What are the chicks doing during lock down?

[abqferreira]

I'm on day 19 of my first hatch, too. It's so hard to stop checking on my hen! I need a chickencam!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Ridgerunner ... Why do you say difference in color may not be real great? Are you talking ugly chickens with each possibly having different colors then the next? I've yet to find any great photo's of the black/red links. And my BO's may take awhile to figure out if I go with the BO x LB? The BO x Dixie's ... Will probably end up with ET.

With red sex links the female chicks are red and the male chicks are yellow. With a Rhode Island Red or Speckled Sussex for example, the female chicks are really dark red. With a BO Rooster supplying the red, the female chicks are not going to be dark red but more of a yellowish red, a lot like a BO chick. The male and female chicks will be different but not as greatly different as if the roo were a darker red.

In this photo, the three yellow chicks are male red sex links, Speckled Sussex roo and Delaware mama. The red one in the top right corner is a red sex link female, same parents.

These are the 17 week olds. I'd expect your males to look similar in color but I'd expect your females to be much lighter.

I don't have Black Sex links. The adult females will be solid black except they will probably have red around the neck, but with the BO father it will probably be more of a buff around the neck. The males will be black and white barred, colored a lot like a barred rock.

 

[shesaredroan]

"Then it gets up and plays soccer with all the eggs that have not yet hatched. Eventually all that are going to hatch complete the hatching process. Don't worry about the eggs used as soccer balls. It does not seem to bother them."

Ridgerunner, thank you for posting this info. I was SO worried when I saw this happening in my 'bator. Your description made me laugh and then I relaxed. Now I won't be worried to the point of distress!!
Thanks again!!! You really helped.