What's wrong with their feathers?

[alicefelldown]

I think that might just be mud on the blue one's darker legs:



I'll see if I can swing by the ranch and get better pictures later this week.

 

[pips&peeps]

Looks green to me.

 

[NicoleRM]

Oh those do look green, don't they? Never noticed it in any of the pics before, but wasn't really looking either. Heck, I'll be happy when we can just get things to survive.

 

[Eavadane]

Quote:
I'm not saying they are silkie crosses, but I had some silkie crosses with a variety of combs-none sloppy, and some had no leg feathers. Also some did not have blackish features. Just saying....


edited to add: they are absolutely gorgeous btw

I agree they could be silky crosses, I cross breed my silky/cochin hybrid hen with my blue copper marans roo and get a wide variety of comb types, shapes, and sizes. Even though all 3 breeds have featherd shanks some of my crosses do not, some are crested, some have beards and or muffs, and the feather type and color varieties are amazingly diverse.

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Quote:
I agree! I did notice the green legs, but that's because I had yellow legs show up in a couple of my pure Ameraucanas. It happens. I don't breed those birds, but in the case of these fluffy birds, I would breed for survivability first, and leg color later. Now if you can do both at once, more power to you!

 

[Moonkit]

I agree they could be silky crosses, I cross breed my silky/cochin hybrid hen with my blue copper marans roo and get a wide variety of comb types, shapes, and sizes. Even though all 3 breeds have featherd shanks some of my crosses do not, some are crested, some have beards and or muffs, and the feather type and color varieties are amazingly diverse.

Please watch about how old the post you're replying to is. I would also suggest reading through the thread before commenting, but I know on a thread like this one, that's a daunting prospect. I believe it was already proven a long time ago through testing breeding by allowing silkie cocks to cover these hens, their babies proved the parent birds were not crosses. (something about some coming out hard feathered, i think?)

 

[alicefelldown]

So it looks like the site is up again!!

BUT it looks like auctions are still disabled!

Six of the birds went out yesterday, and ten will go out next Tuesday.

That being said, I will be able to send out two dozen of the Line B pullet eggs next week, and possibly one dozen of the Line A hen eggs (up to the hens!). You will get 50% fluffy chicks from these eggs, which should come out to 50% blue and 50% splash. The remaining 50% smooth feathered chicks will be carriers. After that, no more eggs/auctions!

I got an 'auction' listing up for the eggs: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/618833/12-f1-eggs-fluffy-feathered-ameraucanas

 

[ChickenRonin]

Just wanted to let all of you know that I recieved my eggs from Liz today

Two were spider veined but the rest are in great condition, which is pretty darn good for shipped eggs.. The packing job was excellent, Thanks Liz! I'm letting them rest for several hours and I'll pop them into my incubator tonight before bed. I am soooooo excited, I know I won't be getting a decent nights sleep for the next 3 weeks!

I don't candle, so I won't know how things are going in there until they hatch (although I do "smell test" to check for rotten eggs). I'm going to do everything I possibly can to make sure these guys have the best chance, if anyone with experience hatching these guys has any advice, please let me know.

Please send good hatching vibes my way!!

 

[alicefelldown]

Yay!!

Here's a tip for lockdown (it's actually somewhere buried deep in this thread) if you have a flat style incubator (hovabators or sportsman)

Take some used egg cardboard cartons. Cut off the lids. Lay them on top of the wire. Lay the eggs on their sides, but nestled in close.

Why? In the last hours before hatch, the baby chick rotates so it can break the shell at the top and breathe air. When the first chicks get out, they start running around playing soccer with their siblings. Suddenly those perfectly rotated baby chicks are upside down and sideways. They break the membrane and drown before they can take a breath. If Momma hen was sitting on them, she wouldn't let them play soccer, so why should we?

Our hatch rates went up a good 15-20% when we started doing that.

Other than that GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[ChickenRonin]

Yep, that’s good advice. I get the best results when I leave the eggs in their egg trays for hatching. My sportsman is a cabinet ‘bator, so I just pop the entire cardboard egg tray into the bottom hatching compartment for the last three days. I have only had one chick fail to hatch after breaking the inner membrane since I started doing it this way.