The Middle Tennessee Thread

[heirloomorps]

Thanks for the additional breed ideas. I haven't called him yet. I don't have a 'bator (gasp! I know).

Or a White Orp. They lay a light brown colored egg.

LOL, yes, they had pearl, white, lavender and royal purple. The royal purple is an almost black from what I can see - some speckling on the back. I heard the colored ones are slightly tamer, but wanted a bird that wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb to predators. I'd really like to get a couple of the chocolate ones.

I LOVE the Lavenders. We have a beautiful flock, half from Donna and half from hatching eggs. We have Pied, Pearl, White, Lavender, Coral Blue, Brown, Buff or Buff Dundotte and an Opaline or Porcelain one... I should go and get some pics. Ours aren't laying yet either.

 

[Searsmom]

Maybe I don't have one then. The thing about guinea genes.... they are VERY simple. I read that there are only 4 genes at work to give you all the colors.... weird. Looks like my flock has most of those genes. I have a lot of whites and when I use the guinea calculator it said that whites and pearl would make some Lavenders..... I don't get many lavs but then I must also have more boys than girls as I was only getting about 4-5 eggs a day last year form 13 birds.... maybe the new ones are the other way around. I just hope I can find the eggs this year. Last year mine laid in the run not sure if that will repeat. Maybe I need to make a nest area with an egg to encourage that same spot.

I will post pictures if they survive and grow up - I've heard they drop dead as keets at the drop of a hat. They will be hovered over. You should post some pics of your lavenders!

Candled eggs again last night and 4 were definitely dead, with 1 that was so dark (green egg) that we couldn't see anything. No movement or eye or anything, so we decided to toss it. Of course upon cracking it open, there is the little chick moving!! I cried, I felt so terrible for killing it. So now we are down to 6 out of 12 left in the incubator. Hatch day is the 31st

Aww, that's what I hated about having a broody hen. When she gets up I have to go through what's left - last summer was my first experience and some of them looked so close to hatching. No bator. I was terrified that if I just buried the eggs they would hatch and die underground. I was pretty freaked out. But we got 9 live ones out of that batch - buff orpingtons.

where do they have these?

It's the Jefferson County Co-op in Dandridge, TN. You might be able to call and reserve more - it's pure luck they ordered any at all, but they might have extras. I happened to be there when someone called about ordering 15, so me and my friend added our 8 to cut down on cost.

Or a White Orp. They lay a light brown colored egg.

I LOVE the Lavenders. We have a beautiful flock, half from Donna and half from hatching eggs. We have Pied, Pearl, White, Lavender, Coral Blue, Brown, Buff or Buff Dundotte and an Opaline or Porcelain one... I should go and get some pics. Ours aren't laying yet either.

I'd like brown! Not sure I can do them this year, but maybe next year....pictures?

 

[Searsmom]

I should have mentioned, the guineas will be arriving on Mar 28th if you're interested, but do call first and see if there's extras or if you can add to their order.

 

[DMRippy]

Here is what I have learned with keets. DON'T let them get cold they have to be warmer than chicks. Don't put them in a brooder they can RUN OUT OF .... you will never catch them. keep a cover on them... they fly very well. As long as they are warm they do pretty well. After the chick stage they are very hearty and hard to kill.

These first 2 pics are of the younger guinea and the next ones are maybe mixed but mostly the older guinea. Once they are grown I have only lost them to predators.



Hard to tell the coral blues from the lavenders in the pics but in person they look totally different.

 

[FeyRaine]

Here are the 2 Marans (& an EE) that I was wondering about. Not great pictures but you can see how their combs are very pointy already & why I'm wondering if there is any hope either of these could be a pullet...

All 3 chicks from above

One of these is BCM the other IM & I'm not sure which is which even...
Maran A


Maran B


Anyone w/ Maran experience care to guess gender, or even which is which BCM vs IM ?

 

[DMRippy]

Here are the 2 Marans (& an EE) that I was wondering about. Not great pictures but you can see how their combs are very pointy already & why I'm wondering if there is any hope either of these could be a pullet...

All 3 chicks from above

One of these is BCM the other IM & I'm not sure which is which even...
Maran A


Maran B


Anyone w/ Maran experience care to guess gender, or even which is which BCM vs IM ?

Both look like pullets at this point but I have not had the IM long enough to know genders early yet. I will venture to say A is the IM. I find they are better colored as chicks than most BCM chicks. I have not hatched one from the IM that look like B.

 

[Penny Hen]

Maybe I don't have one then. The thing about guinea genes.... they are VERY simple. I read that there are only 4 genes at work to give you all the colors.... weird. Looks like my flock has most of those genes. I have a lot of whites and when I use the guinea calculator it said that whites and pearl would make some Lavenders..... I don't get many lavs but then I must also have more boys than girls as I was only getting about 4-5 eggs a day last year form 13 birds.... maybe the new ones are the other way around. I just hope I can find the eggs this year. Last year mine laid in the run not sure if that will repeat. Maybe I need to make a nest area with an egg to encourage that same spot.

Put something like a bulb "grass plants out and watch them hide under it to lay. In a pinch you could use cheap hula skirts (from a costume shop like Party City) to make a long grass like screen that will make them feel safe in. They prefer to nest on the ground. Mine once made a nest under a waded up piece of cattle fence. It was totally hawk proof. The fencing just happened to be there she made the choice to make the nest.

 

[FeyRaine]

Both look like pullets at this point but I have not had the IM long enough to know genders early yet. I will venture to say A is the IM. I find they are better colored as chicks than most BCM chicks. I have not hatched one from the IM that look like B.

That would be great luck if they did turn out to be pullets I wasn't intending to breed them, just wanted to round out the egg colors in my eating egg flock.

Here is a picture I took today of the color range I have now, the very light ones in the pic are all blue, I lack pure white and very dark choc which maybe those Marans will fix on the dark side.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
I have both, white and dark, she is not my darkest layer just a new one. Middle is an EE and the right is a Super Blue Egg Layer.

 

[ddhyland]

That would be great luck if they did turn out to be pullets I wasn't intending to breed them, just wanted to round out the egg colors in my eating egg flock.

Here is a picture I took today of the color range I have now, the very light ones in the pic are all blue, I lack pure white and very dark choc which maybe those Marans will fix on the dark side.

Wow, those are so pretty!