The Wyandotte Thread

[BooBear]

awe she is so sweet looking. Congrats on the new eggs!

 

[geweldig23]

Hi! Im new to BYC........but I have wyandottes from the Foley's that i received in August, I was a bit late on the order.....luckily they had some and i was shipped a box of twelve assorted birds. I have one blrw that is splash, and she is the funniest bird I've ever had. When i go into the pen, she looks up at me and waits for me to put my arm about two feet off the ground then she flys up and sits there and waits for me to pet her. If I don't pet her,then she flies up onto my head.... haha. Im really happy with all the birds though, they are fantastic.

My birds are only a little bit over four months old, and I dont know if they are growing all that well( It might just be that they spent their biggest growth spurt in 100 degree weather) ....how big should a Large fowl wyandotte be at about four and a half months? Approximately?

thanks.

L.G.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Most likely your birds will be smaller than normal, being late hatched. However, the genetics are there and your chicks from them will grow well. Best to hatch early, Dec-March, so large fowl can get their best size.

 

[colby318]

Quote:
Give them time. My late hatches from last year "stalled" and then had a huge growth spurt when I added supplemental light. The extra light will stimulate the pituatary gland. I am of the opinion that otherwise the juveniles' bodies go into survival mode (here in cold, grey Kentucky).
ps. I got the idea of light for juveniles from the broiler industry. They give the birds 12 hours of light to feed and 12 dark for the body to grow. My wyandotte layers need 14 hours of light to stimulate egg production.

 

[Katy]

My fall/late summer hatches have always caught with the spring hatched birds.....in fact my two largest black orps are from a late summer/early fall hatch.

 

[marquisella]

I was told by some old time show breeders that they always hatch in the fall so their birds are ready for the spring-fall shows.

Also,they say they grow larger because they have to eat more in the cold weather so they grow bigger faster.

I started hatching in the fall for myself,and find that it is true.

Sue

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I read the opposite. That the old timers hatched in the spring, because fall hatches= using more protein to build up the body, BUT using up calories to keep warm = less protein to build feathers, etc.

 

[ghulst]

If you want to see alot of wyandottes for sale in Germany go to this site.http://www.deine-tierwelt.de/kleinanzeigen/?nav=&c=84508&q=&l=&r=20&so=80&i=100
If you have goggle tranlate you can make most of it out. I wish we had a site like this in USA. Craiglist is OK but nothing like this site. If I am missing it please let me know.
Gary

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
I read the opposite. That the old timers hatched in the spring, because fall hatches= using more protein to build up the body, BUT using up calories to keep warm = less protein to build feathers, etc.

Well, that is what I was told, and most breeders I know are already incubating now.
It works for me. Yes, they eat to keep warm, but they also eat enough to grow. If I have chicks that hatch in the spring, when the warm weather hits, they don't eat much because they are hot, and growth slows down.

Maybe in a different climate than in the North, it works differently...

 

[ghulst]

http://www.deine-tierwelt.de/kleinanzeigen/zwerg-wyandotten-lachsfarbig-br10-a73803070/
Check these out.
Gary