What breed are these babies?

[wrightmom]

Thank you I will try!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi, I'm really new at this too! Truly how do you tell if they are pullets or not? The guy at TSC was telling me something about their wings but I didn't follow him and I really haven't understood anything I have read about telling the difference.

Also, while I'm asking dumb questions, I wanted to post a picture of my chicks but not sure how to get back to that place on my profile. Do you know how?

Wing feather sexing is the technique that compares the growth/length of the primary and secondary feathers of chicks at a day old but no older than 3 days old (it must be done very early). Males will have even feather growth between the primaries and secondaries, while females will have un-even growth length between their feathers as they are "fast feathered" so that the primaries will be longer than the secondaries....like teeth of a comb that has two different lengths.

However, this technique only works if those particular chicks have been bred for that ...the mother must be slow feathering for the males to be slow/short feathered and the father fast feathering to enable those traits to show up in the chicks. Most breeds are not feather sexable. http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld001.htm

As to posting a photo...open a reply window...click on the little picture box (the mountain with the moon icon) that is in the tab bar at the top, right side of the text box. It will bring up a menu system that will walk you through choosing a photo you've already uploaded or giving you the opportunity of uploading more.

HTH
Lady of McCamley

 

[wrightmom]

Thank you, that is very helpful! I am hoping all my ladies are in fact "ladies". I have 6 Road Island Reds that are deep red and gorgeous and 6 "assorted pullets" that are turning out all pretty and white. I've never raised chicks before and I'm learning as I go. The RIR are 4 weeks old and the others are 3 weeks old. If the weather is warm, I can put them in the coop at 6 weeks, right? They seem to be afraid of the dark, how do I help them adjust?

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[makenzie12]

Can someone tell me how to get my profile picture to silkie

 

[makenzie12]

the first one is a barred rock.
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the first one is a barred rock.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you, that is very helpful! I am hoping all my ladies are in fact "ladies". I have 6 Road Island Reds that are deep red and gorgeous and 6 "assorted pullets" that are turning out all pretty and white. I've never raised chicks before and I'm learning as I go. The RIR are 4 weeks old and the others are 3 weeks old. If the weather is warm, I can put them in the coop at 6 weeks, right? They seem to be afraid of the dark, how do I help them adjust?

Thanks for all the advice!

You probably have White Leghorns or White Rocks and RIR's...which means roo's will should show themselves early with large and PINK combs...sometimes the pullets of those breeds can get noticeable comb growth earlier but it will stay yellow.

As to getting them used to the dark, use a red heat lamp instead of a white one if you aren't doing that already. Then as you acclimate them you can turn it off for certain periods of the day making sure however that you don't shock them too soon.

You can put them outside at 6 weeks if they are fully feathered AND you have been acclimating them so that they won't get a shock to the normal temperature ranges.

Lady of McCamley

 

[wrightmom]

Great information. I really appreciate it. Thank you!

 

[makenzie12]

Happy Easter don't forget to go get your chicken eggs and paint them