Petee Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Well rats, had I linked the belly color to which eggs they came from I might have been able to help with where the copper is coming from. I do want the darker eggs though! I will keep track of which chicks have good black though and make sure any giveaways go to breeders. What about white streaking around the eye area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 Well rats, had I linked the belly color to which eggs they came from I might have been able to help with where the copper is coming from. I do want the darker eggs though! I will keep track of which chicks have good black though and make sure any giveaways go to breeders. What about white streaking around the eye area? White streaking is good, those chicks usually seem to color in the best. The best seem to have the lateral streaks around the eyes. Sometimes the ones with too much white on their entire head will grow out overcolored. You want a nice mix of dark copper and black feathers as adults, you don't want their necks entirely copper, or so much copper that the bottom of the feathers start turning a straw color. That's called a "halo". It's hard to tell which hens throw mossy and which ones don't. If you hatched 10 chicks from one hen, they would all have different "faults". Mossy is not an egregious fault, and I'd say less than 10% of my chicks hatch that way. I'm actually keeping a few mossy hens on purpose, because my main blue rooster is just a little undercolored with copper, so those mossy hens will help add to that. Like I said, if all you want is jumbo dark eggs, none of that matters, but once you start breeding you just look at them differently. The thing that changed the most for me when I started breeding was how I look at roosters. I used to want all girls, now I actually hope for a good number of boys so I have more to pick from for the following year. The rooster accounts for 50% of the genetics of all your chicks, so a good rooster is the biggest need when breeding. If you decide to start breeding those, those roosters will carry some really good genetics As far as belly color, it seems that the ones that look a little yellow grow out with a better coloring than those that are stark white, but none of those rules are set in stone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 If you guys are bored with this, let me know, but here's a couple of pictures to tell you what I see when I look at my roosters This black rooster has better color than my blue. That copper in his saddle will keep getting longer, and his overall color will be a nice mix of black and copper. His hackles "neck" are a good mix, and there are no straw colored feathers. His eyes are bright, and he has a really nice uniform comb. The things I want to improve on him are mostly about his body type. He's a long, lean bird. His back and neck are a little too long, chest is a little thin. You want them to be a little more thick Ok, here's the blue with pretty much opposite qualities: His body type is almost perfect. He's a little more compact, nice full chest, holds his tail at the perfect angle. He has the prettiest eyes of any rooster I've ever had, and his foot feathering is exceptional. His drawback is his color. Almost no copper in the saddle, and you can see the halo in his neck. That's more common on the blues because of the lighter feather color, but still could be improved. I will keep the best birds from each of these pens, then cross them to each other to see what produces the best results Pompeii, Vader, sapphire and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 Another thing you will see in the picture with the black rooster is the totally black hens. You don't want them totally black like that, I'm hoping he will help them throw some chicks with better coloring in the hackles. I think all of your chicks are from that pen, and I've decided to keep the ones I hatched for myself, so it will be interesting to see how the colors turn out as they grow. I see you're calling the sex of the chicks based on the appearance of the tail feathers. I've tried that, and it doesn't always hold true, but I hope you're right On mine that are the same age, I'm starting to get decent guesses by the appearance of the combs. The girls' combs will stay small much longer than the boys', and if any of them appear black that is almost guaranteed a girl. Sometimes they will be a pale pinkish/orange. At 3-4 weeks, the boy's combs will start becoming more prominent; thicker, redder, and taller. Wattles (red lobes under the chin) will start appearing much earlier than the girls'. steelnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Wow. I am learning all kinds of things (and I was raised on a farm with chickens). LFG, steelnut and Bon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 Wow. I am learning all kinds of things (and I was raised on a farm with chickens).Sometimes I tell my wife I was happier when I was just collecting eggs. Breeding is fun, and challenging, but sometimes it makes you think too much. That's why I keep telling Petee that none of this matters if you aren't showing, but I get the feeling she's like me. I don't show, but I like knowing I have good stock, and I like being able to sell to people who may show steelnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 You should see how big and gawky the chicks are getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 You should see how big and gawky the chicks are getting. well, we could see if someone would post a picture Could you email them to Steve and see if he could post them? sapphire, Jay, WMJ77 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelnut Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 You should see how big and gawky the chicks are getting. well, we could see if someone would post a picture Could you email them to Steve and see if he could post them? Yes, pictures please? And btw, I love this thread! LFG, sapphire, Buster99 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 You should see how big and gawky the chicks are getting. We are anxiously awaiting those pictures. Buster99, steelnut and LFG 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I'm sorry, I'm terrible with pictures! I'll send some to Steve and pester him! LFG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Petee, I remember you saying you initially used the lights on the stove for heat. How are you heating them now? For years I used the red heat lamps that everyone sees, but two years ago I switched to a warming plate. It's basically an upside down hotplate that only gets to 95 degrees, and the chicks can get under it when they are cool, but immediately leave the heat if they are too hot. The plates are kind of expensive, but the same thing can be accomplished by using an electric blanket, one the size of a throw is the best. A heating pad will also work. You make a little cave out of the blanket, and the chicks can come and go as they please. It's also much less of a fire hazard, and uses about a quarter of the electricity. The reason I'm bringing this up is our chicks are just getting to the age that they start getting a little rambunctious, maybe a little flighty. This was the biggest advantage to switching away from the heat lamps. The constant light seems to leave them a little agitated, and I was surprised at how much they actually tried to stay away from the heat. The plates seem to give them comfort, like being under a mama hen. My chicks are now much more calm and come to me when I open the door rather than running the opposite direction. They are always going to be a little wild as "teenagers", but switching from lamps to the plates (or cave) has made a world of difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 steelnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Not much can happen this week because of the Plant Bazaar, but next week the chicks are priority one. They don't need the light during the day any more but at night I turn it on low. I should probably just turn it off soon and cover their tote with a towel to keep out any drafts. They have feathers and are trying to fly! It's getting iffy when I take off the top as to whether one will escape. We have a Chickmobile started and will finish it this Sunday. Then they can go outside onto the grass safely and come back inside at night. It is very light and I can move it alone. One end and the top are protected but the sides are heavy deer mesh. I load them into a mesh laundry hamper, lug them to the golf cart, to the backyard, then inside when they've had enough. Every day it gets longer till they are big enough to go into the chicken coop with the bigger hens, then they will be separated inside for a time. Then they better know how to run or get pecked. I'll add an additional roost to the coop and they can laze around till they lay eggs in November. By the way, I will have a couple of dozen beautiful eggs to offer tomorrow at the plant sale, all chilled and ready to go home with someone. Stop by for a dozen or so. Every egg is marked with the "laid" date. LFG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Maybe I can get this to load, and if so, then I can fix the other pictures. LFG and Bon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Yippee, I finally figured it out! The eggs that last year's chicks give me! Bon and LFG 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 The coop that I almost lost my hand building last summer. This year it is surrounded by planting beds and has a composting area in the back. I'll try to remember to take a good picture of it tomorrow or Friday. Last weekend one grandson graduated in Gettysburg, this week we got a new great grandson, the plant sale is all this week, and tomorrow I have another granddaughter graduating down near Altoona. Busy, busy! Bon, Sanibel, LFG and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 The chicks went through the night without a light or heat and they seem to be fine this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 The chicks went through the night without a light or heat and they seem to be fine this morning. I had to learn that they require much less heat than people think they do. I've had customers send me pictures of their brooders with a 250 watt red bulb hanging 12 inches from the floor, then ask me why their chicks are dying. Yes, they need to be warm, but not all the time. If you have more than 5 or 6 chicks then their body heat is usually enough in the springtime, like you said. I love that coop, BTW Going by your tail feather guessing, if that holds true then I have 13 girls and 3 boys (two died the day after hatch). I don't believe for a minute that I had an 80% female hatch, but I sure hope you're right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Just wait till I get a picture of it now. There are automatic feeders and waterers in the coop, a feeding station outside of the coop right inside the pen door, a swing, a pool for dusting, and they have a hollow pear tree to climb into which they love! The tree was pretty much destroyed twice by lightening and once in a tornado, does not get Black Knot and is very old. The Greenhouse is very close and I have a berry patch right there. There is a burn pile, large compost area, soon to be a canopy, a gravity chair, and me!! I napped there every day after my miter saw accident. I can jump on the golf cart and be right in the middle of the action in one minute! sapphire, Bon, LFG and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Just wait till I get a picture of it now. There are automatic feeders and waterers in the coop, a feeding station outside of the coop right inside the pen door, a swing, a pool for dusting, and they have a hollow pear tree to climb into which they love! The tree was pretty much destroyed twice by lightening and once in a tornado, does not get Black Knot and is very old. The Greenhouse is very close and I have a berry patch right there. There is a burn pile, large compost area, soon to be a canopy, a gravity chair, and me!! I napped there every day after my miter saw accident. I can jump on the golf cart and be right in the middle of the action in one minute! I have a whole "area" built by my pens, too. It's so relaxing. I have two chairs, a loveseat, and a cooler I built all from pallets around a fire pit. I have 5 pens, so the biggest chore was lugging feeders and waterers out every day. Now I have hanging waterers gravity fed by 5 gallon buckets, and my feeding stations are 4" PVC pipes with a "Y" at the bottom to keep the feed from spilling out. Now all my feeding and watering can be done from the outside, and that cut my chore time by about 75%. All of my nest boxes are accessible from the outside as well steelnut, Bon and sapphire 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Look at how chickens, properly cared for and enjoyed, can improve your life. No chemicals, no smell, giggle shows, free food, attachment to the earth, relaxation, a conversation starter, free healthy compost fertilizer, year round exercise, and you have a ready recipe source for your smoker! WMJ77 and LFG 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 Look at how chickens, properly cared for and enjoyed, can improve your life. No chemicals, no smell, giggle shows, free food, attachment to the earth, relaxation, a conversation starter, free healthy compost fertilizer, year round exercise, and you have a ready recipe source for your smoker! Absolutely. No matter how bad a day I may have, an hour with the chickens will make me forget about it all for a while Buster99 and Pompeii 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 I finally had time to clean the kids romper room and fill the feeders. They are going outside on Sunday! This is a picture of some of your grandkids. Hope they measure up! Sanibel, Pompeii, sapphire and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 This is a picture of the Buttless Wonder in the midst of his sisters, I hope. sapphire, hipower, steelnut and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now