The Aloha Chicken Project

[HEChicken]

Its hatch day! Oh Sommer, I am so excited by this batch. I started with 24 project eggs + 2 purebred NH eggs. As my incubator only holds 18 in a layer, the other 8 sat on top and I hand-turned them all. Then a hen went broody so I gave her the 8 eggs that were double stacked, in order to turn on the auto-turner. The broody hen is a pure NH who broke into my hoop coop (which houses 4 bantams) in order to go broody. The three cochins in that pen joined her and the four of them have shared those 8 eggs for the past two weeks. Any time I checked, there were different numbers of eggs under different hens! When one got up to take her broody break, the others would quickly scoop the eggs under them so they never had a chance to get cold.

I had to discard one egg from the incubator that quit midway through so went into hatch with 17 of the 18 eggs in the incubator. I never candled those under the broody hens.

They were due yesterday and started hatching the evening before. The hatch went on all day yesterday and this morning I awoke to a couple of new chicks. Another hatched early morning and I thought I was done with 4 eggs unhatched. However when I picked up one of the eggs, I found it had a dime sized hole on the bottom where I hadn't been able to see it, and that chick hatched an hour later. So, I discarded one and 3 didn't hatch (though are fully developed). Both the NHs hatched, which means 12 project chicks that all hatched unassisted (no curled toes or legs as far as I can tell this time). Plus, I went down to check on the broody hens and I believe all have hatched down there as well. I saw at least 4 - each mama hen had at least one under her - but in feeling around under them, I didn't find any unhatched eggs - only empty shells - so I am hopeful we have another 8 project chicks down there.

The really interesting thing. The chicks that hatched in the incubator are all black/white, brown/white or blond. However all 4 of the chicks I saw under the broodies are reddish with brown patches. How odd! There was nothing different about those eggs - same parents and the only reason they were selected is they were the 8 sitting on top. Yet how odd that the 4 I've seen all look about the same - and nothing like any of those in the brooder!

Here are a few pics of the chicks and their 4 mamas. As I watched, a chick would come out from under one, poke around for a minute and then when it got cold, crawl under a different mama. I've had hens co-parent before and the chicks treat each of them like a mama, and when cold will simply crawl under the nearest hen. It is so funny to stick my head in that dog house and hear four different voices all doing the mama cluck-cluck-cluck at the same time

 

[draye]

Its hatch day! Oh Sommer, I am so excited by this batch. I started with 24 project eggs + 2 purebred NH eggs. As my incubator only holds 18 in a layer, the other 8 sat on top and I hand-turned them all. Then a hen went broody so I gave her the 8 eggs that were double stacked, in order to turn on the auto-turner. The broody hen is a pure NH who broke into my hoop coop (which houses 4 bantams) in order to go broody. The three cochins in that pen joined her and the four of them have shared those 8 eggs for the past two weeks. Any time I checked, there were different numbers of eggs under different hens! When one got up to take her broody break, the others would quickly scoop the eggs under them so they never had a chance to get cold. I had to discard one egg from the incubator that quit midway through so went into hatch with 17 of the 18 eggs in the incubator. I never candled those under the broody hens. They were due yesterday and started hatching the evening before. The hatch went on all day yesterday and this morning I awoke to a couple of new chicks. Another hatched early morning and I thought I was done with 4 eggs unhatched. However when I picked up one of the eggs, I found it had a dime sized hole on the bottom where I hadn't been able to see it, and that chick hatched an hour later. So, I discarded one and 3 didn't hatch (though are fully developed). Both the NHs hatched, which means 12 project chicks that all hatched unassisted (no curled toes or legs as far as I can tell this time). Plus, I went down to check on the broody hens and I believe all have hatched down there as well. I saw at least 4 - each mama hen had at least one under her - but in feeling around under them, I didn't find any unhatched eggs - only empty shells - so I am hopeful we have another 8 project chicks down there. The really interesting thing. The chicks that hatched in the incubator are all black/white, brown/white or blond. However all 4 of the chicks I saw under the broodies are reddish with brown patches. How odd! There was nothing different about those eggs - same parents and the only reason they were selected is they were the 8 sitting on top. Yet how odd that the 4 I've seen all look about the same - and nothing like any of those in the brooder! Here are a few pics of the chicks and their 4 mamas. As I watched, a chick would come out from under one, poke around for a minute and then when it got cold, crawl under a different mama. I've had hens co-parent before and the chicks treat each of them like a mama, and when cold will simply crawl under the nearest hen. It is so funny to stick my head in that dog house and hear four different voices all doing the mama cluck-cluck-cluck at the same time

Cool way to hatch chicks. Congratulations, hope you get some spotty ones.

 

[HEChicken]

Here is the most promising of my first hatch so far. This chick is almost 4 weeks old so I realize could lose some of the mottling as she gets older but will keep my fingers crossed anyway.

This chick looked like a pure NH at hatch but as she feathers out, the orange is a little lighter than her pure NH hatch-mates, and the mottling on the back is unique to her as well. From the group that hatched late last week, there are several NH'ish looking chicks so I'm hopeful they will feather out similarly to this gal.

On a side note: I wound up giving the broody hens another 6 chicks to raise so they have 14 between the 4 hens. They are doing a marvelous job of co-parenting. All chicks are project chicks and so far, all are healthy and active. The mamas herd them all into their dog house and snuggle them down in the evening, but by day have them out in a 12x10 hoop coop, eating, drinking and teaching them how to dust bathe. To hedge my bets I also have some of the project chicks in a brooder inside, along with a few other chicks I'm raising.

 

[alohachickens]

Its hatch day! Oh Sommer, I am so excited by this batch. I started with 24 project eggs + 2 purebred NH eggs. As my incubator only holds 18 in a layer, the other 8 sat on top and I hand-turned them all. Then a hen went broody so I gave her the 8 eggs that were double stacked, in order to turn on the auto-turner. The broody hen is a pure NH who broke into my hoop coop (which houses 4 bantams) in order to go broody. The three cochins in that pen joined her and the four of them have shared those 8 eggs for the past two weeks. Any time I checked, there were different numbers of eggs under different hens! When one got up to take her broody break, the others would quickly scoop the eggs under them so they never had a chance to get cold.

I had to discard one egg from the incubator that quit midway through so went into hatch with 17 of the 18 eggs in the incubator. I never candled those under the broody hens.

They were due yesterday and started hatching the evening before. The hatch went on all day yesterday and this morning I awoke to a couple of new chicks. Another hatched early morning and I thought I was done with 4 eggs unhatched. However when I picked up one of the eggs, I found it had a dime sized hole on the bottom where I hadn't been able to see it, and that chick hatched an hour later. So, I discarded one and 3 didn't hatch (though are fully developed). Both the NHs hatched, which means 12 project chicks that all hatched unassisted (no curled toes or legs as far as I can tell this time). Plus, I went down to check on the broody hens and I believe all have hatched down there as well. I saw at least 4 - each mama hen had at least one under her - but in feeling around under them, I didn't find any unhatched eggs - only empty shells - so I am hopeful we have another 8 project chicks down there.

The really interesting thing. The chicks that hatched in the incubator are all black/white, brown/white or blond. However all 4 of the chicks I saw under the broodies are reddish with brown patches. How odd! There was nothing different about those eggs - same parents and the only reason they were selected is they were the 8 sitting on top. Yet how odd that the 4 I've seen all look about the same - and nothing like any of those in the brooder!

Here are a few pics of the chicks and their 4 mamas. As I watched, a chick would come out from under one, poke around for a minute and then when it got cold, crawl under a different mama. I've had hens co-parent before and the chicks treat each of them like a mama, and when cold will simply crawl under the nearest hen. It is so funny to stick my head in that dog house and hear four different voices all doing the mama cluck-cluck-cluck at the same time

Awesome hatch! Adorable co-parenting. I have had two nearly identical Aloha moms raise a clutch together before, it was so cute.

Your Aloha hen is lovely, BTW. Hmm, would be interesting to cross her to the NHR rooster . . . nice red chicks that would carry for Mottling.

Can't wait to see how these grow up!

 

[alohachickens]

Here is the most promising of my first hatch so far. This chick is almost 4 weeks old so I realize could lose some of the mottling as she gets older but will keep my fingers crossed anyway.

This chick looked like a pure NH at hatch but as she feathers out, the orange is a little lighter than her pure NH hatch-mates, and the mottling on the back is unique to her as well. From the group that hatched late last week, there are several NH'ish looking chicks so I'm hopeful they will feather out similarly to this gal.

On a side note: I wound up giving the broody hens another 6 chicks to raise so they have 14 between the 4 hens. They are doing a marvelous job of co-parenting. All chicks are project chicks and so far, all are healthy and active. The mamas herd them all into their dog house and snuggle them down in the evening, but by day have them out in a 12x10 hoop coop, eating, drinking and teaching them how to dust bathe. To hedge my bets I also have some of the project chicks in a brooder inside, along with a few other chicks I'm raising.

Hmm, still not a lot of white. I wonder if that's all we will see? I expected a couple at least to have full expression. Then again maybe just need a larger test group. (Which you have now on the larger hatch!) Can't wait to see how they develop!

Edited to add: I do think the light color is very exciting! Dropped almost ALL the black. That is huge considering how the parents look.

 

[HEChicken]

Your Aloha hen is lovely, BTW. Hmm, would be interesting to cross her to the NHR rooster . . . nice red chicks that would carry for Mottling.

Oh I have no Aloha hens

The hen in the pic is a bantam Mille Fleur Cochin. I definitely wouldn't want to use her for the project in spite of her beautiful mottling due to feathered legs - not to mention, she's a bantam.

Hmm, still not a lot of white. I wonder if that's all we will see? I expected a couple at least to have full expression. Then again maybe just need a larger test group. (Which you have now on the larger hatch!) Can't wait to see how they develop!

Edited to add: I do think the light color is very exciting! Dropped almost ALL the black. That is huge considering how the parents look.

I will have to get some pics of the others from her group. One has a lot of white - but no mottling. Doesn't look anything like either parent - very strange. I also have some from the most recent hatch that came out of the egg more yellow than orange so we'll see how they feather out. I really like the light color on this one and am thrilled with the spots - even if there isn't a lot of white.

I'm wondering what you suggest for the next generation? I know we talked about crossing them back to the NH roosters but I'm concerned if I were to cross this one back, we'd go back to solid orange. I'm wondering if I shouldn't be thinking about crossing the male chicks to female NH hens and the female chicks to the NH roosters?

Oh - and incidentally - I'm really pleased with the size. These project chicks are comparable in size to the pure NH chicks from the same hatch. The EL hens are so small and their offspring retained some of the smaller size. But it looks like with this generation we've got the NH size back as well. Also, the pic doesn't show it but this chick has lovely yellow legs - as do all of her hatch mates.

 

[draye]

@HEChicken

My suggestion would be to cross to an Aliha rooster. You may not have any but you could do the crosses back to the NH and get eggs from @alohachickens and hatch a few and raise them up to cros to them and the offspring of thrm and the NH.

 

[HEChicken]

@HEChicken

My suggestion would be to cross to an Aliha rooster. You may not have any but you could do the crosses back to the NH and get eggs from @alohachickens and hatch a few and raise them up to cros to them and the offspring of thrm and the NH.

I am doing a sub-project and the idea was to use just the NH and Exchequer Leghorns as the base, without using any other inputs. What I'm trying to do is create some birds that can ultimately be used in the main Aloha project - but without using any Alohas or other mottled birds to get there.

 

[draye]

I am doing a sub-project and the idea was to use just the NH and Exchequer Leghorns as the base, without using any other inputs.  What I'm trying to do is create some birds that can ultimately be used in the main Aloha project - but without using any Alohas or other mottled birds to get there.

I understand and think I had read that. I feel ( if it were my project) there needs to be some more mottled birds added to the gene pool. There really aren't that many mottled large fowl birds out there to choose from.

Carry on. Keep posting though, and I'll be watching. I'm anxious for this project too. May need a mottled/calico outcross for my NN project in the not too distant future.

 

[alohachickens]

Oh I have no Aloha hens

The hen in the pic is a bantam Mille Fleur Cochin. I definitely wouldn't want to use her for the project in spite of her beautiful mottling due to feathered legs - not to mention, she's a bantam.

I will have to get some pics of the others from her group. One has a lot of white - but no mottling. Doesn't look anything like either parent - very strange. I also have some from the most recent hatch that came out of the egg more yellow than orange so we'll see how they feather out. I really like the light color on this one and am thrilled with the spots - even if there isn't a lot of white.

I'm wondering what you suggest for the next generation? I know we talked about crossing them back to the NH roosters but I'm concerned if I were to cross this one back, we'd go back to solid orange. I'm wondering if I shouldn't be thinking about crossing the male chicks to female NH hens and the female chicks to the NH roosters?

Hmm, I think at this point we have to see if ANY of them end up loudly spotted (like an Exchequer) or not?

Agreed that the mostly solid one crossed back to NHR - won't really help anything. And it's puzzling that there is such variety! Isn't it? I thought for sure we'd see mostly dark chicks (like the first generation) but a few would show bright spotting and even fewer would show red plus spotting.

Then again the first sample size was not that extensive. Let's hang tight and see how the new ones feather out? Hopefully a few will either look like oversize Exchequer Leghorns (dark and light spotted in a bold pattern - but perhaps larger?) Interesting the colors so far, as that's fully what I expected to see, jumbo sized Exchequers, basically, maybe with some rusty brown tones here and there. If this one light one is a hen and you can get a loudly spotted rooster - even if he is darker - see where you go from there? Puzzling so far. Can't wait to see where they go from here.