What breed is this + a silly question about it.

[zeiset777]

I


She showed up one day and hung out for a few weeks. She would fly (really well) about 20 feet up in a tree at night to sleep. She is super fast. She disappeared 3 weeks ago, and today came back with 9 little peeps. Any idea of the breed?

My silly question is, if she has 9 peeps with her, on average she lays an egg a day, and she was only gone for 3 weeks. (which is about the time it takes for eggs to hatch) Was she laying her eggs and not sitting on them for the 1st week or two? Also, if it take 3 weeks to hatch, was she just hanging out at her egg laying spot with the 1st born until they all hatched? The area is loaded with foxes, I see a fox on average 6 times a week. How did she keep them quiet until they were all born?

 

[lightchick]

Oh my! Those are ADORABLE chicks! I think she's a mix. She must be really smart about predators! Do you have her in a coop with her chicks so she and her chicks won't get eaten?

 

[donrae]

She's a cute little mixed breed hen

A hen lays an egg a day (taking a day off every now and then) until her brain triggers her to go broody and set on those eggs. So yes, she was laying an egg each day, then leaving the nest and going about her business. The eggs just wait for her, not developing into chicks until she starts setting on them constantly. Once she does that, they all start developing at the same time. So the very first egg she laid starts developing at the same time as the very last egg. Once they start hatching, she usually stays on the nest for another day or so, just to make sure they all make it out. The baby chicks absorb that entire egg yolk right before the hatch, so they don't need to eat or drink for the first few days. This allows momma to stay on the nest to wait for stragglers to hatch. Then, once she decides she's done, she takes them all out into the world and shows them how to eat and drink and avoid all those foxes

 

[zeiset777]

I see.

I built this nice little fox proof hideout for her, equipped with starter chick feed and water. I built in the fence where she was hanging out with her chicks. Before she had young ones she didn't sleep in the coop with the others, so I figured why would she now. She took her chicks in the hideout and spent all evening there. When night fall came and I went to lock up the chickens in the coop she was gone. Her and all the peeps left. They escaped through the fenced in part of my yard, because they are no where to be found. I am confident if she hid for the last three weeks on her eggs and didn't get eaten by a fox, she'll make it over night. It's almost 1 am and I was just out making a lot of ruckus in the yard so hopefully the foxes steer clear for the night. I plan to sit out on the deck when the sun rises in the morning to see her coming out of her hiding spot.

Any idea of what breed shes mixed with? I wish I knew where she came from, and what attracted her to my yard rather than elsewhere.

 

[Griffinsong]

From that tail shape, she looks to have some game bird in her, which would also explain her survival skills as games are closer to their wild cousins and most stray chickens that survive on their own have some game blood in them. They also have a certain wanderlust.

 

[zeiset777]

That makes sense. She can fly really well, and the only time I've ever gotten close to her before she had to protect her chicks was when she was eating in the coop I crept up behind her and shut the door before she got out, because she is so fast.

 

[lightchick]

I'd try to get her into a place where she can't get out. She'll probably be in even greater danger now that she has chicks.

 

[zeiset777]

She just came back about an hour ago with all her peeps (maybe not all of them, I didn't go down to count them yet) I heard her clucking and looked out the window and saw her down there.

She's back in her hideout in the chicken pen for now. I'm going to leave her alone today in hopes that she'll stick around if she's not bothered. I think yesterday she was bothered to much with all the noise I was making when I built her a little hideout, and maybe thats why she left for the night. If she leaves again tonight I'll try to catch her tomorrow when she comes back and stick her in the garage or basement for the night. I'm worried it'll get to hot in the garage for her and the basement is usually around 60 degrees.

 

[soydo]

That's a Sebright mix- rose comb and her patterning is normal result of mixing a laced chicken with anything not laced. Most likely a Silver Sebright mix.

If you catch her I would advise to keep her in garage or whatever for a couple weeks. Because she will become much wilder after being captured and will really resent repeated attempts to catch her or her babies. Best to catch only once and keep in same place for a while then let go.

If you would like to have her hang around permanently, it would be best to build a coop and run. Plenty of good advise and information on how to build a secure one. For example if foxes are a local presence, you do not want to use chicken wire.

 

[zeiset777]

Thanks for the breed info. What would another run and coop do? When she 1st showed up at my house she was in the yard. I opened the gate to my run and chased her in, she had free access to a HUGE coop and about 1/2 an acre of securely fenced in yard. At night she would fly up in the trees... she had no interest in the coop, except to go in to eat, and occasionally lay an egg.