I am finally following a dream of mine of 10 years, and that is a chicken breeding project! I am hoping to produce something beautiful, hardy, small/medium, sweet, and with colorful eggs, and we finally have the space for it. This is a mostly for-fun personal project, as I don't necessarily plan to breed to sell, just look forward to seeing what I make and produce!
I am still learning genetics, and I'm sure I will change my mind on some things as I go. I want to clarify I am not doing this with so much purpose that I'm going crazy trying to make it perfect. I am simply having fun and journaling while trying to produce something that makes my family and I happy. I hope some of you would like to follow along with the project and development.
STARBIRDS HATCH # ONE
Eggs in the incubator: March 1
Eggs hatched: March 20-22
# of Eggs incubated: 22
# of Eggs hatched: 13
Hatch Rate: 59%
Eggs that didn't develop: 6
Chicks that didn't hatch: 3
Abnormalities: 1
Incubator: Nurture Right 360
☆
THE ROOSTERS
Wheaten (Splash(?) Easter Egger)
Wheaten is so calm, kind of reserved. He has a gentle demeanor that tends to demand respect, but he also gives it. He watches, calculating, but never attacks or even tries to stand up to us humans. He watches over the girls and is not overbearing. He was always a very calm and sweet chick too. His biggest downfall is his lighter skin (I don't mind the green legs though) and the fact he may have a crooked leg (I've only noticed in photographs, not in person, so my guess is that it's fairly minimal.) His temperament triumphs over all. I am not sure what color he would be considered- I am sure the red is leakage?
☆
Cheetah (Brown Red Easter Egger)
Cheetah will be dinner soon, so hopefully some of his genes are in there and can be passed on. He is a pretty decent boy, just not exactly what we are looking for temperament and appearance-wise. I like his dark beak, dark legs, and fullness of his feathers. But he leaves something to be desired in lack of personality- he's a little flighty, doesn't take as good care of the hens.. and very one-track minded if you know what I mean. He also is challenging Deeby more than we deem acceptable (and would like to add a rooster from our current batch of chicks.)
☆
Deeby (Mille Fleur D'uccle)
This is Deeby, the Mill Fleur D'uccle. This was always a dream breed of mine, and I hope to add them to the bloodline pretty early on. Deeby had too much competition and was not able to fertilize the hens he sure wished he could. He is a pretty chill boy, a little silly, and not aggressive at all.
(To be honest, he reminds me of Hei Hei from Moana.)
☆
THE HENS
Klim (White Silkie)
Klim is our white Silkie hen. She is not the prettiest Silkie but she has already gone broody once and is very hardy and brave. She lays a medium/small tan egg and loves digging in mud and water.. if you couldn't tell by the picture.
☆
Blue (Splash(?) Easter Egger)
Blue is the blue (splash? she has darker spots.. not sure what to call her) Easter Egger hen. She is so sweet, sturdy, and silly (and will let us pet her, even.) She lays blue eggs and loves to run wings out when she is happy.
☆
Mostaccioli (Mystic Maran)
Mostaccioli is the Mystic Maran hen. She has beautiful eyes, sturdy, and also very friendly! Her eggs are medium, brown and speckled and she is probably the friendliest and calmest of our 3 MMs. I will not be hatching any more eggs from them.
☆
Zeeb (Old English Game Bantam)
Zeeb is the Old English Game Bantam/OEGB. She is so talkative, friendly, curious. She could be trusted to hang out with me with no fence she is so friendly! Tiny white/pink eggs of course, and a talkative and sassy personality to boot! The entire family loves her and her personality.
☆
Eeby (Mille Fleur D'uccle)
Someone we DIDN'T get any fertilized eggs from in this batch- is Eeby, the Mille Fleur D'uccle hen. It was a bit disappointing that her eggs did not hatch, but we have taken note that they are now fertilized. She was the sweetest chick, but has gone a little wild as she aged. She is our most "primitive" hen (goes into the pen: FLIES immediately) and lays small tan-ish eggs. She is so full of personality and we would really like to hatch some of her eggs in the next go. (She's the favorite.)
☆
What I'd like to keep:
• dark skin/beak/legs/eyes
(black/slate/green)
• colorful eggs
• colorful plumage
• small/medium eggs
• small/medium chickens
• feathered feet/5 toes
• beard/muff
• small combs
• silkie AND normal plumage
☆
THE BABIES
These are our babies from the first batch!
Klim (Silkie) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
Every single Silkie egg hatched.
☆
Blue (Easter Egger) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
There was one blue egg that did not hatch.
☆
Zeeb (Old English Game Bantam) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
This one's siblings did not survive. One did not develop and one did not hatch on it's own.
I check every egg that doesn't hatch, just in case, and in one of Zeeb's, I found a tiny, bug-eyed, fully-developed baby, with no top beak and it's brain exposed.
It passed away peacefully in under a minute after removal from the egg.
☆
Mostaccioli (Mystic Maran) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
There were 3 eggs from another one of our Mystic Marans, Long Ziti, that did not hatch. One tried to hatch, but died in the egg, two did not develop.
I am not disappointed, as I do not want to further Long Ziti's genetics.
☆
I imagine that once the chicks are older, maybe on color genetics, we would be able to tell who is the father?
My guess so far is that Cheetah is the father to the Silkie babies, since the coloring seems to be a match for brown red.
☆
I have also recently purchased a purebred, well bred Silkie chick to add to our flock/project.
From a calico/partridge pen.
Can you tell I love Silkies and Easter Eggers?
☆
I also purchased another chick without asking the color, and it is Cuckoo.. light skin/beak, and a dominant color that I am not looking for.
I read that the barring affects the dark skin, so I definitely don't want that. We already have a Barred Rock and no interest in breeding her.
So I will be selling and/or rehoming that one... not sure if it's better to do while it is a chick, or wait until an adult...
but I have absolutely 0 interest in fighting genetics for what I want when I am already fighting some others..
Overall:
If my worst mistake is buying a chick that won't go into my breeding program, then I can be pretty happy LOL
☆
Until the next update!
I am still learning genetics, and I'm sure I will change my mind on some things as I go. I want to clarify I am not doing this with so much purpose that I'm going crazy trying to make it perfect. I am simply having fun and journaling while trying to produce something that makes my family and I happy. I hope some of you would like to follow along with the project and development.
STARBIRDS HATCH # ONE
Eggs in the incubator: March 1
Eggs hatched: March 20-22
# of Eggs incubated: 22
# of Eggs hatched: 13
Hatch Rate: 59%
Eggs that didn't develop: 6
Chicks that didn't hatch: 3
Abnormalities: 1
Incubator: Nurture Right 360
☆
THE ROOSTERS
Wheaten (Splash(?) Easter Egger)
Wheaten is so calm, kind of reserved. He has a gentle demeanor that tends to demand respect, but he also gives it. He watches, calculating, but never attacks or even tries to stand up to us humans. He watches over the girls and is not overbearing. He was always a very calm and sweet chick too. His biggest downfall is his lighter skin (I don't mind the green legs though) and the fact he may have a crooked leg (I've only noticed in photographs, not in person, so my guess is that it's fairly minimal.) His temperament triumphs over all. I am not sure what color he would be considered- I am sure the red is leakage?
☆
Cheetah (Brown Red Easter Egger)
Cheetah will be dinner soon, so hopefully some of his genes are in there and can be passed on. He is a pretty decent boy, just not exactly what we are looking for temperament and appearance-wise. I like his dark beak, dark legs, and fullness of his feathers. But he leaves something to be desired in lack of personality- he's a little flighty, doesn't take as good care of the hens.. and very one-track minded if you know what I mean. He also is challenging Deeby more than we deem acceptable (and would like to add a rooster from our current batch of chicks.)
☆
Deeby (Mille Fleur D'uccle)
This is Deeby, the Mill Fleur D'uccle. This was always a dream breed of mine, and I hope to add them to the bloodline pretty early on. Deeby had too much competition and was not able to fertilize the hens he sure wished he could. He is a pretty chill boy, a little silly, and not aggressive at all.
(To be honest, he reminds me of Hei Hei from Moana.)
☆
THE HENS
Klim (White Silkie)
Klim is our white Silkie hen. She is not the prettiest Silkie but she has already gone broody once and is very hardy and brave. She lays a medium/small tan egg and loves digging in mud and water.. if you couldn't tell by the picture.
☆
Blue (Splash(?) Easter Egger)
Blue is the blue (splash? she has darker spots.. not sure what to call her) Easter Egger hen. She is so sweet, sturdy, and silly (and will let us pet her, even.) She lays blue eggs and loves to run wings out when she is happy.
☆
Mostaccioli (Mystic Maran)
Mostaccioli is the Mystic Maran hen. She has beautiful eyes, sturdy, and also very friendly! Her eggs are medium, brown and speckled and she is probably the friendliest and calmest of our 3 MMs. I will not be hatching any more eggs from them.
☆
Zeeb (Old English Game Bantam)
Zeeb is the Old English Game Bantam/OEGB. She is so talkative, friendly, curious. She could be trusted to hang out with me with no fence she is so friendly! Tiny white/pink eggs of course, and a talkative and sassy personality to boot! The entire family loves her and her personality.
☆
Eeby (Mille Fleur D'uccle)
Someone we DIDN'T get any fertilized eggs from in this batch- is Eeby, the Mille Fleur D'uccle hen. It was a bit disappointing that her eggs did not hatch, but we have taken note that they are now fertilized. She was the sweetest chick, but has gone a little wild as she aged. She is our most "primitive" hen (goes into the pen: FLIES immediately) and lays small tan-ish eggs. She is so full of personality and we would really like to hatch some of her eggs in the next go. (She's the favorite.)
☆
What I'd like to keep:
• dark skin/beak/legs/eyes
(black/slate/green)
• colorful eggs
• colorful plumage
• small/medium eggs
• small/medium chickens
• feathered feet/5 toes
• beard/muff
• small combs
• silkie AND normal plumage
☆
THE BABIES
These are our babies from the first batch!
Klim (Silkie) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
Every single Silkie egg hatched.
☆
Blue (Easter Egger) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
There was one blue egg that did not hatch.
☆
Zeeb (Old English Game Bantam) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
This one's siblings did not survive. One did not develop and one did not hatch on it's own.
I check every egg that doesn't hatch, just in case, and in one of Zeeb's, I found a tiny, bug-eyed, fully-developed baby, with no top beak and it's brain exposed.
It passed away peacefully in under a minute after removal from the egg.
☆
Mostaccioli (Mystic Maran) x Wheaten or Cheetah (Easter Egger)
There were 3 eggs from another one of our Mystic Marans, Long Ziti, that did not hatch. One tried to hatch, but died in the egg, two did not develop.
I am not disappointed, as I do not want to further Long Ziti's genetics.
☆
I imagine that once the chicks are older, maybe on color genetics, we would be able to tell who is the father?
My guess so far is that Cheetah is the father to the Silkie babies, since the coloring seems to be a match for brown red.
☆
I have also recently purchased a purebred, well bred Silkie chick to add to our flock/project.
From a calico/partridge pen.
Can you tell I love Silkies and Easter Eggers?
☆
I also purchased another chick without asking the color, and it is Cuckoo.. light skin/beak, and a dominant color that I am not looking for.
I read that the barring affects the dark skin, so I definitely don't want that. We already have a Barred Rock and no interest in breeding her.
So I will be selling and/or rehoming that one... not sure if it's better to do while it is a chick, or wait until an adult...
but I have absolutely 0 interest in fighting genetics for what I want when I am already fighting some others..
Overall:
If my worst mistake is buying a chick that won't go into my breeding program, then I can be pretty happy LOL
☆
Until the next update!
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