The Island Project

[nicalandia]

Hens

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Impressive..!

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Agreed those birds look well sized, nice breasts.

Well we are going to fiddle with the NNs and see how it goes…

In search of my “Unicorns“ RC RIs

I ordered Heritage RC RIW hatching eggs from these folks https://www.sugar-feather.com/ Sugar Feather Farm. It is my first time ordering from this farm, so we will see how it goes. I will document the process. I paid for the non priority shipping. Only ordered 6 eggs.

I have live non SOP SC RIW live chicks ordered from https://www.cacklehatchery.com/ Cackle Hatchery. The big hatcheries are only raising SC RIs of either colour… so most annoying.

I will track the birds, assuming we get a few of the RC to hatch I am hoping we can see how the Heritage Line and the Production Line stack up.

I E-mailed a RC RIR source, I have received no response. The search continues… “I Want To Believe…”

I can find art, old photos, read old posts of no longer active BYC members that say they had some or saw some or know someone who had or saw some, modern pictures and apparently dead sites claiming they breed them. So they are now very much in the mythic creature box for me… but I will keep plugging away at this…

Note how the RC on RIs curves with their heads…

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Update… waiting on RIW eggs, to be expected. RIR hatching eggs source still no reply, so will search for another source for the mythical Rosecombed RIRs.

All the chicks are growing well. My adult birds are laying pretty regular and at least 4 are large egg layers, the number of double yolk eggs has dropped so possibly I may consider breeding that hen, not sure yet.

The weights of today…

RIRs
Blance Red band vs Aveline Yellow band

Week 1 both 2.35
Week 2 4.60 / 4.20
Week 3 8.15 / 7.55
Week 4 10.80 / 9.90

Naked Necks

Chick #1 red/blue vs Chick #2 red now called Chick A and B until I assign them a name.

Chick A vs Chick B

Week 1 1.85 / 1.60
Week 2 3.15 / 2.40

Americuana

Billina, Ozma and Glinda

Week 1 2.55 / 2.55 / 2.60
Week 2 4.55 / 4.50 / 4.15
Week 3 6.50 / 6.05 / 6.10

Barred Rock

Pepper

Week 1 2.35
Week 2 4.60
Week 3 7.80
Week 4 10.05

Black Australorp

Elvira

Week 1 2.00
Week 2 3.70
Week 3 5.80
Week 4 7.85

French Marans

Yellow Vs Green

Week 1 2.50 / 2.10
Week 2 4.95 / 4.95
Week 3 8.65 / 7.38
Week 4 11.20 / 9.15

D’Uccle Peepers our only confirmed cockerel so far. He is not part of the project.

Week 3 3.30
Week 4 4.95
Week 5 6.65
Week 6 8.15

So far Blance, Pepper and the yellow banded Maran are the biggest chicks in Week 4, Billina biggest out of the Week 3 group, and chick A biggest in week 2… looking at the spread of weights is interesting as well as how they feather out. I definitely need to find a good sized Rooster… but I won’t know what I have to work with till hatching eggs we order get here or the live chick order arrive and they mature enough.

I am really curious to see what the final feather will be on some of these birds.

Chicks are being fed chickstarter, plus lots of extra greens, table scraps, seeds, and more.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

RIRs
Blance Red band vs Aveline Yellow band (now orange band)

Week 1 both 2.35
Week 2 4.60 / 4.20
Week 3 8.15 / 7.55
Week 4 10.80 / 9.90
Week 5 12.25 / 12.50

Interesting… their weights this week, very close.

French Marans

Yellow Vs Green now Orange Vs Green

Week 1 2.50 / 2.10
Week 2 4.95 / 4.95
Week 3 8.65 / 7.38
Week 4 11.20 / 9.15
Week 5 13.35 / 13.30

Again all of a sudden close weights

Black Australorp

Elvira

Week 1 2.00
Week 2 3.70
Week 3 5.80
Week 4 7.85
Week 5 9.90

Barred Rock

Pepper

Week 1 2.35
Week 2 4.60
Week 3 7.80
Week 4 10.05
Week 5 11.90

Billina, Ozma and Glinda

Week 1 2.55 / 2.55 / 2.60
Week 2 4.55 / 4.50 / 4.15
Week 3 6.50 / 6.05 / 6.10
Week 4 8.30 / 7.50 / 7.60

Naked Necks

Chick #1 red/blue vs Chick #2 red now called Chick A and B until I assign them a name.

Chick A purple band vs Chick B

Week 1 1.85 / 1.60
Week 2 3.15 / 2.40
Week 3 4.58 / 3.55

I might need to make sure the family checks the chick’s feed more often while I am at work… increase the ration amounts.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Waiting on RC RIW hatching eggs and SC RIW chick delivery… I may have found RC RIR hatching eggs.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

If all goes well I will eventually have a RIR both RC and SC, RIW both RC and SC, NN SC… other breeds as well, but the goal is quality pools of the two RI colours to cross with the NN…breeds I am waiting on such as the Buckeyes are definitely going to be used as well.

I am hopeful about the hatching eggs.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Well it is weigh in day again…

Our youngest… the Naked Necks, very interesting how they are maturing feather wise considering the difference in their down colour.

Chick A purple band vs Chick B

Week 1 1.85 / 1.60
Week 2 3.15 / 2.40
Week 3 4.58 / 3.55
Week 4 7.20/ 5.88

Next the EEs

Billina, Ozma and Glinda

Week 1 2.55 / 2.55 / 2.60
Week 2 4.55 / 4.50 / 4.15
Week 3 6.50 / 6.05 / 6.10
Week 4 8.30 / 7.50 / 7.60
Week 5 11.10/ 9.60/ 9.45

RIRs

RIRs
Blance Red band vs Aveline Orange band

Week 1 both 2.35
Week 2 4.60 / 4.20
Week 3 8.15 / 7.55
Week 4 10.80 / 9.90
Week 5 12.25 / 12.50
Week 6 16.70/ 16.25

Black Australorp

Elvira

Week 1 2.00
Week 2 3.70
Week 3 5.80
Week 4 7.85
Week 5 9.90
Week 6 12.15

Barred Rock

Pepper

Week 1 2.35
Week 2 4.60
Week 3 7.80
Week 4 10.05
Week 5 11.90
Week 6 15.70

French Marans

Yellow Vs Green now Orange Vs Green

Week 1 2.50 / 2.10
Week 2 4.95 / 4.95
Week 3 8.65 / 7.38
Week 4 11.20 / 9.15
Week 5 13.35 / 13.30
Week 6 19.00/ 14.90

(Hopefully the Yellow banded bird is not a miss read)

I definitely better get a different scale… and I think it is time to move the older birds outside and let the big girls start seeing and hearing them… I think I will keep Peppers with the little chicks.

Peepers… cute as always… Week 8

Out of the birds Peppers and the EEs are the easiest to photograph.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Still working on getting RC RIR… And waiting on RC RIW hatching eggs.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I’m behind on weighing the chicks… I will have a weight day soon. All chicks are now outside.

I managed to order some RIR RC hatching eggs. Hopefully both hatching egg orders will arrive soo .

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

The babies free ranging the yard… they are doing well… did I mention my yard is a jungle… I have a very healthy organic environment for them to find worms, grubs, bugs, frogs and snakes. Yes I have snakes. I am going to weight them this weekend.