Texas

[jajeanpierre]

Technically is no such thing as "show quality chicks". Chicken genetics is pretty complicated and you can have a hen and cock that are spectacular show winners but the genetics get thrown together in their offspring that only a couple and sometimes none of them will be "show quality". You have to wait until they are older and more developed to be able to determine how they look compared to their breed Standard. There is no perfect chicken, but the Standard is a guideline for breeders and exhibitors to use to examine their birds to see how close they come to the ideal characteristics for their breed. You can buy "show quality chicks" but at that age, they are really too young to see how they will mature, if they will have any disqualifications present (such a floppy comb in a non-floppy combed bird), and if they demonstrate good characteristics of their breed. There is a lot more to chickens than just the coloring of the feathers.

The American Poultry Association (APA) is the organization that determines what standards a chicken should meet. This is known as the Standard of Perfection (SOP).

Not every chicken breed out there has been accepted into the SOP, because chickens have to be able to "breed true" and there is a process to get a breed recognized officially and have a Standard written for it that breeders follow in order to try to get the birds to have a uniform look. If you are going to show at an APA/ABA show, you'll need a breed that has been accepted into the SOP.

For a true APA/ABA sanctioned show, you'll need to have a copy of the SOP to help you determine how your birds compare to the Standard and whether or not they have enough of the best qualities to show them. For a county fair type show, chances are they aren't going to be strict about adhering to the SOP and any pretty looking bird is likely to win. Of course even in an APA sanctioned show, if you have the only birds of a particular breed entered into the show, then chances are you'll win something just because you didn't have any competition.

It is a lot of work and education to breed birds good enough to show. I would recommend that you get a copy of the SOP, which runs about $50, and read through it carefully and keep it on the shelf ready to refer to often. There is a lot of excellent information that is pertinent to the breeding/examining of all breeds, and then there is also the individual Standards for whatever breed you might choose to raise.

Really good post, bnjrob.

Very true, there is no such thing as a show-quality chick. You just can't tell how good a chick is until they are pretty much all grown up. In some breeds, chicks can be culled (which might mean given away/sold as pet quality) at hatch. Serious breeders will cull for different qualities at different ages. I spoke to a Modern Game breeder and of the 100 chicks he starts with in the spring, he might only have 4 or 5 of show quality by October.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I am in the process of trying to get rid of mites. I want to add a small amount of sulfur to the bathing suite to make sure they do not re-infest between the Whole Ladies and coop de-mite and

Sulfur dust is good for many things not just bugs it can be used from antiseptic to snake repellant. still just learning its benefits but it is in soil amendments, bug killers and even in human acne medications.

it is a fine particle dust but can be added to water for spraying roosts and laying boxes.

like I said I am still learning the benefits and am not sure if there are side effects. Sulfur is non toxic by itself so I hope not.

If you have a parasite problem, I don't think homopathic remedies will control it. If you can see a problem, you probably have a huge problem.

 

[TexasLisa]

The risk is they will fill up with grit and not food. The grit could displace food so they can get into trouble. Also, a mama hen doesn't take them up to a bowl of grit--they might find little bits of grit here and there as they go about scratching for food, but not a bowl full of large bits of stone, all uniform in size and about the size of crumbles. They don't need grit when they eat chick starter.

Maybe I didn't explain it right, but I wasn't talking about Mama Hen taking them to a bowl of grit. I was talking about her taking the chicks outside to scratch in the dirt. They would get their grit at that point.

Lisa

 

[jajeanpierre]

Maybe I didn't explain it right, but I wasn't talking about Mama Hen taking them to a bowl of grit. I was talking about her taking the chicks outside to scratch in the dirt. They would get their grit at that point.

Lisa

Oh, I understood that Lisa. That was my point--the chicks aren't going to find a nice big appetizing bowl of grit if mama hen is taking care of them. If they see a big bowl in a brooder, they might eat a crop full, not the one or two bits they might find all day with mama.

 

[henless]

Miss Jellybean mentioned setting a bowl of chick grits out for the babies. On the package it says to wait until they are 2 weeks old. True or false? My thinking on one hand is it would be false. Mama Hen will have the babies outside scratching from the get-go.

Lisa

As long as they are only eating chick starter, yogurt or boiled/scrambled eggs, then they don't need any grit. Once you start giving them other treats, then they must have grit to grind it up. At least that is what I have come to understand by reading on BYC.

I give my chicks free choice grit. The first time I put it out, I only left it for a couple of hours so they wouldn't tank up on it. I did it that way for a few days, then left it full time. I didn't put much in and still don't put a lot in the bowl.

It's chick day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I'm waiting to hear when I can go and get them. They just hatched yesterday.

I'm so eggcited for you!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

I'm still waiting to hear from the people........

Here are some recipes to share that would be good for Easter.

Macaroon Nests

Cherry Pie Cookie Cups

**************

I found this coop and thought it would be easy to make one like it. It looks like rain and snow would get into it pretty easily though. How big of a worry is that, not just for this coop, but any coop?

 

[TexasLisa]

Ms Jellybean, the coop link didn't work.

On the west side of our coop, we have a shutter for our big window. On windy/cold/rainy days we can shut it. For the south side we put up a shutter during the winter. Our coop has plenty of ventilation.

The Cherry Pie Cookie Cups look delicious!!

Lisa

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Ms Jellybean, the coop link didn't work.

On the west side of our coop, we have a shutter for our big window. On windy/cold/rainy days we can shut it. For the south side we put up a shutter during the winter. Our coop has plenty of ventilation.

The Cherry Pie Cookie Cups look delicious!!

Lisa

That's odd. It works for me. It's a Craig's list ad. Try this link and look at the log cabin coop.

Shutters? What a great idea. I could use that same idea for the upper vents. Kind of like attic vents on a house.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Looking up ideas for coops...


I hadn't thought about turning furniture into a coop, but these people did.


Found this on craig's list. Wonder if it would convert. Wonder what would happen to it in the rain...


Isn't this one cute?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

It's chick day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I'm waiting to hear when I can go and get them. They just hatched yesterday.

It's not chick day today. They said they are too fragile to sell and I need to wait a few days.