The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Eggcessive]

These are really beautiful chickens. Do you have any photo's of your RIR when she wasa about 3 weeks old? I have 5 chicks but I am not sure they are pure so would love to see a photo for comparrison?

Your swedish flowers are so pretty, lovely colours. I love colourful chickens.

I don'r know anything about Rhodebar's but I like that little chappie so I looked at some photographs on Google and those boys grow into very majestic looking birds - wow.

These are my HRIR at 2 to 3 weeks.

 

[Alibabe]

I still need to figure out what to do about a fox that comes around our farm every evening. Im worried he will get the chickens on of these days. I dont have a gun so wondering how else I could trap him

Is there any chance of putting up some electric fencing? Some of them work with solar power so apart from initial outlay, no running costs. Do you or could you get a working farm dog who will patrol your farm and protect the chickens? Not sure of what else to suggest as I am sure you do not want them penned up. Do you have a friendly neighbour with a gun that could help you. The only other solution that I have read about is a fox trap but how to make one, I do not know .

My DH and I have just spent the day making a new run for our babies with wire on the ground to stop foxes digging as well as added extra wire mesh to our fence panels that we used to make the run. It is easier for me as I only have a large back garden not a farm so all I have to do is secure a 3.5m x 3.5m area

I really feel for you as I have also lost chickens to a fox and it is devastating. I hope you work something out to stop those foxes as they are one of the worst predators.

 

[Alibabe]

These are my HRIR at 2 to 3 weeks.

Thank you, mine look like that, phew! In your first photo, the little one on the far right looks exactly like my first one that hatched and in the second photo, I have one like number 2 from the left. I see their legs are quite large - is there anyway to tell boys from girls by the width of their legs?

I have 5 in total. 2 have no tail to speak of. 2 have a tail of just under a cm and the last one has a tail of 2cms or slightly more. I am guessing that 4 are females and 1 male.

What I don't see on your chicks that 3 of mine have is feathers which look like another 'set of wings' like where you expect to see angels wings on a Christmas decoration. These feathers are the lovely dark brown as in your chicks dark brown. This is what makes me wonder if they are pure.

Edit: Got a (bad) pic of the angel wings.




They are wonderfully friendly lively little things and I love their colours even if they are not pure.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote:
Here are the HRIR at 3 weeks old... I caught them napping.
Rumor had it that the ones with a little "white fluff" on their wings were cockerels... the others were pullets.
This is holding true as near as I can tell... but there are those that think that's not a good way to tell.
So... I banded mine... I believe it does hold true... at least for this line... I'm not sure why.
I had one or two who are questionable out of 20, but the others were all quite obvious.
For a lot more pics and info about HRIR, I suggest you jump over to the Heritage Rhode Island Red thread here on BYC.
Also... note there are two different comb types in HRIR... mine are Rose Comb...

 

[Mumsy]

Have just enough time to come on this morning and share my good news. I set a dozen and a half White Silkie eggs eight days ago. Covered by my Catdance cockerel. The two Catdance pullets have been laying again and one Sheryl Butler pullet is laying. These girls got good bum trims as did the roo. The three have tried to brood a couple times but they are bad at it. They all want the same nest. Eggs get strewn all over the place. Judy the Broody hatched one beautiful little white female. So the Genesis is in full swing. . Well....Back to the good news! Did the first candle at eight days and 100% fertile and growing embryos! Never had 100% in Silkie eggs EVER!

I think my FF and them free ranging has a lot to do with it.

 

[Alibabe]

Here are the HRIR at 3 weeks old... I caught them napping.
Rumor had it that the ones with a little "white fluff" on their wings were cockerels... the others were pullets.
This is holding true as near as I can tell... but there are those that think that's not a good way to tell.
So... I banded mine... I believe it does hold true... at least for this line... I'm not sure why.
I had one or two who are questionable out of 20, but the others were all quite obvious.
For a lot more pics and info about HRIR, I suggest you jump over to the Heritage Rhode Island Red thread here on BYC.
Also... note there are two different comb types in HRIR... mine are Rose Comb...

They look so sleepy

I like their wing colours, really nice.

If I understand about the white fluff, then the chick on the far right is cockeral, middle and left are pullets? I am going to check mine to see if I can tell.

I am a terrible photographer but I think this is my only boy and I am going purely by tail length. What do you think?





I think this one is a pullet as she has little to no tail

My camera doesn't show the colours very well but they do have similar colouring to yours as far as I can see.

 

[RedRidge]

Quote: ??

Truly it's all speculation at this age... guess you'll get a surprise in a few months.

 

[Alibabe]

??

Truly it's all speculation at this age... guess you'll get a surprise in a few months.

I am really looking forward to finding out to see if my first try at sexing chicks is correct. I have checked on a few HRIR threads and so far there doesn't seem to be a concensus as to how you sex these little ones. Time will tell.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you, mine look like that, phew! In your first photo, the little one on the far right looks exactly like my first one that hatched and in the second photo, I have one like number 2 from the left. I see their legs are quite large - is there anyway to tell boys from girls by the width of their legs?

I have 5 in total. 2 have no tail to speak of. 2 have a tail of just under a cm and the last one has a tail of 2cms or slightly more. I am guessing that 4 are females and 1 male.

What I don't see on your chicks that 3 of mine have is feathers which look like another 'set of wings' like where you expect to see angels wings on a Christmas decoration. These feathers are the lovely dark brown as in your chicks dark brown. This is what makes me wonder if they are pure.

They are wonderfully friendly lively little things and I love their colours even if they are not pure.

Where did you get yours? I think you will find that the ones with no tail feathers will be boys. And I think my boys had the angel wings you are describing--it is just the slow feathering in that the other HRIR people describe on their thread. I never thought they would get all of their feathers, but finally they look mahogany brown now at 13 weeks. I will have to take a few pictures today.

 

[Alibabe]

Where did you get yours? I think you will find that the ones with no tail feathers will be boys. And I think my boys had the angel wings you are describing--it is just the slow feathering in that the other HRIR people describe on their thread. I never thought they would get all of their feathers, but finally they look mahogany brown now at 13 weeks. I will have to take a few pictures today.

I bought them off eBay - I know, I should not have relied on eBay

but I am far too trusting and if somebody tells me the eggs are from HRIR then I believe them

I am now very confused cos the ones with Angel wings (I updated my previous post with a pic) all have tails and the ones without Angel Wings have no tails. Uggg, so frustrating. I don't see any big combs or wattles. I have 2 other cockerals in this batch (cream crested legbars) and their combs are already about 2-3mm but then I have SLO which I cannot tell if they are boys or girls. I think I am hopeless with this sexing of chicks. I will be interested to see if my gut instinct is correct though.