The Wyandotte Thread

[DMRippy]

I have not had issues with them hatching. ...they do that just fine BUT they seem to have weak legs and I usually have to band their legs for a week or so.

 

[NanaKat]

A few photos...A nice 2013 Columbian hen Same hen with a Blue Columbian. Both are 10 months old now.



Another 10 month old Columbian hen


Two 8 month old pullets Birchen and Columbian. The Birchen has not pinked up on her comb or wattles yet. and her feet are yellow. And a Columbian and a Blue Columbian...both 8 months old


One of my fence walkers A 11 month old Blue Columbian hen



Two of the project cockerels Both are 11 months old. The nicer Blue Columbian and Birchen with nice comb and leg color. The two white striped sycle feathers are possibly stress related due a bully rooster in the pen....since gone to freezer camp. We will breed and see what happens.

 

[PeakyBeaky]

A few photos...A nice 2013 Columbian hen Same hen with a Blue Columbian. Both are 10 months old now.



Another 10 month old Columbian hen


Two 8 month old pullets Birchen and Columbian. The Birchen has not pinked up on her comb or wattles yet. and her feet are yellow. And a Columbian and a Blue Columbian...both 8 months old


One of my fence walkers A 11 month old Blue Columbian hen



Two of the project cockerels Both are 11 months old. The nicer Blue Columbian and Birchen with nice comb and leg color. The two white striped sycle feathers are possibly stress related due a bully rooster in the pen....since gone to freezer camp. We will breed and see what happens.

 

[Chickenhill]

A few photos...A nice 2013 Columbian hen Same hen with a Blue Columbian. Both are 10 months old now.


Another 10 month old Columbian hen


Two 8 month old pullets Birchen and Columbian. The Birchen has not pinked up on her comb or wattles yet. and her feet are yellow. And a Columbian and a Blue Columbian...both 8 months old


One of my fence walkers A 11 month old Blue Columbian hen


Two of the project cockerels Both are 11 months old. The nicer Blue Columbian and Birchen with nice comb and leg color. The two white striped sycle feathers are possibly stress related due a bully rooster in the pen....since gone to freezer camp. We will breed and see what happens.

Wow, thanks for sharing. Beautiful. Love the Birchen!

 

[dracoe19]

I just love your bird..perhaps someday you would swap eggs with me.
How much do your hens weigh?

I would love to trade eggs . Just have the problem of not getting eggs . Each time I figure out what is causing no eggs something else happens. Right now I have wood chucks tormenting my chickens and even attacked one of my hens! Is there anything else that could cause no eggs?

The girls pictured are pretty big. I'm guessing at least 8lbs? One I would not be surprised if one gal weighs 9-9.5lbs. Smallest is probably 5
Lbs.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Many things cause lack of eggs..take a dropping sample into the vet and have it checked. Do you perform necropsy s or eat your birds?

I can suggest a few things to try for 4 weeks that might change your egg situation..let me know if you are interested in trying.

 

[NanaKat]

A few broody LF Wyandotte hens that I gave Bantam Delaware eggs to hatch....even thru October and November...very determined mothers.

A Blue Wyandotte that is molting and brooding chicks.


A CW that is covering 9 chicks....you can just barely see one under her on the right. She is very protective.


And this Black Wyandotte has 5 eggs ready to hatch in a week. She growls and gives great "stink eye".

 

[KellyS]

personally, i'd sell or eat all the mixes and if you want silver or gold laced, get a correct roo for them. it's hard enough getting good lacing from 2 laced birds, let alone the generations you'd probably need to get good lacing from something that started out split dominant white...

Thank you! That is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[DMRippy]

 

I just love your bird..perhaps someday you would swap eggs with me.

How much do your hens weigh?

I would love to trade eggs . Just have the problem of not getting eggs . Each time I figure out what is causing no eggs something else happens. Right now I have wood chucks tormenting my chickens and even attacked one of my hens! Is there anything else that could cause no eggs?


The girls pictured are pretty big. I'm guessing at least 8lbs? One I would not be surprised if one gal weighs 9-9.5lbs. Smallest is probably 5

Lbs.

Many things cause lack of eggs..take a dropping sample into the vet and have it checked. Do you perform necropsy s or eat your birds?

I can suggest a few things to try for 4 weeks that might change your egg situation..let me know if you are interested in trying.

could you share? my dottes are not the most productive birds.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Many things cause lack of eggs..take a dropping sample into the vet and have it checked. Do you perform necropsy s or eat your birds?

I can suggest a few things to try for 4 weeks that might change your egg situation..let me know if you are interested in trying.

could you share? my dottes are not the most productive birds.

Parts of this will not work for many people.This is just what I do and it may work for you and it may not..give it a try and keep good records.

.I do not cage my birds unless they are in breeding stations. Even in breeding stations they have access to greens of a minimum area of 200 sq feet.I rotate my stations so I always have greens for them I plant greens for them every year. It is cheaper and healthier for the birds. It takes more work and time, but worth every penny. Dotties are production sensitive..they lay better if they are not light forced..this is a bad time for many birds and production and they need the rest for the body to recover from moult. Many lines of dotties are simply bad. If you have a line that is not producing, take a fecal sample in and ask them to test for sprockets..threat them for sprockets if they have them and if production does not improve..cull them. I had dotties 20 years ago and had bad lines for production. It was horrible to have lack of eggs or infertile eggs. It made me cull all of them and give up. Until now.

They are feed hogs and will eat too much to be productive..they carry way too much body fat unless watched. The whole entire ovary can be covered in fat. I cull at least one bird a month to check for fat and interior health of the chickens..It is closer to 3 birds a month...I have learned to feed less bag feed and more fermented grains, green vegetables and meat. Bag feeds contain more corn and soy than they used to. It is messing up the birds. (IMO) My dottes and Orpingtons get raw liver/beef/chicken one day a week and no grains at all(Adults only). I feed kale and cabbage one day a month and half grains. In the winter when the grass is covered in snow I still do one day a week with half feed and just feed a head of cabbage, or a pumpkin, or left over fruit. If they have fresh young, spinach, kale, collards, oregano growing in the grass they do not get grains at all. I always feed meat. I take fecal test in twice a year. I never treat for anything I do not know what it is. i find out the why and source and fix it.

Fermenting grains is easy..
get a bucket, put some grains in, keep them covered under water. After 4 days the grains are ready to start feeding, just replace the grains and water every day. easy peasy
Covering the grains in water does two things..it makes all the good nutrients in the grain more viable to the chickens. It softens the protective outer layer of the grains and better biotics get into them from the fermentation process. Your chicken need less grains to get more nutrition. It is a win win. The bonus is you save money on feed.