The Wyandotte Thread

[colby318]

click on the link under my signature. It has the standard for wyandottes.

I am raising blrw newly what do i need to look for for quality(size, color, etc)

 

[colby318]

I know hatcheries guarantee a certain percentage as the correct sex. If you received extras; they're probably cockerels. I like having a rooster running with the hens even if it's out of breeding season for me. It keeps the peace in the flock and the hens like having a rooster watching over them while they dust bathe and graze.

Thanks colby318

I will probably try to keep it at first if it's indeed a he...these are my first chicks ever so I'm a little attached, haha, and that one happens to be a favorite. I'm gonna call "her" a "she" for wishful thinking...she flies out of the brooder every time I take the top off and wanders around the room. She'll climb on me, and isn't aggressive but isn't shy either....and she's gonna be so pretty! I am allowed to have roosters, it's just a matter of whether it was nice enough and whether my neighbors complain. I read on another thread though that everyone whose roosters are nice when they were chicks turned out mean as adults and vice versa, haha, so we'll see. If my EE was a roo (and was duel purpose) I would eat it in a second, it's so obnoxious and aggressive, but I would definitely have to give the GLW away if I couldn't keep it...no way I could eat that one!

I am hoping it's just a pullet that happens to have a comb that turned red quicker than usual and early wattles, haha. I ordered sexed female chicks, and I know they make mistakes but I can still hope right! Plus, the coloring and feathers aren't screaming roo yet, she has feathered out the fastest, her legs don't look thick and she ducks for cover when scared like all the rest of them. I don't see any overly-roo behavior yet. For now I will try to stop worrying for a few more weeks

 

[Sandra Lee]

MPC doesn't send extras (unless by mistake), I only got the 4 I ordered. They do give a refund/credit or send replacements if you get a roo but you can't report it until 10-14 weeks. At that point I think I would just take the credit since it would be hard to incorporate new chicks. Plus, their minimum order for Rhode Island is 4, and 7 chickens (and potentially a rooster) would be cramped in my coop. I would definitely try to keep a rooster, I'm just not sure how my neighbors will feel about it....people in my town tend to complain.... So here's to hoping for a hen or a rooster that happens to not crow all day

I really love my wyandotte...

 

[colby318]

Mmm, credit is not a bad thing! There's always craigslist in case it's a cockerel. I have 75 cockerels rolling around. Ugh. This weekend I'm culling the few blues that are showing a bit of rust. Darn recessive coloring... I'm taking them to a swap and hanging a sign on their pen that says "dinner $2.00". It's a sad fact to have to grow out over 200 chicks just to keep (hopefully) 15 that meet the APA standard for breeding next year. My birds aren't pets. I don't even name the breeder cocks. I'm aiming for exhibition quality. If the less-than-perfect cockerels can go live in a backyard flock, I'm very relieved.
Good luck!
Colby

 

[Sandra Lee]

It's too bad you're not closer or I may be asking to buy a couple, not-perfect pullets! Haha

I have a co-worker that also has chickens and said to let her know if I need to give it away, she knows a few people that may want him. So at least that's an option too. I was only going to get 3 to start anyway, but the wyandotte is the prettiest of the bunch so I will be sad to lose that color in my coop

 

[dracoe19]

Colby318 -- Very nice birds! I had always wondered what the brownish color on blues was and if it was good or bad. Do you only breed black and blue wyandottes or do you have a few other colors as well?

 

[primalchick]

Here are my girls at 13-14 weeks...they are getting so grown up. I have heard some clucking going on instead of peeping too

 

[dracoe19]

Here is a few of my wyandottes

 

[skyl3r]

Hello everyone, I'm Skyler and I am new to chickens! We live in the middle of the Piney Woods in East Texas. We got our first chicks in April, then a few more in May, and more in May! Now we have all kinds of different breeds. We tried to buy from local breeders, but live in the middle of nowhere. We were able to buy from 2 different breeders in Texas, and we also tried Ideal since they are only about 2 hrs from here. This has all been an excellent learning experience! We built our first chicken coop and are still finishing it up now. Currently chicks are living in the house! Anyways, I hope I am in the right thread, I got a Silver Laced Wyandotte from Ideal, she is 3.5 weeks old today. So far we are having a blast.

 

[teamsunbelt]

Grabbed up a few new chicks last night, wanting to see how they turn out. I got 6 Blue Wyandottes and 6 Lavender Wyandottes just a few days old. I have seen some very nice Blues, but have not seen any Lavender.

My question is this, is the Blue or Lavender the andalusian Blue, BBS, or does these two colors breed true. I may keep these for breeding, or just keep a couple of each for next years egg layers.