Zoe/Zach & Gabriel Got Some Sun (PICS)

[speckledhen]

Well, gee, thank you. I do have healthy birds, but my Barred Rocks are good, sturdy utility Barred Rocks, bred more for egg laying and temperament than for show. I have thought about adding bloodlines from show stock, but honestly, I do not want to sacrifice egglaying capability at all for better barring or whatever else people look for in show quality Barred Rocks. Lexie and Ivy are hatchery stock, but my other BR girls currently laying, Becca, Amanda and all the little BRs in the brooder are from helmstead's flock and they tend to have nicer, more even barring. I'm hoping that bred to Gabe and Hawkeye, the babies will have a nice appearance.

 

[rooster-red]

That North Georgia mountain air sure does agree with chickens!

Beautiful!

 

[MissPrissy]

I have a big barred rock cockeral. He isn't a year old yet but he is HUGE. I haven't gotten one fertile egg out of all my girls in with him yet. They are going bald from his mounting. They look aweful. I have been trying to make saddles for all of them. I really hate that he is going to have to buck or he has to move over. My barred rock girls, they are fat and sassy and so big! I don't think he touches them because they don't even have ruffled feathers!

I am getting a cockeral and a pullet from TuffOldHen in a couple of weeks. Blue orps. I can't wait to get some eggs from you when the weather is warmer to try again. Go ahead and pencil me in for 2 shipments in April!

 

[Tsagirl]

Wow that bird looks exactly like a Blue Andalusian!!!
I have had one of those birds and they are pretty neat!

 

[chickabator]

how old are your barred rocks in the picture? mine are almost 16 weeks old I have pullets and it looks just about like mine

here is one of my girls

 

[Wildsky]

Very pretty Cyn,

 

[speckledhen]

Priss, I just sent you an email. You know, it took 5 months for Hawkeye to produce any fertile eggs when I first put him with the girls and he was already 10 months old. Now, several girls who have never been fertile suddenly are and I think it's because he's been kept away from them at night and in the morning, he's really frisky. Late in the day, I separate him again. I was doing that because they've been pecking his comb and wattles where Suede injured him and he injured himself on the fence sparring through it. It had an added benefit of making him get around to more of the girls and not concentrate just on one or two.

chickabator, the largest one is 14 weeks and the smaller one is almost 9 weeks old. They are siblings, same parents. Your pullet is very pretty!

 

[speckledhen]

Here are my other girls, Becca first, then Amanda:

 

[Wynette]

Cyn, your birds are all so healthy and pretty!

I'm pleased to say I picked out two of your Scoutlettes from Heidi yesterday. It was so nice to meet her in person - she's the sweetest person! BYC has been so awfully helpful to me, and I've gained a really close friend through it, too! What more could you want in life?

I'll post pics in a couple of weeks of the lt. blue and black chicks I got from Heidi to see what the consensus is then about their genders.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Wynette! Wish I could meet Heidi and you in person, too. My babies are all over the country and I'd love to sit down and have coffee with all of their respective moms and dads.
Well, if I'm seeing right, I believe it's official. Zoe isn't a Zoe.

My suspicions were confirmed on this bright sunny day when that overly friendly little critter was standing on my knee in the bright sunlight and I parted the feathers on the back. Alas, what do I see but skinny, very shiny saddle feathers starting to come in! If Lexie wasn't his mother, I'd have pegged it as a cockerel two weeks ago, but Lexie is his mother and well, I've repeated that story enough... Take this as a lesson that two siblings dont necessarily have to develop at the same rate. Gabe had a comb and wattles as big as his 9 week old sibling at about 5 weeks old. Now, I just have to decide on a name for this little rooster... someone already has a Zachary, so I may be taking names again. Any more suggestions, Katy, LOL?!