Utah!

[the-bird-man]

Hi guys -- long time & sorry!  

Have a BIG question....and haven't checked the past 1000 unread msgs so sorry if it's a repeat.

Tonight just picked up some speckled sussex and brown leghorns from 21st IFA, plus 3 chicks they are calling "Blue Eggers" (and said there is no other name, that is what they are called.)

Mgr said they are a "new special breed that only lays blue eggs". (well, yeah right).  Claimed they have some of the Americana gene, however no green legs, no puff cheeks, etc and are sold as SR only (not banties either).  From what I can tell they look like Cream Legbar pullets!  I did get him to divulge they came from Privet.  

I got 3 of each breed and they all look very similar.  I will try to post a pic tomorrow as they are very tired chicks.  Said they were delivered today (first 2 breeds) and the mortality rate like approx 10% (they were pulling dead ones but many were dying...An employee claimed they just needed their beaks dipped and they'd perk up...and that's done when the store closes.  Jeez, I hate being lied to!

Thoughts on this New Special "Blue Egger"?

Elk aka Julie

hi elk that would be super cool if they are cream legbars! another thing that comes to mind is super blue eggers but i might be wrong. a few people here have those i think

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

The only thing is Legbars are autosexing, so straight run does not make sense if they could sell them as pullets----SBELS would have puffy cheeks, (once in awhile they hatch w/o them but not usually). They would be white or white with flecks. I can't figure out what they would be with no poofy cheeks and legbar coloring...maybe they are a cross between a leghorn and cream legbar? like the SBELS are Leghorn/Ameraucana crosses? I wonder if privet was contacted if they would spill the beans lol! Can't wait to see them Elk, I hope they all live and do well, you will have to let us know how they lay!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Hi Elk!

Well, I just candled all my eggs. 7/13 are developing :/ What? I think I need to do a little roo swapping and put Mr. Ready-to-go Cockerel to work.

Yay for the 7! Go chickies go!

 

[Cynthia12]

TSC in Salem, the brand new one is getting chicks in tomorrow..will have to go look. Glad we have this store down here now.

 

[LPeaslee]

My silkie went broody so i let her hatch a few eggs. Last night when i checked on them, 2 had hatched and a third was zipping. The egg that was zipping looked weird, the hole was larger than it should have been and there was a small amount of blood, but the chick was moving and looked good, so I let it be. This morning when I checked on them, 1 chick was dead in the corner of the nesting box, 1 was healthy and the third was gone, chick, shell, all gone, no sign of anything.
So my question is; has anyone heard of a broody eating chicks?

 

[RedIII]

My silkie went broody so i let her hatch a few eggs. Last night when i checked on them, 2 had hatched and a third was zipping. The egg that was zipping looked weird, the hole was larger than it should have been and there was a small amount of blood, but the chick was moving and looked good, so I let it be. This morning when I checked on them, 1 chick was dead in the corner of the nesting box, 1 was healthy and the third was gone, chick, shell, all gone, no sign of anything.
So my question is; has anyone heard of a broody eating chicks?

I've had something like that happen. Had a broody with several eggs ready to hatch under her, the next morning - gone, except for one chick. I never could figure out what had happened. I had wondered if it was the neighbor kids :/

 

[ElkMtnCove]

My silkie went broody so i let her hatch a few eggs. Last night when i checked on them, 2 had hatched and a third was zipping. The egg that was zipping looked weird, the hole was larger than it should have been and there was a small amount of blood, but the chick was moving and looked good, so I let it be. This morning when I checked on them, 1 chick was dead in the corner of the nesting box, 1 was healthy and the third was gone, chick, shell, all gone, no sign of anything.
So my question is; has anyone heard of a broody eating chicks?

That must have been heart-breaking to find! I think most animals, when scared or feels threatened, will eat their young to "protect" them. In the wild it gets rid of any evidence of babies preserving the parents (and/or rest of clan). Some new moms reject a newborn because they associate the pain to the baby.

So sorry you lost your babies. Any chance of another chicken getting them or a predator?

 

[LPeaslee]

That must have been heart-breaking to find!  I think most animals, when scared or feels threatened, will eat their young to "protect" them.  In the wild it gets rid of any evidence of babies preserving the parents (and/or rest of clan).  Some new moms reject a newborn because they associate the pain to the baby.  

So sorry you lost your babies.  Any chance of another chicken getting them or a predator?

The coop and run were all locked up, so I doubt it was a predator. It could have oly been the broody or one of the other chickens.

 

[LPeaslee]

I just found the other chick underneath the roosting bars, so one of the other chickens likely killed it. At least I don't have a chick eater.

I put the single surviving chick in the brooder with my Valentines-day HAL chicks. I think I will just stick with the incubator and not give in to anymore broodies.

 

[acemario]

I just found the other chick underneath the roosting bars, so one of the other chickens likely killed it. At least I don't have a chick eater.

I put the single surviving chick in the brooder with my Valentines-day HAL chicks. I think I will just stick with the incubator and not give in to anymore broodies.

Too bad! when I use a broody, what works for me is to take out one of my nest box separators, creating a 2.5 ft x 1 ft space for the broody and her chicks. I then staple hardware cloth on the opening to keep them in, and the other chickens out. When the chicks are a bit bigger, and acclimated to the flock, I take of the cloth and let them associate with the rest.

Sometimes just doing the brooder thing is easier, though!