. You lucky duck! Some of them have very nice spangling too, very pretty bunch you have!
While i cant remember the exact age mine stated laying last year, I want to say it was right around Christmas/new years. They were born later in the spring/early summer. Since yours are 15 weeks now, i would think yours will be ready to go in time for early spring, around mid February. I will have to dig for some 15 week photos, although I did take a picture of my around 28 week cockerel this morning.

Found these of him.
Around 22 weeks

And around 9 weeks
(I think this is him)