The Aloha Chicken Project

[HEChicken]

I will try to get some pics for you Kev. The hens look almost exactly like black sexlnks, other than one of them who has white earlobes. The roosters are quite flashy but because they were hen-raised AND half EL, they are extremely flighty so it is hard for me to get close enough to them to get good pics. However their flightiness makes them excellent foragers. Last summer the 3 cockerels spent all day every day foraging our pasture and even jumping the fence to go into the adjacent woods. A risky move due to coyotes and foxes and I feared every day that they wouldn't live long enough to move on to the next generation. But all three not only survived but thrived.

The hatch is over. I believe I got 8 chicks total. The last three who all needed help hatching on day 23 (ugh) are in a special needs brooder with their own Eco Glow until they are stable enough on their feet to join the rest. Hopefully later today but by morning I'm sure they'll be ready if not tonight.

Once everyone is fluffed up and properly dry I'll try to get pics of just these birds. Only that one - the first to hatch - is brown. There are several of the light colored ones and a couple of black/whites that I am curious to see if they will feather out to look just like their EL grand-dams.

 

[alohachickens]

I will try to get some pics for you Kev. The hens look almost exactly like black sexlnks, other than one of them who has white earlobes. The roosters are quite flashy but because they were hen-raised AND half EL, they are extremely flighty so it is hard for me to get close enough to them to get good pics. However their flightiness makes them excellent foragers. Last summer the 3 cockerels spent all day every day foraging our pasture and even jumping the fence to go into the adjacent woods. A risky move due to coyotes and foxes and I feared every day that they wouldn't live long enough to move on to the next generation. But all three not only survived but thrived.

The hatch is over. I believe I got 8 chicks total. The last three who all needed help hatching on day 23 (ugh) are in a special needs brooder with their own Eco Glow until they are stable enough on their feet to join the rest. Hopefully later today but by morning I'm sure they'll be ready if not tonight.

Once everyone is fluffed up and properly dry I'll try to get pics of just these birds. Only that one - the first to hatch - is brown. There are several of the light colored ones and a couple of black/whites that I am curious to see if they will feather out to look just like their EL grand-dams.

I am so very excited to see how these turn out!!!

ARGH - the waiting! It will take 4 months for them to reach some semblance of the true adult coloration, and a full 6 months to determine final size. That's ummm, July to September before we get to see how they really are going to turn out. SO MUCH WAITING.

 

[HEChicken]

I am so very excited to see how these turn out!!!

ARGH - the waiting! It will take 4 months for them to reach some semblance of the true adult coloration, and a full 6 months to determine final size. That's ummm, July to September before we get to see how they really are going to turn out. SO MUCH WAITING.

I know!!! But after waiting 3 years to get to this point, what's another 4 months, right?

I went out to give the flock some scraps and realized it was not only a great opportunity to try to get pictures while they milled around but I even had my phone with me. I still had to use some heavy duty zoom to get these but they're the best pics I've been able to get so far of these boys so I'm thrilled. Only two of the three roosters were captured but they're the best two anyway. The third looks exactly the same except that he does not have the mottling on his chest that these two do, so I did not even put him in the breeding pen. Which of course begs the question why am I keeping him? Normally we eat any males we don't need for breeding but these guys are not super big and I guess it just seems like the effort of processing isn't worth it and since he forages for so much of his food, I've let him hang around.











And here is one of the two hens I have left - obviously not the one with white ear lobes. As you can see she really just looks like a black sex link.


And that little white tip on her wing? That is her "tell". In this photo it looks like there are a couple of white spots around her neck as well but I think it is just the light as in person the only white spot on her is that one spot on the wing.

 

[draye]

I know!!! But after waiting 3 years to get to this point, what's another 4 months, right? I went out to give the flock some scraps and realized it was not only a great opportunity to try to get pictures while they milled around but I even had my phone with me. I still had to use some heavy duty zoom to get these but they're the best pics I've been able to get so far of these boys so I'm thrilled. Only two of the three roosters were captured but they're the best two anyway. The third looks exactly the same except that he does not have the mottling on his chest that these two do, so I did not even put him in the breeding pen. Which of course begs the question why am I keeping him? Normally we eat any males we don't need for breeding but these guys are not super big and I guess it just seems like the effort of processing isn't worth it and since he forages for so much of his food, I've let him hang around. And here is one of the two hens I have left - obviously not the one with white ear lobes. As you can see she really just looks like a black sex link. And that little white tip on her wing? That is her "tell". In this photo it looks like there are a couple of white spots around her neck as well but I think it is just the light as in person the only white spot on her is that one spot on the wing.

The roosters are kind of unusual colored, but they look like they have some breast meat on them. I love the Spanglish on their breast. The hens do look very Black Sexlink looking, but do carry quite a bit of gold on them. Now I'm anxious to see the babies. Even quite young they should show some mottling if they indeed are mottle. Mine started showing some mottling at about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.

 

[HEChicken]

I'm really excited for them to start feathering out as well! Normally I hate seeing the first wing feathers (which happens way too soon) as its an indicator of how short a time they are newly hatched chicks. But this time around I'm looking forward to seeing the feathers to see what we're getting.

 

[alohachickens]

I know!!! But after waiting 3 years to get to this point, what's another 4 months, right?

I went out to give the flock some scraps and realized it was not only a great opportunity to try to get pictures while they milled around but I even had my phone with me. I still had to use some heavy duty zoom to get these but they're the best pics I've been able to get so far of these boys so I'm thrilled. Only two of the three roosters were captured but they're the best two anyway. The third looks exactly the same except that he does not have the mottling on his chest that these two do, so I did not even put him in the breeding pen. Which of course begs the question why am I keeping him? Normally we eat any males we don't need for breeding but these guys are not super big and I guess it just seems like the effort of processing isn't worth it and since he forages for so much of his food, I've let him hang around.











And here is one of the two hens I have left - obviously not the one with white ear lobes. As you can see she really just looks like a black sex link.


And that little white tip on her wing? That is her "tell". In this photo it looks like there are a couple of white spots around her neck as well but I think it is just the light as in person the only white spot on her is that one spot on the wing.

Isn't that fascinating. They look like neither of the parents. Crazy.

By contrast, my Speckled Sussex / Exchquer Leghorn crosses looked exactly like you'd imagine. Almost black and white (dark brown and white) and mottled.

If the bright red color of the NHR appears on any of the chicks - with or without mottling - it will be so interesting! I mean, in theory, it should. Yet looking at the black and silver dad and mostly black moms, I just can't imagine! Crazy.

 

[Kev]

I know!!! But after waiting 3 years to get to this point, what's another 4 months, right?

I


And here is one of the two hens I have left - obviously not the one with white ear lobes. As you can see she really just looks like a black sex link.

Thanks for showing pictures!

They confirm the exchequers have silver. So that's the sex linkage happening here.. b/w boys, b/r girls.

With that much leakage I would guess EL have birchen... the biggest surprise is how clear their legs are.

you most definitely will get some black tail silver/buffs(won't be sex linked this time).

 

[HEChicken]

the biggest surprise is how clear their legs are.

Wondering what you mean by the legs being "clear"?

Okay, I finally got pics of the group of chicks today. Sadly, the two special needs chicks did not make it, but they had issues, no doubt due to inbreeding at this point. I did my best to separate genetics but I'm assuming the Ideal ELs were themselves related so it was difficult to get too much genetic diversity.....The good news is the remaining 6 chicks all seem healthy and robust with no crooked toes or splayed legs.

I took several photos trying to make sure I got all of them well at least once As you can see, they range from mostly black to mostly white. One is so orange it looks like a pure NH and I had to check its leg (I banded to differentiate) to make sure it wasn't. And then there is that brown one that was the first to hatch.

 

[draye]

Wondering what you mean by the legs being "clear"? Okay, I finally got pics of the group of chicks today. Sadly, the two special needs chicks did not make it, but they had issues, no doubt due to inbreeding at this point. I did my best to separate genetics but I'm assuming the Ideal ELs were themselves related so it was difficult to get too much genetic diversity.....The good news is the remaining 6 chicks all seem healthy and robust with no crooked toes or splayed legs. I took several photos trying to make sure I got all of them well at least once As you can see, they range from mostly black to mostly white. One is so orange it looks like a pure NH and I had to check its leg (I banded to differentiate) to make sure it wasn't. And then there is that brown one that was the first to hatch.

So cute.

 

[alohachickens]

Wondering what you mean by the legs being "clear"?

Okay, I finally got pics of the group of chicks today. Sadly, the two special needs chicks did not make it, but they had issues, no doubt due to inbreeding at this point. I did my best to separate genetics but I'm assuming the Ideal ELs were themselves related so it was difficult to get too much genetic diversity.....The good news is the remaining 6 chicks all seem healthy and robust with no crooked toes or splayed legs.

I took several photos trying to make sure I got all of them well at least once As you can see, they range from mostly black to mostly white. One is so orange it looks like a pure NH and I had to check its leg (I banded to differentiate) to make sure it wasn't. And then there is that brown one that was the first to hatch.

Really neat. I'm so excited to see what happens! It's like an awesome science project. YAY SCIENCE!