The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

Chickens are chickens..just because it is not SOP it does not remove the fact it is a chicken.
If your chickens are healthy and they lay you eggs..they are the best chickens in the world!

could not have said it better myself. At the end of the day...they are all just chickens.

 

[Leahs Mom]

that would be fine but I can tell you they are Sumatra's. If you put the pics up I can explain who is who.... at least the blues. The blacks are really hard for even me to tell apart

I'm a sucker for the blues...

ALL PHOTOS FROM STONYKILL'S FACEBOOK PAGE

And look at these babies!!!!!

 

[stonykill]

those are all "Mama" . She has hatched 13 broods in the 4 years I have had her. She was an adult when I got her so she is at least 5 in the last 2 pictures. I really don't remember when the 1st pic was taken. Might have been from last year. The 2nd picture is Mama on 13 eggs of which 11 hatched. You can see a cracked shell in the pic. I was eggcited and took her picture. The 3rd pic is the same brood EXCEPT she has 4 adopted orphans in addition to her 11 she hatched. They were under 3 weeks old and their mama kicked them loose. A bad mama. So my wife and I gathered the 2 of them up ( lil roadrunners

) and I offered them to "Mama" . She lifted her wings and took them even though they weren't hers and were a week older than hers. She never looked happier walking around the yard keeping track of 15 chicks. She did an amazing job. Such an amazing job she sat and hatched 6 more after that and is with them still. Before the 15 she raised 4 lil ones 1st thing in the spring.

 

[Sally8]

Oh my gosh! If that isn't the cutest picture! Thanks Sue

 

[stonykill]

I remember now...the 1st pic. This fall. Her 3rd brood of the year. I remember the lil rebel. Always out from under Mama

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...hin-egg-with-sharpie-answer-is-yes-with-proof

Sharpies are all good according to this.

I don't think I own a sharpie, I have always used a construction pencil in the bator. I have ever monkeyed around with eggs under a broody.

 

Interesting test they did! Thanks for sharing this As a teacher, I am the proud owner if a DRAWER full of sharpies, lol! I think I have every shape, size and color they offer. I'll be putting them to good use this spring

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yay!!!! So glad you're here!!!

X2!!!

 

[Bulldogma]

I remember now...the 1st pic. This fall. Her 3rd brood of the year. I remember the lil rebel. Always out from under Mama

What a great mother! If you could clone her and her broodiness, you would make millions!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mama is my all time favorite stony

 

[stonykill]

and I forgot to state the obvious...the original question. Mama is a blue Sumatra. All the chicks are blue and black Sumatra. Eggs from other girls than Mama. Mama's eggs have proven to be too roo heavy. Of the 15 from brood # 2 I got only 6 roo's. That I can live with. Mama on her own tend to hatch 75% roo's.