The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

ack! can't sulphur dip tomorrow because it is going to be rainy and cold. dang it!

spent some time figuring out the diff between ee, ameracauna and araucana. Ok, I think....I have two ameracuana and two ee's which must be the same thing as a cross between an ameracuana or ee and a leghorn. at least, thats what I think...so far....could stand to be corrected.

how the heck am I going to cull these sweet little roo's?

 

[delisha]

Mumsy..your baby's are so cute..I am so jealous. I want white catdance silkies!!

 

[MumsyII]

Mumsy..your baby's are so cute..I am so jealous. I want white catdance silkies!!

Thank you del. No matter how cruddy my day goes, sitting and staring at these little twerps always makes me smile. Found some interesting reading online tonight about the genetics of vaulting on crested and non crested chickens. Very deep stuff. I've got my cutting and pasting going full speed. I'm surprised that there are so few studies done on the gene. More questions on the how than answers.

 

[Sally8]

Oh...I don't have any research other than my own experience. Twenty plus years ago, when I was raising Whites, a vaulted skull was a female every time. I am raising chicks out of hens I hatched from a long time breeder of whites. Three of the four are female. Two have vaults. My Catdance chicks I hatched produced six  female  chicks. Three of those have  vaults. The six males, no vaults.

I have no idea yet if  my nine vaulted white chicks out of a breeding  pen  using a non vaulted Catdance male with two vaulted Catdance hens and two vaulted SB pullets will all be female. That is why I am progeny testing. If my strain turns out to be producers of all female vaulted Whites, I'll be on to something cool. I don't know what happens in other peoples breeding pens but what I've got going is awesome right now if my hunch is correct. I have three white breeding worthy cockerels. None are vaulted. 

I keep meticulous notes on my hatches and chicks. I will know in another season if my strain is a producer of female vaulted Silkies only.

edited to add: Colored Silkies have been outcrossed and crossed with multiple strains. Vaulted skulls are recessive.

I'm concentrating on Whites.

As with anyone with new chicks, keep the pic's coming! I just love them.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Thank you del. No matter how cruddy my day goes, sitting and staring at these little twerps always makes me smile. Found some interesting reading online tonight about the genetics of vaulting on crested and non crested chickens. Very deep stuff. I've got my cutting and pasting going full speed. I'm surprised that there are so few studies done on the gene. More questions on the how than answers.

Everybody could use a little "chicken therapy" once in a while

 

[MumsyII]

It's a new day. I no longer fear for my life while in my barnyard. The tent over the porch seems to be working. And.....Judy the Broody has four White Silkie chicks hatched out yesterday! Day twenty for her. Two unhatched still under her. So far, our percentages seem about the same. Only, she did her job in twenty days what took me twenty four.

Miss Peggy and Bonney are both still brooding. Out of all these Silkie chicks, I'll keep four of the best females and no males. Unless one of them is spectacular.

 

[aoxa]

It's a new day. I no longer fear for my life while in my barnyard. The tent over the porch seems to be working. And.....Judy the Broody has four White Silkie chicks hatched out yesterday! Day twenty for her. Two unhatched still under her. So far, our percentages seem about the same. Only, she did her job in twenty days what took me twenty four.

Miss Peggy and Bonney are both still brooding. Out of all these Silkie chicks, I'll keep four of the best females and no males. Unless one of them is spectacular.

Well you'll have to let them grow out to see if he will be spectacular

 

[delisha]

Quote: I am looking forward to reading some of that information once you get it compiled.

It's a new day. I no longer fear for my life while in my barnyard. The tent over the porch seems to be working. And.....Judy the Broody has four White Silkie chicks hatched out yesterday! Day twenty for her. Two unhatched still under her. So far, our percentages seem about the same. Only, she did her job in twenty days what took me twenty four.

Miss Peggy and Bonney are both still brooding. Out of all these Silkie chicks, I'll keep four of the best females and no males. Unless one of them is spectacular.

I am sure they are all going to be spectacular. What are you going to do with 4 beautiful males?

 

[MumsyII]

I am looking forward to reading some of that information once you get it compiled.
I am sure they are all going to be spectacular. What are you going to do with 4 beautiful males?

I will pm it to you as soon as it's compiled.

I'm going to take some to the Farmers Tilth and then contact the local poultry 4-H and get some kids started.

The last chick to hatch on day 24 was that Bonney baby that had a foot stuck out of the shell for an hour. Hello Kitty boots on it overnight seemed to do the trick. I made a little round hardware cloth cage for chicks like this that need more time to get their feet together. They can remain in the brooder with hatch mates without getting molested.


Bonney baby with Hello Kitty boots.


Checking out her new feets.

After twenty four hours they look good and she holds them under her where they belong. I'm keeping an eye on her. If they start deviating from normal, the boots go back on.

 

[delisha]

Quote: This is the cutest thing ever...