The Aloha Chicken Project

[alohachickens]

More Swedish Flower x Aloha cross chicks are hatching, still! We now have over 25. Heading towards 30 . . .

 

[Deerfield Acres]

More Swedish Flower x Aloha cross chicks are hatching, still! We now have over 25. Heading towards 30 . . .

Cool!!!!!! Might we beg for pics of the newbys? I love the pics!

 

[alohachickens]

I posted a couple of photos of the first 12 or so that hatched the other day . . . so far these look like "more of the same". I'll update with more photos when they start to feather out!

 

[alohachickens]

35+ Swedish Flower x Aloha crosses - and five more eggs in the 'bator still that could hatch! Just a few more days left on these!

So far, one of the older ones has started to feather out a little, and looks like a LOT of white! And the older chicks are getting big. REALLY BIG. Much larger than regular Aloha chicks. Crossing my fingers that a dash of Swedish Flower in there will be the final ingredient for making the perfect Alohas!

 

[draye]

Are you using the ones (Swedish Flower) that have crests also?

 

[Deerfield Acres]

I believe, if I calculated correctly, that my Alohas are 10.5 weeks old today. I took pics of the hens in the white and yellow leg pen with one tiny cockerel who was severely picked on in the big and small cockerel pens so relocated with this group of hens. I also took a pic of my lanky spotty SX roo who ambled in front of the camera.

He's taller than my Big Red SX but isn't as thick. I think he's going to be a pretty boy once he's bulked up a bit.



The following birds all have white feet.


#1 Is larger than most with very few faint white spots, grey underfeathers.






#2 Light New Hamp coloring with more distinct white spots with black specks, grey underfeathers on top and white on bottom. Picture doesn't show it well but this is one of the smallest framed birds.






#3 This is a good sized Ginger girl with black spots on neck and tail with a couple black tail feathers. White underfeathers on neck and grey underfeathers on body. This funny girl has pale, pale grey legs that almost look white.






#4 One of the larger hens no white spots, a little black on wings and tail. Dark grey underfeathers.






#5 Nice sized bird with some nice white lacing and black flecks on neck. Some black on wings and tail, dark grey underfeathers.






#6 Small version of #2 hen.




Those are all of the white legged hens. I'm going to take a little break and then I'll post all the yellow legged hens.

 

[15littlem]

What did you cross in order to get #3 and #5?

 

[Deerfield Acres]

The following birds are in the same pen with the white feet birds. These are all of the yellow leg/feet hens with one cockerel.



#1 Good sized bird with very few indistinct white spots, white edging on neck feathers, underfeathers are white.




#2 Ginger girl with white/black spots, underfeathers are white, some black on wing and tail.




#3 Ginger girl same as above with more white. This is a large hen, I really like her.





#4 Faint white spots, tiny bit of black on wing and tail. Yellow legs have a greenish tint.




#5 Same as above but with yellow legs.





#6 This is the largest hen with yellow legs. She has indistinct black and white spots, underfeathers are grey with a bit of black on wing and tail.





#7 This is the tiny little cockerel who hangs with the girls because the boys beat him up terribly. He's a pretty, pretty guy but he has a small frame.



Those are all of the hens I have with yellow legs.

Sommer, there are 9 hens with grey legs and one has cute little puffy cheeks. There are some soft buff colored hens with some black on wing/tail, 2 brick red with white/blk, and there are some wild type hens, one of them has white spots on the breast. Do you need to see pics of them also, or should I just stick with the yellow and white legged birds?


How many of these hens should I keep and which ones? As far as roos go I have 5 young Buff Rock cockerels, 1 SX with great body type, few spots, 1 SX with good spots and size but still gangly and, of course, the Alohas.

I'll try to get the cockerels all photographed in the next couple days so you can see how they are turning out.

Thanks for your help.

Karen

 

[Deerfield Acres]

What did you cross in order to get #3 and #5?

I'll leave alohachickens to answer that one because those two birds came from some hatching eggs I got from her. Beautiful birds aren't they? Lucky me!

 

[alohachickens]

The following birds are in the same pen with the white feet birds. These are all of the yellow leg/feet hens with one cockerel.



#1 Good sized bird with very few indistinct white spots, white edging on neck feathers, underfeathers are white.




#2 Ginger girl with white/black spots, underfeathers are white, some black on wing and tail.




#3 Ginger girl same as above with more white. This is a large hen, I really like her.





#4 Faint white spots, tiny bit of black on wing and tail. Yellow legs have a greenish tint.




#5 Same as above but with yellow legs.





#6 This is the largest hen with yellow legs. She has indistinct black and white spots, underfeathers are grey with a bit of black on wing and tail.





#7 This is the tiny little cockerel who hangs with the girls because the boys beat him up terribly. He's a pretty, pretty guy but he has a small frame.



Those are all of the hens I have with yellow legs.

Sommer, there are 9 hens with grey legs and one has cute little puffy cheeks. There are some soft buff colored hens with some black on wing/tail, 2 brick red with white/blk, and there are some wild type hens, one of them has white spots on the breast. Do you need to see pics of them also, or should I just stick with the yellow and white legged birds?


How many of these hens should I keep and which ones? As far as roos go I have 5 young Buff Rock cockerels, 1 SX with great body type, few spots, 1 SX with good spots and size but still gangly and, of course, the Alohas.

I'll try to get the cockerels all photographed in the next couple days so you can see how they are turning out.

Thanks for your help.

Karen

That BIG "Ginger" hen with the yellow legs - WOW!

The small Ginger hens with white legs are also nice!

As for the gray leg or puffy cheek girls, it's more of a size/type/color thing. If they have really great color . . . . because you have fewer hens to start with, you might want keep them anyway. Gray legs and puffy cheeks are not what we are breeding for, but I wouldn't toss out a really nice hen if she had other outstanding qualities. ESPECIALLY when you are just getting started! Like, if you have a super-flashy colored hen but she has puffy cheeks or gray legs, maybe put her in with a big old New Hampshire rooster? At least the babies will carry some awesome color genes and hopefully the large dad would help improve leg color and size.

However, if the gray-leg hens are kind of marginal, then go ahead and cull them. (In other words, those gray legged or puffy cheeked babies better be FLASHY or don't even bother.) So it kind of depends. If you want to share photos of the prettiest "gray legs" feel free to show them off!

These yellow hens with yellow legs and Ginger hens with yellow legs will be great choices to put in with your biggest Sussex rooster. Keep all the flashiest colored hens with yellow legs from that cross as greatly improved breeding stock for your next generation!