The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

mssb... how old are they?

 

[aoxa]

Okay...I may be WAY WRONG 'cuz I'm new at this but...

I didn't think the eggs looked fertile. Before I had a roo, I had some that looked similar to that but no roo. After I got a roo, I see a big difference and the bullseye is very clearly pronounced.

Could you possibly post a couple more photos of the eggs? When I look at those photos you had, it just looked like a kind-of shadow rather than a really clear bullseye around the "spot"...


But that one does look quite "roo-like"....

I posted this quite a few times, but here it is again. Just to clear it up. Before I had fertile eggs I thought I had bullseye, but once you actually see it for real, you can really see it.

 

[aoxa]

So the egg is supposed to have a spot? It a circle around the spot I'm looking for?

I've had lots of people ask it that one is a rooster.

Here are a few other pics if the chickens. I'll take pictures of the eggs again in a little bit. I'll have to crack more

It doesn't even matter how old they are. Barred rocks are sex linked by colour. The colour alone only occurs in girls.

The one with the big comb and wattles just has some leghorn in it, common from hatcheries.

Here is one of my friend's hens who makes my roosters jealous

 

[Mrs.SB]

mssb...  how old are they?

I can't remember when exactly we got them but I think the are about a year old. Maybe a year and a couple of months

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa - I didn't know BR are sex link...what does the male look like?

 

[midnightroo]

Aoxa - I didn't know BR are sex link...what does the male look like?

Yes I would like to know also. I also need to post some photos of my GLW because i just noiced one has a slightly redder comb.

I also agree with Lisa, Justine you should be a photographer! You are also really making me want a BMD bad!

Sorry to hear about your power issues red ridge I hope to see some chick photos from you soon.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Here's some close ups of the fertile eggs and a little explanation of what you're looking for:

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-tell-if-your-chicken-eggs-are.html

 

[TexasLisa]

Well I just hope when Aoxa becomes a famous photographer she remembers us 'little people'.

Lisa

 

[RedRidge]

First BSF...
This pic is terrible... and I really wish I'd had a video... but I hope you can visualize what is going on here because I thought it was hysterical.
And being the natural thread I figured this was the best place to post the first feeding of live Black Soldier Fly larvae to the chicks.



These are a couple of my 13 day olds... I gave them some BSF for the first time today - all they have had to this point is home ground and mixed FF.
There are 21 chicks in this brooder... three were curious out of the gate while the others hung back when I placed a few BSF in with them for the first time.
They just keep cocking their heads and watching them move and wiggle and really weren't sure what to think.
But the things in the red bowls were MOVING! OMG! Three curious three were mesmerized.
Several minutes passed as they watched the BSF wiggle around and then one brave chick (dang I wish I had marked who these brave three were), picked one up and RAN all the way to a corner and put his head in the corner with it's fuzzy butt sticking up in attempt to hide and not share his prize. It was like a dog with a bone. The other two followed suite - each to a different corner. But what was even more funny was the remaining 18 chicks. The brooder became all abuzz as the remaining chicks attempted to turn it into a frenzy. They knew these three had prizes and just kept harassing them and trying to take them instead of going to get one of their own. It was hysterical to watch... even as each of the three adventurers came back for more while all the others chased them around the brooder. You could just hear the brave three saying "Stay away! It's all MINE!"
While all the others, not quite so bright, were saying, "Hey, you should share... where did you find that?!"

Chicks are so FUN! I needed a good chuckle today and they provided today's entertainment.

 

[aoxa]

Yes I would like to know also. I also need to post some photos of my GLW because i just noiced one has a slightly redder comb.

I also agree with Lisa, Justine you should be a photographer! You are also really making me want a BMD bad!

Sorry to hear about your power issues red ridge I hope to see some chick photos from you soon.

Okay, so they are sex linked because the females only receive one copy of the barring from their father. This makes their barring appear darker. The male receives two of these genes. One from his mother, and one from his father.


Here is a picture example.

Very clear yes?

This technique is a little harder to tell in the Good Shepherd and Stukel line of barred rocks.


as chicks you can sex them based on leg colour and the shape of the dot on their head.



all of these here are females. Round dot. Small. Legs are darker with black wash down them.


All of these are males. Uneven, larger. Down seems a tad lighter than the females. Legs are more yellow.


Leg colour difference. Female on left, male on right.