The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Jockeyeba,


Congrats!!!

Those first eggs are so fun!



I also have my first pip for the hatch a long!

 

[aoxa]

I've only bought hatchery day old Silkies but once. Just two chicks. I judged them to be cockerels after a couple days and unfortunatley that is what they were. Not very pretty ones either.

There is something about Silkie chicks and most other breeds that just jumps out at me. I've raised over 30 different breeds of LF and B fowl over the many years. Hatched out hundreds with incubator and natural hen.
Right now I have four chicks from hatching eggs I purchased without ever seeing the breeding birds. Of the four on day two I judged two females and two males. At one week I judged three males and one female. I'll put pictures of them up at age three weeks and ask what you all think. Just on appearances. Not vent check. I really hope I'm wrong. I was hoping against hope for at least two of each out of the four.

I also have three surviving Bantam RIR chicks from mail order hatching eggs. To my eyes they appear to be two males and one female. I hope so. But...my gut is telling me they are all three males.
So. I post it here and put my touchy feely judgement out for the world. This is one time I'm really hoping to be wrong. One female to six males is a bad ratio.

So I'm not the only one that just sees them and thinks they look male or female without any backup other than that. How weird. I can see it in their eyes.. Is that strange? With silkies I mean. I'm not always right, but 2/3 times I am.




Let me give you an example... Gretta @ 4 weeks

There is something dainty about a pullet's face. The eyes seem smaller and their beak is round where the males appear to have a falcon-ish beak.
Check out the canckles on the bird next to her

 

[aoxa]

wow

you need to get some of them

He only does white. Not a fan of white. Too hard to keep for show! They yellow in the sun, and I don't coop my silkies indoors.

 

[delisha]

Quote: I love the white! My DH has not given me a preference..I guess I should ask him..lol

 

[aoxa]

I love the white! My DH has not given me a preference..I guess I should ask him..lol

Unless you like giving chickens baths, I would steer clear of white.

I just can't see you cooping them indoors. Doesn't seem like a thing you would do either!

Oh Gretta. You are so strange.

 

[Mumsy]

So I'm not the only one that just sees them and thinks they look male or female without any backup other than that. How weird. I can see it in their eyes.. Is that strange? With silkies I mean. I'm not always right, but 2/3 times I am.




Let me give you an example... Gretta @ 4 weeks

There is something dainty about a pullet's face. The eyes seem smaller and their beak is round where the males appear to have a falcon-ish beak.
Check out the canckles on the bird next to her

It's true. As soon as they hatch it seems apparent to me but it's hard to explain. I only had few silkie eggs hatch but what they were seemed to be easy to read. The beaks do seem to be more refined in female Silkies and the toes and feet of males seem longer and bigger. It seems to me male chicks feather out the wings faster than females. Here are two chicks from my hatch that I named on day of hatch. If I'm wrong I will tell the truth later down the road.



Mr. Big Foot. First to hatch. Day one and three weeks old today.


Little Miss Peggy. Still small and dainty in every way. She has a vaulted skull. Day one and three weeks old today.

 

[Melabella]

Congrats Melabella!! Something has gone wrong on BYC-I haven't received notifications in 3 days from any thread

I just now went to this one & the Texas thread & everyone is posting away

but I don't know about it....got my 1st Wyandotte egg yesterday from one of my 2 girls 8 1/2 months old. The picture is a WR egg, an American Game & the little 1st Dotte egg

and Happy New Year

Jockeyba,

Congratulations! How cute is that wyandotte egg. I swear, you would have thought I had a grandchild this morning.. I was so happy, and no one was home! Horses thought I was patzo,,

Happy New Year to you too!

Someone else a few posts back said they weren't getting any notifications as well. I forgot what they said about it.

MB

 

[aoxa]

It's true. As soon as they hatch it seems apparent to me but it's hard to explain. I only had few silkie eggs hatch but what they were seemed to be easy to read. The beaks do seem to be more refined in female Silkies and the toes and feet of males seem longer and bigger. It seems to me male chicks feather out the wings faster than females. Here are two chicks from my hatch that I named on day of hatch. If I'm wrong I will tell the truth later down the road.



Mr. Big Foot. First to hatch. Day one and three weeks old today.


Little Miss Peggy. Still small and dainty in every way. She has a vaulted skull. Day one and three weeks old today.

I bet you're right on those too. The boy seems obvious.

See what I mean about the eyes! You're girl has the girly eyes too!

 

[Mumsy]

I bet you're right on those too. The boy seems obvious.

See what I mean about the eyes! You're girl has the girly eyes too!

At three weeks old these two still scream male to me as well. I was hoping the chick with the vaulted skull in the foreground would be female but all things look male to me. Big boy beaks, eyes, and feet. These chicks really lack good feathering on their feet. If they are boys they won't stay with me long. I really want to be wrong on at least one of these two chicks.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just getting back from a road trip... and catching up.

My news: Mom is out of the nest today w/baby. My husb has been checking on them all day since I've been gone. Mom just hunkers down on baby every once in awhile to keep it warm.

Would y'all w/experience expect that mom will go back to the next box for the night or just hunker down in the litter?

PS: Where's Stony today?

Melabella Is proud to announce
The arrival of the very
First egg from her flock
From her RIR girl named​

Rose well

Proud papa Duke is clueless
​

Congrats!

I remember the first egg when it was hard to eat it! Wanted everyone to try some but it was still hard.... like I wanted to to frame it or something!

!

There are ways to tell. With day old chicken chicks you need to handle day olds by the hundreds and examine the inside of the vent. I have images I'll post. For most people, it takes practice with hundreds and then you recognize the tiny details. Male Duck and Turkey chicks have penises. They are easily exposed with very gentle handling. Practice practice practice. I can usually tell the sex by the third and forth day with my chicks by observing certain things. It's the careful observation, leg banding or toe punching and then keeping a journal diligently on the chicks. I am usually 99.9 correct on my guesses. Especially if you hatch lots of chicks from the same breeding pairs and trios. You get a knack for noticing small details of the genders.

I'd sure love to learn this!!!!!! What about feather sexing...any luck w/that?

Something has gone wrong on BYC-I haven't received notifications in 3 days from any thread

Yes...I and everyone I've spoken to is having the same problem. I'm hoping someone has notified the mods!

I also have my first pip for the hatch a long!

YAY!!!!!!