The Olive-Egger thread!

[magdelaine]

Ok my olive eggers are 8 weeks on Saturday. The night temps are in to upper 40s and into the 50s can these babies go out into their coop? I am so nervous. I have had people say yes put them out there, and people say its to cold at night. Their coop is ventilated but its an 8x12 shed. They will be protected from the elements. Thoughts please

I sure hope so since I have a mixed lot of chicks down to 4 weeks old outside right now...same temps. ;-)

They are fine, even if they roost outside as at 8 weeks they are fully feathered.

 

[MamaSteen3]

Yes you can. My pullets go outside at 4 weeks in anything higher than 45 degrees. I don't think you will have any problems.

Do you use a heat lamp yet?

 

[MamaSteen3]

Is it safe to assume that if my OE has a comb, it's a boy? Do any OE hens have a comb?

 

[annabellaknits]

Is it safe to assume that if my OE has a comb, it's a boy? Do any OE hens have a comb?

Um they all have combs... Maybe you mean something different?

 

[MamaSteen3]

Um they all have combs... Maybe you mean something different?

When I google search, there are several that come up that have next to nothing. One of my six doesn't have a comb in comparison to the other five.

 

[annabellaknits]

When I google search, there are several that come up that have next to nothing. One of my six doesn't have a comb in comparison to the other five.

So every chicken hen or roo has a comb. But there's different types. What your probably seeing since it's a mixed breed is one has a different type of comb then the others, say a pea comb or modified comb. But that has nothing to do with gender. If it were a pure breed you may be able to compare size of comb at say 4 weeks old but with mixes you can't. You can however guess based on the redness of the comb but this isn't always accurate.

 

[morbius18]

When I google search, there are several that come up that have next to nothing. One of my six doesn't have a comb in comparison to the other five.

Here are mine at 5 weeks:

Cockeral:

Pullet:

They still have combs, just smaller until sexual maturity at 4-6 months, then they will redden up and grow on the pullets.

 

[QueenMisha]

Hey there everybody. Just wanted to check in and subscribe to this thread as I've decided to focus on colored Eggers for many of my LF projects this year and Olive-Eggers are one of the colors I'm currently breeding for. Right now I've got a gorgeous French Blue Copper Marans cockerel in with my 7 EE pullets, 4 of which give blue eggs, 2 green, and 1 tan. I also threw in my BCM hen, but she is several years old and apparently a lazy layer. Their eggs are ready for collection on the 25th and I'm super excited to start hatching some little OEs! I've loved the Olive color since I first saw it but haven't had a chance to own an OE yet.

 

[Cage10]

Do you use a heat lamp yet?

I only use a heat lamp for the first 2 weeks. From 2-4 weeks I only use a heat lamp if it gets into the 30's. At 3 weeks they go outside during the day, and back to the boxes at night.
Hope that helps.

 

[otakalhasas]

I only use a heat lamp for the first 2 weeks. From 2-4 weeks I only use a heat lamp if it gets into the 30's. At 3 weeks they go outside during the day, and back to the boxes at night.
Hope that helps.

My last hatch I put into a smallish coop on the front covered porch at 2 weeks of age. I gave them both an electric hen (what we call Square Momma!) and a heat mat. Night temps were in the upper 30's. As the weather warmed a bit and they stayed out from under the Square Momma, she got taken out and they learned to use the mat only. There were only three in the clutch so they did not have a ton of "cuddle heat" but they all three thrived. When the night temps dipped back down, I would cover the coop with a comforter.

Hope that helps!