Hello Everyone. I was going to post a thread with pics and weekly updates and just haven't had time to "start from the beginning" But I wanted others to have something to compare their chicks to as I have pics and video even of them hatching. I've tried so hard this past week to find pics myself. I found a few but not many. I think only 1 for as young as my chicks are. Also my chicks seem to look as big as most do at 6 & 7 weeks, .....not sure what's going on BUT others I did see showed much more pink/red in the combs(by 6-7 weeks). So I will just start NOW and would love to get your guesses and then I will go back and add some of the earlier pics so down the road someone will be able to look at them and see from hatch to full maturity.
Fri, March 1 was exactly 3 weeks for my 5 little ones and they are growing like weeds! Just recently it's become pretty clear as far as feathering and tails ......if you could go on just that. I have 3 that look exactly alike as far as feathering/tails, and 2 that have the short little stubby tails and not many of their "true" feathers yet. So unfortunately I'm starting to think I have 3 roos and 2 pullets. I have plenty of pics so please take a look and let me know what you think! And obviously I can't keep 3 roos so if anyone is in FL and looking for a FBCM
I'm hoping somebody will tell me I'm wrong and I don't have 3 roo's but it just seems when 3 look exactly alike and 2 look exactly alike it's kind of obvious.
Chick #1 - Lucy Lucy has a story I won't go into all the details but she was the very 1st to pip and the very last to hatch and that was basically with me doing all the hard work....but certainly NOT for lack of her trying!! I will say that! She was by far the smallest in the beginning but she caught up quick.
Chick#1 -Lucy (I hope she's a Lucy)
Chick #1 & #2 together.
I think these are my only 2 pullets. They have the same tails, same feathering, are the same size, and these 2 were the last 2 hatched....just about 2 hours apart. They also had to be bathed the next morning after staying in the incubator over night to dry. They had quite a bit of goop in their feathers ....my guess was since they took the longest to hatch?? These 2 hatched on Feb 8th. The 3 I believe to be roos all karate kicked their way out on Feb.7th! ....anybody experience this with males & females??
Chick#2 Mardis Gras pullet??
Chick#2 Mardis Gras
Chick#2 Mardis Gras (with #1 Lucy and Chick#3 behind)
Chick #3 (roo?) never got a name because this was one I was holding out hope for but I think that's silly now
Chick #3 (roo?)
I mean holy cow ...look at the difference in feathers, tail. legs and overall size!? For the 1st week it was hard to tell. the 2nd I was still guessing ....now I think I'm in denial
lol This is Chick #3 and Lucy
Chick #3 even has fully feathered legs (so do chicks 4&5) where as the 2 I think look like pullets just have lightly feathered closer to the feet
Chick #4 Blade...
he got his name because he had a yellow/copper splash on his right shoulder blade, which you can barely see a tad left ....it basically disappeared overnight and turned into nice shiny dark black feathers. I've just included this one pic of him because honestly all 3 of "the roos" (I'm guessing) all look the same. I always know the next one down, "Zebra" he is definitely "King of the Castle" but #3 and #4 (Blade) I have to really look hard at to figure out who is who.
Chick#5 Zebra ...got his name from the coloring around the eye. None of them really had real names was waiting to see "what they were" but you have to try to tell them apart somehow lol
I knew Zebra was a roo pretty much right away ....this is 1 week old with those nice wings and we are relaxing in the garage by a little electric fireplace and he plops down in front of me, sprawls out and rolls over as if begging for a belly rub like my dogs do. If that doesn't scream male I don't know what does! hahahaha
He is always watching over his flock ...even at only 3 weeks old. I have the door open to the pen when I'm in the garage working, so he comes and perches on the ledge of the door while the other 4 are asleep in the very back. He's the reason that water dish got moved onto a cup. He was the 1st to start perching on top of it. He also refuses to eat from anywhere other than INSIDE the food tray. HE's a HE!!!
but he also has the most pronounced comb and wattle
Thanks for looking at all the pics. I'm anxious to see what all you experts think. This was my 1st hatch and my 1st experience with FBCM's
Fri, March 1 was exactly 3 weeks for my 5 little ones and they are growing like weeds! Just recently it's become pretty clear as far as feathering and tails ......if you could go on just that. I have 3 that look exactly alike as far as feathering/tails, and 2 that have the short little stubby tails and not many of their "true" feathers yet. So unfortunately I'm starting to think I have 3 roos and 2 pullets. I have plenty of pics so please take a look and let me know what you think! And obviously I can't keep 3 roos so if anyone is in FL and looking for a FBCM
Chick #1 - Lucy Lucy has a story I won't go into all the details but she was the very 1st to pip and the very last to hatch and that was basically with me doing all the hard work....but certainly NOT for lack of her trying!! I will say that! She was by far the smallest in the beginning but she caught up quick.
Chick#1 -Lucy (I hope she's a Lucy)
Chick #1 & #2 together.
I think these are my only 2 pullets. They have the same tails, same feathering, are the same size, and these 2 were the last 2 hatched....just about 2 hours apart. They also had to be bathed the next morning after staying in the incubator over night to dry. They had quite a bit of goop in their feathers ....my guess was since they took the longest to hatch?? These 2 hatched on Feb 8th. The 3 I believe to be roos all karate kicked their way out on Feb.7th! ....anybody experience this with males & females??
Chick#2 Mardis Gras pullet??
Chick#2 Mardis Gras
Chick#2 Mardis Gras (with #1 Lucy and Chick#3 behind)
Chick #3 (roo?) never got a name because this was one I was holding out hope for but I think that's silly now
Chick #3 (roo?)
I mean holy cow ...look at the difference in feathers, tail. legs and overall size!? For the 1st week it was hard to tell. the 2nd I was still guessing ....now I think I'm in denial
Chick #3 even has fully feathered legs (so do chicks 4&5) where as the 2 I think look like pullets just have lightly feathered closer to the feet
Chick #4 Blade...
he got his name because he had a yellow/copper splash on his right shoulder blade, which you can barely see a tad left ....it basically disappeared overnight and turned into nice shiny dark black feathers. I've just included this one pic of him because honestly all 3 of "the roos" (I'm guessing) all look the same. I always know the next one down, "Zebra" he is definitely "King of the Castle" but #3 and #4 (Blade) I have to really look hard at to figure out who is who.
Chick#5 Zebra ...got his name from the coloring around the eye. None of them really had real names was waiting to see "what they were" but you have to try to tell them apart somehow lol
I knew Zebra was a roo pretty much right away ....this is 1 week old with those nice wings and we are relaxing in the garage by a little electric fireplace and he plops down in front of me, sprawls out and rolls over as if begging for a belly rub like my dogs do. If that doesn't scream male I don't know what does! hahahaha
He is always watching over his flock ...even at only 3 weeks old. I have the door open to the pen when I'm in the garage working, so he comes and perches on the ledge of the door while the other 4 are asleep in the very back. He's the reason that water dish got moved onto a cup. He was the 1st to start perching on top of it. He also refuses to eat from anywhere other than INSIDE the food tray. HE's a HE!!!
Thanks for looking at all the pics. I'm anxious to see what all you experts think. This was my 1st hatch and my 1st experience with FBCM's
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