Straub’s search for colored eggs

[Tstraub]

The chicks will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. I’m seeing color coming in on several of them. I was hoping to get them outside this week but the forecast says lows in the 40s so maybe one more week.

I did get a dog kennel to house them. I still need to build a weather proof coop and do a bunch of predator proofing but it’s plenty good enough for a little supervised play in the grass

 

[wrathsfarm]

The chicks will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. I’m seeing color coming in on several of them. I was hoping to get them outside this week but the forecast says lows in the 40s so maybe one more week.

I did get a dog kennel to house them. I still need to build a weather proof coop and do a bunch of predator proofing but it’s plenty good enough for a little supervised play in the grass
View attachment 4201074View attachment 4201075View attachment 4201076View attachment 4201077

Cute...who is that little blue man in the 3rd pic front/center? He's gonna be a looker.

 

[Tstraub]

Cute...who is that little blue man in the 3rd pic front/center? He's gonna be a looker.

I haven’t named any of them at this point. I only have 3 blue hens Blue, Smoky, and Olive. I don’t think I set any eggs from Smoky because she was broody at the time I set eggs. Unless I happened to get one of her last ones before she went off lay. Olive has clean slate colored legs. This guy has light skin and fairly heavy feathers on his shanks and outer toes So it’s probably Blue’s son

I’ve been considering keeping an olive egger cockerel around and if I keep a blue one I could potentially get some splash color chicks in the future. I don’t know if he’s the keeper or not. I would like to keep a bearded one but temperament is going to be my most important quality in a cockerel so well see how he looks and acts as he grows out.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I haven’t named any of them at this point. I only have 3 blue hens Blue, Smoky, and Olive. I don’t think I set any eggs from Smoky because she was broody at the time I set eggs. Unless I happened to get one of her last ones before she went off lay. Olive has clean slate colored legs. This guy has light skin and fairly heavy feathers on his shanks and outer toes So it’s probably Blue’s son

I’ve been considering keeping an olive egger cockerel around and if I keep a blue one I could potentially get some splash color chicks in the future. I don’t know if he’s the keeper or not. I would like to keep a bearded one but temperament is going to be my most important quality in a cockerel so well see how he looks and acts as he grows out.

Hope he turns out good for you and that's a good solid plan.

 

[Tstraub]

Everybody got some over ripe cucumbers and past its prime corn on the cob from our garden today

 

[Tstraub]

New layer today! She is an unnamed pullet from my April hatch. We hadn’t bothered giving her a name yet because I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep her or find her a new home before winter. Chicken math has gotten away from me and I need to do some subtraction for everyone’s overall health. I have plenty of black chickens but I really do like this shell color. I should have grabbed her and put a zip tie around her leg for identification when I had the chance but I didn’t want to traumatize her immediately after she laid her first egg.

 

[Tstraub]

I’m not sure who laid this little pullet egg but I sure hope she continues to lay these speckles.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I’m not sure who laid this little pullet egg but I sure hope she continues to lay these speckles. View attachment 4204728

Wow that's a beauty. Congrats.

 

[Tstraub]

Just some unorganized updates.

Yesterday I kicked the chicks out of the house. I’m working on more permanent housing but the chick n tractor is going to have to do for now. They were a bit upset at sunset but eventually they did settle down to sleep.



I’m pretty sure I have a new layer. Misty is 21 weeks old and has been showing all the signs of coming into lay so I’ve been trying to keep an eye on her. Today I heard her singing the egg song and went to check on her. By the time I got there she was out of the box and singing her heart out. I found a pullet egg in the box still warm like it was laid very recently.


New coop is under construction. This one will eventually be my breeding pin once the Bresse grow out and I can pick my breeders. I plan to keep one rooster and 3-5 hens in here.