Trader Joes & Other Grocery Store Egg Hatching Club - Are you a Member

[SpringPeeper]

Glancing through the thread - did it seem most pullets were the ones with a few black spots and the solid whites were mostly roosters? Had a few TJ eggs hatch out and it does seem like the solid white ones already have bigger combs.

I had one rooster with a single black spot, and the other two spotted ones were hens. The solid white ones were all males.

 

[SpringPeeper]

It is too soon for me to tell.

Did they keep the spots?

Mine kept the spots. They 'disappear' mostly during the awkward teenage stage (just hidden by the rough/changing plumage) but once they were properly feathered out they were visible again. I actually find them quite pretty,

 

[Kaylish]

It is too soon for me to tell.

Did they keep the spots?

Mine have; I kept 1 spotted and 2 white until they were old enough to sex; spotted is a pullet and the white were 1 pullet and 1 roo.

 

[ronott1]

Mine have; I kept 1 spotted and 2 white until they were old enough to sex; spotted is a pullet and the white were 1 pullet and 1 roo.

I need to check mine closer--The ones with longer tail feathers at two weeks are likely pullets.

You never know though!

 

[Peep_Show]

Realize that large layer flocks may have several different types of production white roos and hens in them (after all, the end aim is eggs), so it can be a guess if you get solids and spots in a hatch whether or not the chicks are related or, even, sexed accordingly.

 

[ronott1]

Realize that large layer flocks may have several different types of production white roos and hens in them (after all, the end aim is eggs), so it can be a guess if you get solids and spots in a hatch whether or not the chicks are related or, even, sexed accordingly.

They should all be hy-line W-36 leghorns. TJs claimed that all of their chickens in the fertile egg pens were Hy-line white egg layers.

Maybe they have some of their brown egg layers for roosters?

 

[Kaylish]

My guess is that all the layers (hens) are Hy-line w-36 and the roos are something else. No way a large production farm would risk their high-production line getting out into the general public. After reading about Austra-whites my best (totally wild) guess would be Australop roos. It sure would be easy for the workers to tell hens (white W-36) from roos (black australorp) in the general population and there would be no risk of the "super-secret formula" being discovered. I might be completely off (not unusual) but I do like a good hypothesis.

 

[ronott1]

My guess is that all the layers (hens) are Hy-line w-36 and the roos are something else. No way a large production farm would risk their high-production line getting out into the general public. After reading about Austra-whites my best (totally wild) guess would be Australop roos. It sure would be easy for the workers to tell hens (white W-36) from roos (black australorp) in the general population and there would be no risk of the "super-secret formula" being discovered. I might be completely off (not unusual) but I do like a good hypothesis.

If they were using all hy-line the Roosters could be:

The Hy-Line Brown is the result of Hy-Line Australia’s long history of genetic innovation and industry knowledge.

​

The benefits of the Hy-Line Brown include superior feed conversion, livability and egg production.
The eggs have superior shell colour, robustness, size and internal quality.
The Hy-Line Brown also has an excellent temperament making it ideal for both intensive and free-range environments.
Key features of the Hy-Line Brown are:

• The world’s most balanced egg layer, producing over 350 eggs to 80 weeks, peaking in the high 90s
• Early laying age with optimum egg size
• Very economical feed consumption
• Best interior egg quality in the market.
• The breed is constantly being improved, with each new Hy-Line generation representing the latest advancements in breeding technology and is bred for a longer, more productive life.

The Hy-Line Brown hen is also ideally suited to free-range applications. The calm temperament, excellent feather retention, robust egg shells and persistent production to 80 weeks make it a perfect choice for free range environments

 

[Peep_Show]

To ensure fertility in large flocks they need to do an accurate head count for a roon ratio. Often they'll use different colored roos to make that task easy. Don't know if TJ's does that, but it would make sense that, therefore, the white w/spots chicks could be Austra Whites, an Australorp x Leghorn cross.

(or Australorp x Hy-Line cross)

 

[ronott1]

To ensure fertility in large flocks they need to do an accurate head count for a roon ratio. Often they'll use different colored roos to make that task easy. Don't know if TJ's does that, but it would make sense that, therefore, the white w/spots chicks could be Austra Whites, an Australorp x Leghorn cross.

(or Australorp x Hy-Line cross)

If the eggs have a brown tint to them then they could be Austra whites. That would be awesome!

If the eggs the hatched chicks lay are white then they could be California whites(California grey rooster x white leghorn) which would also be awesome!