The Aloha Chicken Project

[ChicksDigItFCF]

What color are the eggs?

 

[draye]

Nice to see them coming g sling.

I still have about 3 Alohas. Very young chicks though. Hatched in September.

They are an unusual color though. They are a blue version, 2 are and the other is a regular color.

Here is a picture of the blue pair.
Maybe you can tell not the best photos.

 

[alohachickens]

What color are the eggs?

The eggs are a creamy color, not white and not brown. Here let me see if I have a picture.

 

[HEChicken]

@alohachickens dang it, I just ran into a lady from San Antonio last week at DH's company Christmas party. Mind you, we had each flown to the location of the party so in order to get her to carry them home, the eggs would have to go through security both from here to there and from there back to her hometown of SA, so that wouldn't have been a good option anyway. She did threaten to come and visit us sometime down the road to see the farm so if that ever happens, I'll get in touch and maybe we can figure something out.

I finally got pics of my elusive second hen that will be bred next spring. Unlike the first who has too much black but is very spotty, this one more closely resembles the roosters. I am hoping the combination will not simply produce more chicks that look the same as the parents but will actually improve on the spots, but time will tell. The good news is, the two hens are good-sized hens, with nice type. Single comb, yellow legs. Its a good base to build on, at least.

 

[alohachickens]

Agreed, your darker hen has much better spotting, but since Mottling is a recessive gene, it's really impossible to know what the next generation might do? I can't wait to see if they naturally begin to get more spotty, or is this basically where it ends (in terms of color) on a Mottled to Solid hybrid?

These are still 50% German NHR and 50% Exchequer, correct?

I can't wait to see what happens in the next generation, but I am super impressed with the body type on these! Very "solid" looking, and nice comb shapes too.

If you know of anyone flying to Austin or San Antonio, if they are checking a bag it should be fine, just pack the eggs in plastic bag and put that inside a padded box. I have no idea what would happen if someone tried to carry them on. Worst case scenario they'd just get tossed in the trash, I suppose.

There is also a friend in Arkansas - I want to say maybe Little Rock area? She also has a tiny flock of Alohas and an incubator, although there is no "direct connection" to Phoenix from her, so I am not exactly certain how the bloodlines would reach me in the future. But, it would at least get these to a new house and start mixing them with Alohas to see what happens. Her tiny flock is very nice quality, too.

I've tried to ship out the very best I could to anyone willing to make a "go" of raising the breed out of state. Both the Tx and Arkansas breeders have done a really good job choosing the best few hens and nicest roosters, and they are having a lot of success with selling chicks locally. (Neither can keep up with demand, but both are limited with only a few hens and a tabletop incubator.)

 

[HEChicken]

Yes, still 50/50 NHR and Exchequer. Ugh - excited to see the next generation and at the same time hoping they don't recede backwards. I think a couple of the hens may have started to lay recently as I'm seeing a few pullet eggs but don't know who is laying them. But, even if they are laying this is not a good time for hatching as we go into winter as it would be hard to get them out of a brooder and to the coop. So, I guess I'll just have to wait until Spring.

I carried on the eggs you gave me from PHX back home. It wasn't an issue with security at all. I double bagged them and packed them with lots of clothing around them for padding. I treated them very gently putting them on the belt to go through the x-ray but no questions were asked by the screeners. All was well until my second flight which was on a tiny commuter jet and I had to gate check my bag. At my destination, instead of letting me take my bag back as we exited the plane, they put it in with the checked bags and I had to collect it off the carousel. My bag came thumping down the belt, probably thrown on there by baggage handlers, and I decided the eggs were toast, so I didn't handle my bag particularly carefully after that, wheeling it along the asphalt to my car, up and down a couple of curbs. I almost didn't set them thinking they were either fried by the x-ray or scrambled from rough handling. Yet 17 or the 18 eggs hatched 21 days later. So yes, carry-on is an option is you aren't planning to check a bag (which I never do). These days I travel with a day pack and never have to gate check because my day pack always fits under the seat in front of me. So these days I'd be able to control their handling for the entire trip.

I do hope I can cross some of your confetti back onto these. If I could retain some of this type but add in some of your coloring, I think we'd be well on our way.

 

[alohachickens]

HEChicken, if you ever want a box of 25 chicks shipped to you, just say the word. I'd ask for cost of the box and Express shipping but the chicks themselves would be free. About half would be hens, and hopefully maybe a few of those would be the "confetti" color. (Or extremely mottled.) I'd be thrilled to see a nice flock developing in KS again!

 

[HEChicken]

I would be thrilled to take you up on that in spring. I have some extremely broody birds and I've found the best way to break a broody is to give her chicks to raise. How about if I let you know as soon as one starts going broody and we can go from there? Depending on where you are with hatching, hopefully the time frame will work out. They usually start going broody in early to mid-March so it sounds like that would work out on your end.

 

[alohachickens]

I would be thrilled to take you up on that in spring. I have some extremely broody birds and I've found the best way to break a broody is to give her chicks to raise. How about if I let you know as soon as one starts going broody and we can go from there? Depending on where you are with hatching, hopefully the time frame will work out. They usually start going broody in early to mid-March so it sounds like that would work out on your end.

Sounds like a good plan! I usually hatch regularly during March, and overnight the peeps, so it could work out just fine.

 

[runsw/scissors]

Hello aloha! Don't know if you remember me, but you shipped me some chicks 6 or 7 years ago. I'd like to get some fresh stock if I can. I currently have an epidemic of egg eating, so most of my flock is going to have to go.


edited to add, I am happy to trade fertile eggs, but typically my hatch rates from shipped eggs are awful.

Sounds like a good plan! I usually hatch regularly during March, and overnight the peeps, so it could work out just fine.