Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Suechooks]

Well done Petal and little Petal (and Donald and Marge of course!) Keep it up!

[its hilly]

Oh well done!!
I left my name and address with a nice lady at a local show who promised to pass on some dates and local club numbers so I could join. But nowts happened. Guess she must have forgotten, or lost it.
Oh well I'l just have to be patient 'till I can track someone else down.
RH I know just what you mean about propped open eyelids. Me and F-I-L have resorted to shooing the penned birds into their coops a few times this summer. He's a farmer and doesn't think 11pm is a good time of day/night to be putting things to bed lol. Unless it's lambing time and it's his beloved (but often cursed) shhep.

[Munch]

Ok, looks like we MIGHT have one chick hatch

The question is, what on erf do you do with one lonely chick......??

Thats if it does hatch, pipped this morning and thats it so far fingers crossed tho

[Suechooks]

Ok, looks like we MIGHT have one chick hatch

The question is, what on erf do you do with one lonely chick......??

Thats if it does hatch, pipped this morning and thats it so far fingers crossed tho

You start phoning round all the local breeders to see if anyone has a couple of day olds you can have!

[Munch]

You start phoning round all the local breeders to see if anyone has a couple of day olds you can have!

oh cripes!!! dont they house train?

to be honest its still not looking hopeful

[Suechooks]

oh cripes!!! dont they house train?

to be honest its still not looking hopeful

Is it Hubbards again?
I had 10 fertile at 7 days this time then 9 hatched! I think the 10th had ruptured internally as the air pocket seemed very mobile! Was very impressed with 75% hatch rate from posted eggs.

[Glutton4...]

I have a question. Anyone on here familiar with Orpingtons? My 'Babies' are 16 weeks now, and fine boned, but big and fluffy. 3 Buffs and 3 Jubilees. Any clues as to sexing them at this age? Not worried if they're boys or girls, but just curious. I'll get some piccies later.

One of them is nearly as gawjus Oscar!

[Suechooks]

Only ones I've had G4 are Partridge which are now 17 weeks. The boy was very obvious several weeks ago and left for his new home about a month ago. His feather pattern was very different from the girls (who are different fom each other anyway!) My bantam Orp boys were crowing at 7 weeks. Have you looked at the hackle feathers? One of our local breeders says you can tell by them at 5 weeks, any breed. Boys have pointy tips, girls rounder. Just hold a piece of paper behind a single feather and you should be able to see.

[Glutton4...]

I went out and took loads of piccies - but the sun was too low, and they were all too dark. I still think all 3 Jubilees are the same, whatever sex they are. The 3 Buffs are different; one has darker, reddish feathers but is the same size as the second one. The third one is softer, bigger and paler, and I'm sure he's a Fella as he has one curved tail feather like the two 'V' feathers that Asbo has (when he's not in moult, like now! He does look funny with no back end! )

I have a home for a Buff Fella, but, unfortunately, I'm besotted with the one that I think is a boy!

I can see me specialising in Orps, especially Buffs. Although, the chap I got the Jubilee eggs from also has Lavender Orps.......

[RichmondHens]

I have three Buff Orps, all hens. I hatched them from bought in eggs April 2010 and had not kept Orps before this. They did take ages to sex though. Even a friend who has kept Orps for years was fooled when I asked her in to help me sex them. She, like me, thought 2 hens 1 cock, but they all turned out to be hens in the end. Interestingly the one who we thought was a boy lays the most, and biggest eggs, but is not such a good broody as the other two. I was also given one Blue Orp egg from this friend which hatched into what we thought was a girl but turned out to be a boy - he got eaten!

My friend told me to look at the tails - sticking up short feathers is likely to be a girl, curving down feathers more likely to be a boy, but as I discovered, this is not foolproof. The Blue Orp cock did in the end grow much taller than the girls which is what gave him away, but he was probably 16 weeks or so before we twigged.

Put some photos on and we'll have a go G4.

[Munch]

Is it Hubbards again?
I had 10 fertile at 7 days this time then 9 hatched! I think the 10th had ruptured internally as the air pocket seemed very mobile! Was very impressed with 75% hatch rate from posted eggs.

Hi Sue.

Nope not hubbards, these were the Buff Laced Wyandotte Banty's, the ones that were all badly shaped.

But.... When I went to bed on the night of day 21 the one that pipped in the morning still had not managed to achieve any more of its little break out, really didnt have much hope for the little blighter at all. But I did notice that another had pipped, everso tiny little pip, but a pip none the less!

I am pleased to report...... when I came down in the morning I had 2 little chicks ....phew! no emergency dash to find and friend for a lonely chick!

G4.. I have 4 Orps that are 6 weeks old. I would say one of them is a boy as he has had much bigger wattles and comb for ages, at this stage I would have said the rest are girls, but ready the above I am now just going to sit back and wait!!

[Glutton4...]

OK, will have to enlist the help of Mr.G to hold them, as whenever I get the camera out all the Batties get in the way!

[Suechooks]

This is how you do it.........

Phoebe showing her chicks how to dust bath!

[Glutton4...]

Here we go. All three Jubilees look the same to me;

[Glutton4...]

And here are the three Buffs;