The New Flock 2021: Back to Basics

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thought you'd like this Cynthia, the little guy in the middle sizing up his potential father,

 

[speckledhen]

That rooster is gorgeous! Love the hen, too. I hope you're right, that I still have a chance for two pullets. Time will tell! I remember all the little guys in the feed store having red combs at barely three weeks old so shouldn't be long.

 

[speckledhen]

Almost forgot to post these pics I took today. The blue one has chest and hackle feathers coming in, while the splash has only the shoulder feathers. Here they are, plus potential dads Bodie and Gunnar for the splash baby and possibly Magnus for the blue one. Forrest can't really breed the girls, can't get positioned with his hips the way they are. Of course, if the blue one belongs to Cricket herself, which I tried to avoid because of her slight hip issue she shares with Forrest, the dad would be Bodie or Gunnar. I'm betting though that it's a Magnus child.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Gorgeous roos. I love buffs.

 

[speckledhen]

Bodie's comb is a bit, well, bodacious, but the other three have really nice ones, I think. All the boys are very sweet. Bodie is the head honcho in there. I've never had roosters who ask to be picked up like these do. All mine except Hector tolerate it, even lean into it when I do scoop them up, but none have begged for attention like Magnus and Forrest. Bodie and Gunnar are fine with attention, but don't beg. They are #1 and #2 in the hierarchy and that would just not be dignified, now would it?
Bee is a little diva so you get a picture of her on the "Princess Roost" today. She is a complete goofball, either snuggles, screams at you or bites you if you pick her up.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My Cochin roosters almost always lose their comb points their first winter, especially those in my big shed. Those in the bantam coop are more protected, so they fair better. That's the only disadvantage to large combs here.

I swear no other breed has the same puppy dog personalities like the bantam cochins do. They are such characters.

 

[speckledhen]

Tried to get pictures of the two little munchkins, but mama Cricket always wanted to see what I was doing so these are all I could come up with. You can tell the blue is a cross from the faded chest color, just like when folks say they have a Barred Rock and I have to tell them it's a mix because of the signs that say otherwise. I am sure the splash is male because those tiny wattles are showing pink now at 4 weeks old today.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I still think they are both pullets. They are both adorable little handfuls.

 

[speckledhen]

I still think they are both pullets. They are both adorable little handfuls.

I hope so, but could that really be my luck? LOL. Neither has a huge comb or wattles for four weeks old so maybe you're right. That would be ideal because those boys need more girls and not the crazy EE kind!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I usually start to see the combs get pink on males at 4 weeks, than they get red by 5 to 6 weeks of age. They start standing out young. I see yours have combs that are still yellow, plus they are nearly fully feathered, so I'd call them pullets here, but definitely wait another few weeks to be sure.