Brian, I will go into McMurray's site and order the two books, they look like they may help me alot with understanding about breeding the chickens, this is another avenue I want to travel.
Brian cool, did you read the post where Angi said that a cross between the Araucana and a brown rooster, the offspring lay pink eggs, but rare? That is kind of cool, sounds like that may be what happened at your place, eh? Unless there is the breed that lays pink eggs, hee, hee.
We are going to have a really interesting chicken yard this year.
My Sister and I went out yesterday and checked every chicken we have and tagged them for layers and non-producing hens. She is really quite proficient with that measuring of the vent bones. After about 70 chickens, I think there were only about 10 going into the pot because they were older, and about 5 roosters (we didn't measure them , hee, hee, lucky dudes). We also sexed the poulets and cocklings that we incubated, the roosters are going into the pot and so are the Banty roosters. We put bands on their legs so we can easily identify them at a glimpse. Today will be the day that we get on this big task, we will skin them.
It is weird, when I first began to get back into chickens two years ago, I didn't have much to do with them except enjoy watching them. My Sister did everything. But for some reason I have helped more this past fall and I see my role as chickenyard helper changing., hee, hee. For example, even a few months ago the thought of ending the life of a chicken for the pot was hideous. Now, I am pretty sure that I could totally assist in this process. I see that as growing up a little bit more, I guess we just never stop growing up, I thought I was for surely.
I spent a couple of hours yesterday and the day before cleaning out the poopy chicken houses. What a job, I never realized that they pooped so much and I was shocked!!!! My Sister had always done it, after this chore, I might make her start to do it again, hee, hee, :evil: :evil: :evil:. No not really, it is a two way street, and we help each other, it is like a partnership and it works so well. She is the light of my life, and I am grateful everyday for her presence. My ChickenSister.....
It is a funny thing. Every day, consistently, never changing, when I open up the chicken door to let the new chickens out, they are all at the door watching me. Every day, the two white chickens are the first to come out, never changes, and then out come the ducks, and then the rest of the chickens. I have always wondered why. I really like one of the white chickens, she is very pretty and had great big fluffy back legs, no clue her breed, or her colour of egg, but she is neat and she makes the neatest clucky sounds, different sounds, and she is friendly too.
My neighbour has some white chickens that she said something about Oxen or Oxford or something like that. I can't remember what it was. They are three year olds and she wanted to know if we wanted them, but we declined. Couldn't imagine why I would want some old birds that probably aren't laying now. They lay brown eggs even though they are white, cool.
My Neice wants some chickens that lay white eggs, I guess she is sick of the brown eggs. I haven't had a white egg in my fridge for a couple of years now, it would look pretty weird.
Have a wonderful and great day, Cindi