Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Cindi on September 29, 2008, 11:21:46 am
-
Brian, this will interest you. Those chicken eggs that you gave me at the bbq at your place has begun the hatch. I had 15 of your great eggs, and put in a whole whack of mine, in two lots, one other hatch should occur in a week's time. As of last night, about 7:00 there were 15 hatching, I haven't checked this AM yet, will do that soon, but there are definitely not my breed of chickens that have hatched so far (except for two). I think that your eggs were pretty fertile. WHen they come out of the incubator to the brood pen, I will take better pictures and you will see your chickens' progeny at my place. Thank you again for the eggs, you will also be that proud Daddy!!! Have the most wonderful and awesome day, Cindi
(http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/551/chicksbrianshatchyc1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
-
Chicken nuggets! I know, I'm not Brian, just couldn't help myself.
...JP
-
One day after a hatch and my kids all excited such. I made little chicken looking feet out of tooth picks and stuck them in the nuggets that we had that night for dinner. It was hilarious!! :evil: Well at least I though so... My 13 yr old about passed out. she was not pleased. It looked pretty real and with the little ones in the brooder, they all stopped and thought for a second. Like I said Hillllarrrrrious!!! I wish that I would have taken some pictures.
F
-
Ahhh Frantz, that is one of the "perks" of being a parent! :-D Pics would have been great so you could chuckle when you look at em time & time again! Keep it up, you are helping develop their cognative skills! Jody
-
The black ones are Austrolorp/Brahma cross, the White ones are Light Brahma, and the brownish ones are Orpington/Brahma cross.
Did you hear about the Chicken who became a politician; his name is Ba-rack Obrahma.
That just occurred to me and I couldn't let it pass.
-
Eeeks!!! I will be taking more pictures later this morning, but what a day yesterday was, I kid you not, certainly not my idea of fun, nor what I had in mind to contend with, I had other plans, like cooking tom turkey with ease and mowing my lawn, which takes over 2 hours.
So, I must ramble, bear with me. Come the time after the kids are fed, lunches made, and I have that time to go and let the chickenyard critters out, I stopped in at the bee house to see how many more had hatched. Their was a noise, that noise was very foreign and I wondered what it was. It didn't take long to realize that the sound I heard was nothing. I should have heard the sound of the incubator fan going, oh no!!!! I could hear peeping, but no fan sound. I immediately opened the incubator, noticed that it still felt warm, but the temperature was 102. I ran back up to the house to call Ken to help me and we both went back down, took the chicks, the eggs and headed back up to our house, heat lamp in tow.
We put the chicks into the bathroom in a laundry basket. Got my youngest Grandson to put the coldish feeling one into his shirt, right next to his 98.6 degree body and then proceeded to set up for the chicks. The bathroom is warm, friendly, and the chicks were happy as two peas in a pod. The baby warmed up very quickly and we set it back in with its siblings. The story goes on and on. Three more of the eggs hatched, not one more......they all were combined last night and placed downstairs with the heat lamp on them, I could not stand the sound of chicks peeping all night long.
What a lucky day for me, my stars were shining down for surely. The babies would have cooked in a very short time, and that would have made me very sad. The fan had given out in the incubator. The heater still worked. So good things come to those that wait.....and I have been waiting for three weeks for these babies to come along.
Brian, I think your 15 eggs were 100% hatch. I am pleased. I will take pictures later on to show you them, you can tell me more certainly what the breeding is....the Australorpe/Brahma cross, very distinctive. Three of mine hatched too, I know that because they always have stripes down their backs, and look like they have black makeup around their eyes. But there is that one (the one that my Grandson saved) that is bigger, had feathers on its legs and feet and has some black dots on its head. I think there were 3 that had that furry feet, I will look better today. And the pictures will tell that tale. I think there is 18 chicks.
Frantz, I remember you telling us that story before about the little chicken feet, that was incredibly funny and you are a stinker and a brat too, for teasing the kids so, hee, hee!!! Beautiful day, love the life we live. Cindi
-
OK, the babies are all doing well. There is 18 of the little dudes. Last night I took some more pictures of them. Oh wish they could stay young forever, just like all little babies of all species of life, hee, hee.
I love how the feathers on the Brahmas and Brahma crosses are so prevalent.
Brian, if you see this post, could you please identify what that specific chick is, it is bigger than the rest, has black spots on its head, and ruffles on its legs, it must be Brahma crossed with something. And this particular chick is a baby, it is so noisey compared to the others. Last night I had to go down and close the door to their room because it was squawking so loud, everyone else what sleeping, but it was awake and not liking the fact that others were trying to sleep, baby!!! And a further question, did I get any of the Buff Orpington eggs for hatching? Do you remember? What colour are the chicks from the Buff's if I did, would they be a mixed breed with the Brahmas? Just curioius, you know me.
I was very pleased with the fertility rate of your eggs, like I was saying, I think they were pretty close to 100%, you gave me 15 eggs, there are 18 chicks --three of my eggs hatched for sure, plus maybe a couple more, not sure if they were mine or not though. I need to do better record keeping with incubation.
My chicks, which are at least three are golden with brown striping, that seems what all my chicks look like, some even look like they have black eye liner on their eyes. Cute. Beautiful and most wonderful days, Cindi
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/3055/brianshatch2fq7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/8327/brianshatch3yl8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
This is the one that bigger than the rest and is the vocal dude, the baby I would say, hee, hee
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/7774/brianshatcheb4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/293/brianshatch4qh9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/3558/brianshatch5hh7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
-
Aren't they so sweet when they're chickies? But, like kittens and babies, they grow up :-D
Gorgeous little flock there, Cindi, I'd like to get a few more, but I'm not sure about integrating them, so I'll wait until I have more chicken experience. (http://annzoid.com/images/smileys/animroos.gif)
-
OK, the babies are all doing well. There is 18 of the little dudes. Last night I took some more pictures of them. Oh wish they could stay young forever, just like all little babies of all species of life, hee, hee.
I love how the feathers on the Brahmas and Brahma crosses are so prevalent.
Brian, if you see this post, could you please identify what that specific chick is, it is bigger than the rest, has black spots on its head, and ruffles on its legs, it must be Brahma crossed with something. And this particular chick is a baby, it is so noisey compared to the others. Last night I had to go down and close the door to their room because it was squawking so loud, everyone else what sleeping, but it was awake and not liking the fact that others were trying to sleep, baby!!! And a further question, did I get any of the Buff Orpington eggs for hatching? Do you remember? What colour are the chicks from the Buff's if I did, would they be a mixed breed with the Brahmas? Just curioius, you know me.
I was very pleased with the fertility rate of your eggs, like I was saying, I think they were pretty close to 100%, you gave me 15 eggs, there are 18 chicks --three of my eggs hatched for sure, plus maybe a couple more, not sure if they were mine or not though. I need to do better record keeping with incubation.
My chicks, which are at least three are golden with brown striping, that seems what all my chicks look like, some even look like they have black eye liner on their eyes. Cute. Beautiful and most wonderful days, Cindi
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/3055/brianshatch2fq7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
This is the one that bigger than the rest and is the vocal dude, the baby I would say, hee, hee
I would say that it is probably the only pure blood Brahma in the batch which means one of the you hens you likes so well and the old white rooster.
(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/8327/brianshatch3yl8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The all white are Light Brahma, the Black (even with a little white on the under belly) are the out of Austrolarp hens, The Brown ones are out of the Orpington/Brahma hens and rooster, and those with the white one with chipmonk type stripes on the back mean the banty rooster was at work with a Brahma hen. The brown ones with the strips on the back are probably out of your chickens and could be Gold Laced Wyndote or something similar.
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/7774/brianshatcheb4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/293/brianshatch4qh9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/3558/brianshatch5hh7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Looks like my banty rooster still has some zip left.
-
Brian, good, hee, hee, so that little Banty dude has still got some spunk, good for him, yeah!!!! This one that is the Banty cross is certainly much larger than all the rest, and slightly more nosey, squaky and friendly. I was looking at them in great detail last night.
I will take up more close up pictures. Don't ask me why, but having this new stock within my chicken flock has absolutely enthralled me, it has intrigued me beyond what you could imagine, and....I can hardly wait until they grow up so I can take pictures of their growth progress. It is very, very cool, I am so hoping that there is a rooster in the crowd, of which I am sure there will be.
I have done some very interesting comparisons with the cocklings and henlings (hee, hee, what is a young female called anyways, is it a "poulet'?). I have noticed that about the age of just over a month, I will have to look at the pictures I took of the 34 that we just moved to the chickenyard, that the waddles and combs are very noticeable on the cocklings, even at this age. The pictures I took will tell the tale of the age, and I will retrieve them to show this, so I may modify this post later, or just go now and get the pictures from my desktop to here..... OK, got the pictures, these chicks were incubated and born on August 7 last, so they are almost 2 months old now. The picture was taken on September 18, so that would make them, let's see, August 7 to September 18 -- looking at calendar, OK, they were 6 weeks old. Very clearly by that age, the gender is easily seen, as you will see by the pictures. Look closely.....
My observation last night with the four little black chicks was that two of them had bare legs, they were slightly larger than the other two and two of the black chicks has some feathers on their legs, that was very interesting, I will get some pictures of that progress too.
The only breed of chickens that I have in my chickenyard are Antonio, the Rhode Island Red rooster (well, actually, he isn't here anymore, he left when the other ducks and chickens went for a trip last week), and the other rooster is Roquefort, whom is a Columbian Rock (I think, he looks just like the picture in the Rochester hatchery catalogue) and Creakity Creek, which is that rose comb Banty, of which specific breed, I have no clue. The hens are all daughters of these two roosters, that were bred with the Sex-sal-links that we originally purchased. Ooops, I told a whopper...we also had an Australorpe cross, (no longer here) and two white hens that lay brown eggs, no clue their breed. But definitely no Wyandotte genes here. So that is what the chicks that you see in the picture are. Interesting.
Next year I would love to get some Barred Rocks, I think they are lovely birds, and also some Silver Laced Wyandottes too. Pretty birds. I think that hatching eggs may become available around February, as the activity of the rooster gets stronger.
Yesterday, a fellow came to purchase some of my 4 month old layers, they have not began to lay yet, but will be of age soon. He bought all 10 that I had for $8.00 each. I mentioned to him that I had 20 more that were 2 months old, he told me when they came to 4 months of age, he would buy those too. That is good. I guess there is a market in my area for laying birds. I like that. It may generate enough money to pay for the food for all these critters that live with me, hee, hee. Beautiful, most wonderful day, love this groovin' life we all live, love and share. Cindi
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/457/cockeralspouletsll9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/4473/cockeralspoulets2ff5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6370/cockeralspoulets3ai5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
-
I have about 30 chickens in my backyard. I also incubate some as well. Make sure they stay warm this time of year. That was really funny about the chicken nugget and tooth pick joke on the kids.
-
Brian, I hope you don't mind, but I was looking at the pictures that I took of your chickenyard, and I want to show our forum friends some of the beautiful birds that you have at your place. The roosters are nothing short of magnificent and I just wanted to show off for you, you have such gorgeous birds. Have that most wonderfully awesome day, Cindi
This is one of Brian's beautiful roosters. If some of my chicks that I incubated from your eggs are roosters, will any of them look like either of your rooster dudes? I sure hope so, they are a sight for sore eyes, for surely, you should be feeling such pride, my friend. Have that most wonderfully awesome and great day, love life. Cindi
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5590/briansroosters3vt0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1686/briansroosters2nx9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Oh yes, Brian, the golden rooster on the right, that is the cross breed of the Buff Orpington/Brahama? You need to refresh my memory, will any of my baby chicks look like him too? Just curious, you know me, hee, hee, and haw, haw!!!
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5452/briansroosterses3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
I believe that this dude on the right is the Banty that Brian was speaking about, still got a little spunk left in him, hee, hee, Brian, how old is he? You will see the Australorpe hens in this picture too, to the left. I can't wait to see how your chickenyard looks, with the addition you have worked hard on to make for it.
-
Brian, I hope you don't mind, but I was looking at the pictures that I took of your chickenyard, and I want to show our forum friends some of the beautiful birds that you have at your place. The roosters are nothing short of magnificent and I just wanted to show off for you, you have such gorgeous birds. Have that most wonderfully awesome day, Cindi
This is one of Brian's beautiful roosters. If some of my chicks that I incubated from your eggs are roosters, will any of them look like either of your rooster dudes? I sure hope so, they are a sight for sore eyes, for surely, you should be feeling such pride, my friend. Have that most wonderfully awesome and great day, love life. Cindi
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5590/briansroosters3vt0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The big brute front and center is about 5 years old now, he's the last survivor of the chickens my parents had when they were still with us.
The white rooster to his right is his son, 1st year Light Brahma/Buff Orpington cross. The hens were brown (one is beside her father) and the roosters white.
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1686/briansroosters2nx9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Oh yes, Brian, the golden rooster on the right, that is the cross breed of the Buff Orpington/Brahma? You need to refresh my memory, will any of my baby chicks look like him too? Just curious, you know me, hee, hee, and haw, haw!!!
The 2 roosters are 1st generation Brahma/Orpington cross (white rooster/brown hens) and the 2nd generation cross is just the opposite (brown rooster/white hens). You can see both generations in this picture. It is unusual to get a 2nd generation of sex link when cross breeding chickens. The cross is true to fist generation and then is gone is successive generations. The Light Brahma/Buff Orpington cross is the only sex link cross I know of that has held true (though flipflopped) for 2 generations.
The chicken pen is now well past the railroad ties you see in the background. The current pen is 30 feet wide and 65 feet long.
(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5452/briansroosterses3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
I believe that this dude on the right is the Banty that Brian was speaking about, still got a little spunk left in him, hee, hee, Brian, how old is he? You will see the Australorpe hens in this picture too, to the left. I can't wait to see how your chickenyard looks, with the addition you have worked hard on to make for it.
The Banty was a gift from the Amish who do everything naturally. The people my brother got the banties from even have a Yak. The Banty rooster is a Cockin/Silkie cross and about 5 years old.
PS I did have a Golden Wyndot rooster so their may have been a little of that gene in the egg pool you got from me.
-
Brian, oh my excitement abounds!!! I can't wait until I see what my little chicks grow up to look like. I was looking at them and visiting them last night. I think for sure that 3 of the chicks are from my Rhode Island Red, Antonio, crossed with the brown hen, and two are crossed from my, Columbian Rock, Roquefort (at least I think I have determined his breeding). There are 18 total chicks, so that would make 13 of your 15 hatching eggs that you gave me hatched (my five, your 13 make 18, hee, hee) (I am OK with math equations, hee, hee). That is a pretty good ratio of hatch in my eyes, you got some pretty good roosters there.
The big one you said is probably the Banty crossed with one of the hens. Wow!!! Wonder what this dude/gal will look like when it grows up.
I know that Silkies are white, that is so cool that the Banty of yours is so darkly coloured. I remember looking at him at your place and marvelling at his beauty, he is one very majestic looking dude.
So interesting about the sex linking with the birds at your place, truly, I do not exaggerate, nope, nope, not one little bit.
Come the spring time Brian, and the roosters are getting going strong again, I would love to purchase some more of your hatching eggs. I would buy them, you know that, I do not expect freebies. But if you were willing to sell me some more, I would make that trip down to your place, I think it was about 2 hours travelling time, and we could spend the day together having some fun. I enjoyed my visit to your place so much, you wouldn't believe it (well, there is a part that I did not like, nor did Janel, hee, hee), and that was that stench of that billy goat gruff you got going there!!! What a stinky, stinky dude, hee, hee. Maybe in the spring time they are not rutting and he won't stink so badly, eh? I know my neighbour to the south of the back of my property has a billy that is rutting right now. I can smell him in the afternoons when I am coming even close to the chickenyards. It is funny because I don't detect his scent until the afternoon, the mornings he seems to be stinkless, that poor guy, I bet the stink makes him more attractive to the females, so too bad he doesn't stink all the time, hee, hee.
I can't wait to see your new and improved chickenyard. I thought the one that you had was pretty cool, it sounds like you have increased the size dramatically, and I bet the chickenyard critters had the time of their lives ripping up the new soil that was full of bugs, grasses, weeds, and all the good things that chickens love to eat and play in, good for you, good for them. Have that most wonderfully awesome and great day, Cindi
-
Brian, this will make you happy. The babies are all growing like bad weeds. It is too cold to put them outside in my Sister's brood rearing area, so they need to still be inside, for another few weeks. I told my Husband I needed to think of something, and we put our brains together and he decided to design a new pen for them, one that can be portable and can be used over and over. And he put his hands to work....
He made a beautiful pen for these little dudes and we put the pen into our cabin, which has heat in it. This cabin is not being used right now (until our oldest foster boy moves onto independent living in the middle of November). He will be 19 and needs to move out of the ministry care. He is a great young man, and will be staying with us for an unknown time to come. Probably years, hee, hee. He is going to move into this cabin when the babies move out.....unless he wants to live with them, hee, hee.
The structure that Ken built is 4X6 and has two foot 1/2 inch poultry wire around it to keep them in (for who knows how long before they tend to fly out, hee, hee). I have hung their heat lamp in there, but they did not appear overly interested. Even when we peeked in at them last night, they were all flopped all over the place, having a great sleep. Must have been a stressful day.
The chicks were freaked right out when we moved them into this new pen yesterday, but soon got to loving every minute of it. Now today, I am going out to pick them some clumps of grass and put these clumps of grass into some shallow pots so they have some living green stuff to chomp on, I don't think the greens will last long, but at least they will a touch of Mother Nature in there for them to enjoy. I think they are spoiled. Have a most wonderful and awesome day. Cindi
(http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/21/brianschicksinnewbroodpbj0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3323/brianschicksinnewbroodpgu5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
-
I know that Silkies are white, that is so cool that the Banty of yours is so darkly coloured. I remember looking at him at your place and marvelling at his beauty, he is one very majestic looking dude.
Actually silkies come in Black, White, and Beige.
Now that I think of it, I'm sure that larger white/black chick is probably the only pure Light Brahma in the batch. Brahma's are large chickens and about the only ones that are Larger are the Black Jersey Giants. White Jersey Giants are about the same size as a Brahma.
-
Brian, I am keeping a close watch on these little dudes. I took some picture closeups before they went down to their new house. These were taken four days ago. That one that you said may be the only pure Light Brahma, surely is a neat looking chick. I sure do hope he is a rooster, hee, hee. Here's some more pictures for you. They were hatched on September 28, that makes them 15 days old today (did I do the right math, hee, hee???)
The AustralorpeX. There are 4 of them. Of those 4, definitely 3 are roosters, they have the longer tail feathers already, the one that must be a hen has barely a tail at all, looks totally different.
This is the one that you think may be the only purebred Light Brahama, keeping a really close watch on this one, hee, hee!!! Do you like to see the pictures of your chicks, they would not be here if it wasn't your graciousness to let me take home the hatching eggs, you know, thank you again...these birds will be very special to me, Brian.....Have the most awesomely great and healthy day, Cindi
PS. One day I would still like to help you to get that Xbreed made that you wanted to do with your chickens you told me about, so long ago....you know, the heavy meat birds. I can't recall what you wanted to breed, but I know I have that information stored away somewhere. You could send me hatching eggs through post and I could work on incubating them for you, when that time is right and if you still were interested in my help. Or maybe, we could meet half way and go for lunch or something like that, you know, you drive halfway and I drive halfway, or maybe I would just drive down to your place, period.....that would be fun. I know it is about a 2 hour drive, that's nuthin'!!! in the realm of travel.....come spring, when the roosters get all cocky again, hee, hee.
OK, I just got off the laziness, I looked up what you said about the Xbreeding to me last spring -- and this is what you said to me:
Dark (or light) Cornish (not crosses)
Black Jersey Giant
Brahma (light or dark)
Ameracauna (or Araucana)
Wonder why you wanted the Ameracauna (or Araucana) in this breed, elaborate here a little bit, Brian.....
(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/6281/brianschicklightbrahmahs6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Note the feathers on the legs, Brahma style, hee, hee
(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/7784/brianschicklightbrahma2ra8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Three of the yellow ones have feathery legs, too
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9279/brianschicks2nt8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7677/brianschicks3ba5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1336/brianschicks4to3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6674/brianschicks6yt8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The AustralorpeX have interesting markings, some have black legs and some have yellow, what does that mean? Anything? Tell me, please!!!
(http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/2834/brianschicks7yv9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
-
Hey Frantz -
Banksy stole your chicken nugget idea.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/08/arts/20081008_BANKSY_SLIDESHOW_6.html#
- Jess
-
Those are some lucky chickies!
-
Jess,
That is just proof that the NY Times is watching me!!! I got to be more careful from now on!!!
I love that pic. I love it!!!
F
-
The AustralorpeX have interesting markings, some have black legs and some have yellow, what does that mean? Anything? Tell me, please!!!
Pure bred Australorps have black legs, any other color (or combination) indicates a cross breeding. But since I have no Australorp roosters all of yours are cross breeds showing the different variations of coloration.
Keep us posted in this post on the chicks.
-
Brian, today is the one month birthday of the chicks. I will go and get some cool pics today. They are getting pretty big, in another couple of weeks they will go to meet all their nest mates. It is still too cold to put them outside I think, oh but they are getting really interesting looking. I will make comments on the pictures when I bring them on here tomorrow morning. Have a most wonderful and beautifully awesome day, Cindi
-
Hi Cindi;
I just had to comment on how wonderful your chicks look and what a neat pen you and your husband made. Would it be O.K. if I steal your idea? We hope to start construction on our coop next weekend. My wife's daughter has a boyfriend that is very handy with tools so we are going to recruit him to help. I'll pass along some pics when we start. Thank you very much for sharing these pics and your suggestions.
Best wishes, Marcus
-
Marcus, thank you for the kind words, you have at it, copy anything that your lil' heart chooses.
This pen was built for the chicks that we incubated. They had outgrown their original one and needed something bigger. It was a late hatch and the weather was too cold to put them outside yet. So they lived in this pen inside (with a heat lamp in case they became too cold) until this week. They are now over a month old (born September 28), are totally feathered out, so they can go to their brooding pen at my Sister's yard. When they are about 6 weeks old and go off of starter crumbles, they will join their friends in the adult chicken coop.
Growing like bad weeds, these guys are having the time of their life with actual earth that they can mosey around and churn up, and doing a mighty fine job of it too. I have pictures of them that I will be adding to the thread. Good luck with your coop plans. Have a great and wonderful day, Cindi
-
Brian, the chicks are now about 34 days old. They have moved to the brooding pen outside, still have a heat lamp for at night and oh they are lovin' life. They are growing like bad weeds and all feathered out. There are quite a number of pictures here, but I found it important to show you some great aspects of these birds. Enjoy the pictures. Have a great and most wonderful day, great health wishes for us all. Cindi
This one was taken on October 17, they were only 3 weeks old then and oh did they ever love to face off with each other, all the time, cute
(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/1783/brianschicksoct17yg4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
One of my incubated chicks is the one that looks like it has make up on. There are 4 of the ones that have the lighter coloured faces. They are your chicks. They seem to hang out as a group, not mingling with the others very much. What is their breeding? No leg feathers. Brahma/Orpington? Please define if you can. I am not quite getting this yet, hee, hee :) :)
(http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1460/brianschicksoct28wb6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
This is the only one that does not have any markings, state breed please?
(http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/9045/brianschicksoct282xt1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
This one has the less feathers on the leg, I think it is a rooster
(http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3/brianschicksoct283ea5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
This one appears to be a hen, she has more feathers on the legs than the other ones
(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8856/brianschicksoct284ea7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
A closeup of the feathery legged one
(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3605/brianschicksoct285zs3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5333/brianschicksoct286mc3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Just a pretty picture looking down on one of them
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/3026/brianschicksoct287fx5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Always very interested in looking at the camera
(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/4331/brianschicksoct288br6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The one that I think is a rooster, it has less feathery legs, but is getting those long tailfeathers
(http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/8439/brianschicksoct289mg3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The Australorpe/Brahma crosses are getting a very few little feathers on their legs. There is 3 roosters and one hen of that breed.
(http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/159/brianschicksoct2810lu0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The chick that had the stripes on its back and black markings on its head, which you originally thought was the only purebred Brahma is now undistinguishable from the other Brahama/Xs. They all look the same now, funny thing eh?
-
It's normal for the Brahma cross coloring to differ a bit when chicks but look very similar as adults. The white on the bellies and chins of the Australorps is normal as chicks, as adults they are solid black. The brown ones are also brahma/orpinton crosses with maybe a little Silke/Cochin thrown in. It is likely the Australorps with feathered legs are crossed with the bantams.
Orpington's are clean legged birds, Brahma's are feathered, the crosses can be either ranging from heavy to light feathering. Feathering on the legs is called Muffing. A feathered legged bird is referred to as being muffed.
Post some more pics in another month.
-
Brian, thank you for more clear definition and definition of leg feathers as muffed. That is good to know, correct terminology when speaking "ling" is nice to have in the hand. I will post more pictures in a month's time. Have a great and wonderful day, great health wishes to us all. Cindi
-
Brian, have you had any issues with your turkey being in with your chickens? I just lost a red and was worried. PM ME please..kinda bummed out.
-
I haven't experience any problems with having the turkeys in with the chickens, the size of those birds roosting on top of the chicken house keeps the hawks away. The raccoons, now that's a different matter, so far I've lost 4 of my 6 Australorps to raccoons. They climb over the fence and haul them off. I think I'm loosing the Australorps because they like to roost outside on top of the pen around the chicken yard. I just put in an order for enough poly netting to screen over the entire chicken yard to keep the predators out and the chickens in.
Those Australorps have a tendency to be a bit wild acting (they are tame just act wild in nesting and roosting habits).
The netting will also keep the turkeys off the hot tin roof. When a 30lb turkey lands on a tin roof it sounds like a thunder clap.
I have netting over the pigeon fly pen (aviary) and have, on occassion had a plummiting hawk use it for a trampoline. But now that I temporarily have my brother's Impeyan Pheasants in the pigeon aviary too, to hawks don't do that any more.
It seems the secret of keeping hawks out of your fowl pens is having fowl too big for them to handle. the bigger ones protect the smaller ones.
-
Brian, I think EasternShore might have been referring to disease transference between the species, not something the birds may be doing physically to each other. Maybe this was a misinterpretation, or maybe I just interpreted what his query was.
I had heard from somewhere that turkeys and chickens should never be kept together because of disease transference, I think one in particular was something called "blackhead", I am thinking it referred to the head blackening after death, not sure.
Anyways, I did do some looking at the Backyard Chicken forum about turkeys and chickens together, because I have them together too, and this did cause concern. Some members there were saying they should not share the same areas, others say that they have had turkeys and chickens together for years with no problems. That was comforting to me, because there was no way I could or would be interested in keeping the two species in separate areas, that would be a great difficulty. That being said, Eastern Shore, is that what you meant by saying if there were any problems keeping turkeys with chickens. I feel badly for you that you lost your red, the turkeys are very special birds for surely.
Now Brian, what a bummer about losing the Australorpes. That must have peed ya right off!!! I can't stand racoons. I have lost stock many, many years ago from racoons. Actually about 30 years ago, when I firstly began an interest in Muscovy ducks. I had a wretched racoon come several times and pull the Muscovys right over their pen fence and out to the bush. I stopped keeping birds for a good many years, to return to them during the past couple, only because the interest was sparked by my Sister.
What a job you are going to have to put that netting over the chicken yard eh? I don't envy that. Too bad that the Australorpes have such a wild side that they don't want to inside at night time, away from the side of the pen. This is very disheartening to lose birds, I feel for ya. Have a great day and life, great health. Cindi
-
Dip those chicks into some marshmallow creme and sprinkle sugar to make marshmallow peeps :-D Yum!
They are cute. Too bad they didn't stay that way.
-
Brian, I think EasternShore might have been referring to disease transference between the species, not something the birds may be doing physically to each other. Maybe this was a misinterpretation, or maybe I just interpreted what his query was.
I had heard from somewhere that turkeys and chickens should never be kept together because of disease transference, I think one in particular was something called "blackhead", I am thinking it referred to the head blackening after death, not sure.
Cindi
I addressed the disease transference between species on a different thread. It happens, sometimes, within species which is why having an incubation pen for your new poultry is prudent. A 2-3 week waiting period can make a lot of difference in disease transference as it is most common when birds have been stressed by relocated. Bees have the same problems, you stress a hive when moving it and you'll find things like chalkbrood, nosema, etc, more prevelant in the hives that were just relocated. That is also one of the reasons commercial Beeks experience more disease issues than the hobbiests.
-
So on the 16th of this month, the incubated chicks that came from Brian's eggs were moved to join all their friends in the big chickenhouse. They were born on September 28, so now they are coming up two months old torrow. Oh what a day of fun that was. The chickens, ducks and turkeys had the times of their lives looking at these strange new barnyard friends. It is now been 11 days since they were moved to their new home, and they are just yesterday beginning to actually venture out of the house into the yard, step by step, off to the wild blue yonder. The chicks are fully feathered out, beautiful and are beginning to look much more like adults these days, those pictures will come here soon. I am proud of my babies, hee, hee. Worked hard to bring them up, but well worth the effort. Enjoy the pictures, and have that great, wonderful day, and health. Cindi
This is them in the cage before we let them out
(http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/1137/newchicksnoseybirds2copsl2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Richard couldn't understand why all these little birds all went into a corner, he was pretty curious too.
(http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/9023/newchicksnoseyrichardwv7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
-
Need to see them a little more clearly please.
-
Brian, yep, I know. Today I'll go out there and get some more closeups. These birds are lookin' mighty fine. There is three that are definitely the light Brahma look, four that are the AustralorpeX look, and I think that there are about 4 or so of the plain brown BrahmaXOrprington or something, then there is the single one (a hen) that must be the Orpington, and then 3 of mine. There is 15. I have to tag the brown ones pretty quickly, they are getting so big they are beginning to look like my other younger brown ones that are only a couple of weeks older. Anyways, I'll work on that today for you. They are just beginning to venture out of the chickenbarn, that is almost 2 weeks that they have been too chicken to come out, hee, hee, like that pun. I find the AustralorpeX are the most curious. Yesterday when I let all the chickens out and then went to get some extra little foods for the young ones, one of the black ones followed me all the way to the food house, that was quite cute, guess he got caught up in the thought of the yummy little crumbles that he knew I was going to bring in for them. They much prefer the crumbled over the laying pellets. Beautiful and most great day, Cindi
-
Hi All;
Well, we started construction of the coop yesterday. With the help of one of my wifes daughters boyfriend (whew!) we have made good progress. I hope to be 90% done by the end of today. A big thank you to Brian and Cindi for your suggestions! I hope to download pictures soon. Best to all! Winenutguy.
-
Marcus, yeah!!! Go, go, go, can't wait for pictures!!! You may even have some suggestions for us on improvements. Have that wonderful and most awesome life and day, health. Cindi
-
Wow, how time passes. These chickens from Brian's eggs are now a few days short of 5 months. One of the roosters is crowing. Only have heard one so far (well, not that I'm there all the time).
Out of the 15 incubated eggs, there was only two hens (Brian, what the blipity blip went on there, smiling).
Heather, (the Light Brahma hen, I think she is purebred) who was so tiny and had to be brought into the house to heal (which she is, I will show more pictures soon on that thread I made about her, she is a tough little cookie that is trying hard to get 100% better, almost, almost, she'll do it). The only other female is one of the AustralorpeXLight Brama. All the rest, men!!!
I have sold almost all the roosters, save 6, I have to make a decision on what to keep. How many roosters can there be in a chickenyard, I haven't quite figured that one out yet. This is important to answer this question, very important.......
I will lean on you Brian for what you would suggest.
I have two white roosters. One looks very much like the purebred Brahma you have Brian, with the light brown feathers in his cape and saddle, very long feathers, he has a thin and big comb. The other white one is a much bigger bird than his counterpart and has a small, comb, looks kind of like a rose comb, but not as thick. He is white and black with absolutely no other colour, like the beige on the counterpart rooster. Don't know which one to keep of these two.
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/496/roosters1rl2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9140/roosters2bl5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9895/roosters3tb3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
There was 4 AustralorpeXbrahma. I have kept the hen, and sold a rooster. Again, two totally different types of combs, slight different looking with the cape feathers, both beautiful.
AustralorpeXbrahma roosters
(http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6606/roosters4vd2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1563/roosters5av9.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9681/roosters6tt7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
The AustralorpeXbrahma hen
(http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8192/australorpexbrahmafi5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
There was 8 of the BrahmaXOrpington roosters, I have two left. I think that I am keeping both. I don't have a picture of them. They are far more bigger than the other roosters and oh man!!! Are they ever heavy, way more heavy than the other roosters!!! Beautiful day in this great life. Cindi
-
Cindi, you have boys coming out your ears! Are you gonna eat any? You are lucky to have the processor, I would go st run or let mine brood if I had someone to whack & clean em for me! You can tell in the pics who is a roo by the way their legs go, even in a pic there is that strut! Just ordered Marans, Wellsummers & more EE's, they are fun! People love the different eggs. The lady that cuts my hair wants some so we will split. I order pullets cause they are not 100% & I will probably get a roo & any of those will go well! J
-
Jody, ya, go figure, 2 girls out of the bunch of boys (15 boys)!!! I'm not too sure what to do with the extra roosters, I know I don't need too many and one would probably be just fine. You know I am downsizing my birds. I just cannot figure out what rooster I would need to keep. I like all four different crosses and I think one is a pure Light Brahma breeding. But I really don't think I can keep four roosters to 6 hens, I think that would be a bad scene. Have a greatfully wonderous day, Cindi
-
The single comb is the trait of an Orpington or an Austrolorp (aka Australian Orpinton) whereas the pea comb is a trait of the Braham.
If you want big chickens keep the biggest roosters and the biggest hens regardless of breed. As you know it is impossible to tell the sex of an egg before it hatches and strait run eggs can create an big imbalance of hens to roosters or visa versa.
Other things to look for in selecting which chickens to keep for breeders:
1. Size
2, Weight
3. Preferred comb type.
4. Body conformation.
5. Feather pattern.
All of those things have to do with the standard desired in the birds you're trying to produce. You want as much conformaty as you can get within those parameters. Once you get what you have selected you can name the breed and put in for acceptance to the Canadian Poultry Standard. If that's what you want to do.
-
Brian, hmmm...thanks for that information. The pea or rose comb would seem to me like it would be a more winter hardy bird, as far as any type of comb damage. I remember Roquefort's poor comb got so black on the tips from the freezing temperatures. I have to make some hard decisions as to what roosters I am going to keep. How many roosters to 16 hens? That is how many hens I have left now, I have sold a fair number of layers. These are all about 7 months old. Beautiful day in the great life. Cindi
-
Cindi, I have 16 too! Well, at least till March 4.. :evil: Then 25 little fluffballs arrive! I would think that 2 would be sufficient. You will want the heavier for winter in the interior, soooooo much colder in the winter. Those Brahma are sure pretty! J
-
Roosters to hen ratio is dependent on how much egg fertility you want. If you want garanteed fertilization run them in trio's 1 rooster 2 hens, every egg will be fertilized. In the chicken yard I try to run 1 rooster for every 5-6 hens. The problem though is that there is always one hen all the roosters like and she soon has a bare back and some of the others get ignored. If you take that hen out for a while, until her feathers grow back, the roosters and the other hens will treat her different that they did before.
To get fertilized eggs for hatching 1 rooster to 4-6 hens should work pretty well. For eggs to sell one rooster in a flock of 20 will do but the fertilization becomes spotty and often limited to those 1/2 dozen hens the rooster likes best.
-
Brian, ha, great information, I am listening. I know what you mean about a beat up looking chicken. When we had Antonio and Roquefort, they both seemed to really like this one particular gal. I felt so sorry for her, and never thought about removing her to let her feathers grow back. It was summertime when I noticed her with so many feathers missing, noticed that she was as happy as all the other girls, so just thought it was the hens picking on her. In retrospect, I think it was the boys picking on her.
Now, this is important to me. Can you tell me why the roosters pick a certain couple of hens that they like so much better. I need a scientific answer (smiling, not just mambo jambo). I would really like to know why certain hens are desired. It really makes not much sense to me, but then I am not a chicken.....smiling. Have that most wonderful, beautifully awesome life, day, love our lives, health. Cindi
-
Brian, ha, great information, I am listening. I know what you mean about a beat up looking chicken. When we had Antonio and Roquefort, they both seemed to really like this one particular gal. I felt so sorry for her, and never thought about removing her to let her feathers grow back. It was summertime when I noticed her with so many feathers missing, noticed that she was as happy as all the other girls, so just thought it was the hens picking on her. In retrospect, I think it was the boys picking on her.
Now, this is important to me. Can you tell me why the roosters pick a certain couple of hens that they like so much better. I need a scientific answer (smiling, not just mambo jambo). I would really like to know why certain hens are desired. It really makes not much sense to me, but then I am not a chicken.....smiling. Have that most wonderful, beautifully awesome life, day, love our lives, health. Cindi
I'm sorry but you're going to have to settle for the mumbo jumbo. Why do men prefer blondes? Why do some men prefer women with large Melons? Why do some men prefer women with backsides like Jennifer Lopez? Why do some men prefer women with a little meat on their bones, while others like them as skinny as twiggy? It's all in the eye of the beholder, what one man finds sexy another man might find banal. I have one hen in my pigeon coup that every dude in the place wants to mate with, and she will readily mate with any dude I put her in a cage with. My most productive hen pigeon and the mother ir grandmother to about 50% of my pigeons, but don't ask me why they'll strut for her and ignore all the other hens. She's now on her 4th or 5th mating.....the bleep.
-
Brian, :shock: :shock:, oh my goodness, smiling!!! That was pretty blatant, and being that blatant type of gal, your answers to my questions were pretty ding darn funnnneeee!!! I never thought that birds could be equated to any human emotion such as this type of attraction, but that writing is clearly on the wall. Cool. Always wondered what it was about this beat up ol' hen that they liked, mystery still not solved. I would still love to know, so maybe I'll prose that question over at a chicken site and see what comes up from the nation. Have a great and most awesome day, Cindi
-
Brian, here goes some more pictures. There are two roosters that are AustralorpeXBrahma. Both look pretty much the same in colouring, but totally different combs and waddles. I am so curious as to why each rooster has a different type of comb.
I get the impression that a typical Brahma rooster has the pea comb only, that is the Brahma trait, is that correct?. It then looks to me like one of the roosters the comb of the Australorpe is dominant and the other rooster has the comb of the Brahma which is dominant. Can you tell me why this has happened. These genetic things are driving me nuts!!!
This is a picture of the two roosters outside today, the pea comb one is the one in the back of the picture, where you can only see the body.
(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1613/roosterbrahmaxaustralor.jpg) (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=roosterbrahmaxaustralor.jpg)
The following is a picture of each of those BrahmaXAustralorpe, totally different looking heads, bodies and colours are the same.
(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9668/roosterbrahmaxaustralorp.jpg) (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=roosterbrahmaxaustralorp.jpg)
(http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1613/roosterbrahmaxaustralor.jpg) (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=roosterbrahmaxaustralor.jpg)
This is the rooster that I think is the only purebred light brahma. He is slowly maturing, much more slowly than all the other roosters (along with the Brahma/Orprington, which are slower too). I have been reading about the Brahmas and it seems they take a little longer to mature than many breeds.
(http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8085/roosterbrahmapurebreed.jpg) (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=roosterbrahmapurebreed.jpg)
Oh, and guess what. That brahma, whom I call Heather, the one that has the crossbill that has been nurtured in the house for the past 2 months. Well, Heather must be called Heathcliff. She has been crowing the past few mornings in the house. What a racket!!! I took her/him outside today to meet her fellow chickenyard friends. Ooops, that was a mistake. She got into a fight with everyone that she could find. She/he was brought back into the house. IT cannot go back out there, it will die really fast. It thinks it is too big for its britches....I cannot believe how dwarfed it is. It is about 1/2 the size of all the other critters, totally small.
Have an awesome day, life, health. Cindi
-
The difference in the comb is the result of the comb of the father. A single comb on a rooster will result in a single comb on the offspring and visa versa. Body conformation is inherited from the mothers which is why that Light Brahma as a longer neck than most light brahmas, its mother was pure or part oprinton. When breeding chickens it can be important to know which trait is dominate and from whic parent, it makes a big difference when culling the flock. You want to have you goats written down and select stock that well reach those goals. Breeding for specifics in any aniimal (or insect) is not as easy as it seems, it's much more than putting a male and female together, you need to put a male with specific dominate traits you want with a female with the specific domenite hen traits you want.
After a dozen or so generations you should be getting real close to your ideal fairly consistantly.
-
Well, Brian, great job, smiling, you have totally confused me, hee, hee. I don't have any real intent to breed for anything in particular, just growin' some chickens, smiling. Don't worry about explaining things, I just don't seem to get it.......I remember you telling me to get a book (I think it was) from McMurray hatchery on raising chickens. I will be taking that duty on one day, becoming more informed and knowledgeable about genetics and things. But for now, just moseying along. My goal in life right now is to keep the chickenyard numbers to a reasonable level to facilitate that eventual move. I don't want to move too many birds, and I want to have a breed that is the most coldy hardy. We are moving to a very frigid wintertime place, the summers are hot. I am really leaning towards the Buff Orpington and Australorpe, don't know why, but kind of really, really like those two breeds of birds. I really like the brown Orpington/Brahma cross rooster that I have and have chosen the biggest one to keep (there were 7 or so of them, identical in most ways, except for size) because he is so big and beautiful. I think that I will also keep the Australorpe/Brahma rooster with the "regular" comb, he is the biggest as well (and the prettiest). Beautiful day in this great life. Cindi