Messages

61

Breeding / Re: hen that does not breed.

« on: June 27, 2014, 11:23:06 AM »

Prolapse is something I've been lucky not to have experienced (knock on wood). It sounds awful for all involved.

John, my hen happens to be one of my best layers too. She began at 19 wks in the dead of winter with no additional lighting...definitely a trait I wanted more of...but if males can be infertile, I guess it stands to reason females can be as well. What a bummer. 

On the bright side, at least I'll have lots of good breakfasts! heh

 

62

Breeding / Re: Tardy feather growth

« on: June 27, 2014, 11:02:19 AM »

Thank you Mike. Not surprising because I seem to be having a year of the rooster.  (or so I thought...so much for my sexing skills, haha)

I've been researching this and have discovered chickens can be (K) as well as (t) at the same time, which is what I think I may be dealing with now. Or is that even possible? K is sex linked and tardy is an autosomal recessive. I'm a novice at chicken genetics at best, but find it all utterly fascinating. I just wish most stuff didn't go over my head...I often feel like the answer is right under my nose, if only I could understand it.

And I was wrong about this chick being the only one...Tardy expresses to different degrees, from extreme, to moderate, to mild. I can see a few others have mild cases, so are likely t/t. This chick is probably super slow tardy (t^s/t^s) along with K (?) I will definitely be culling the chick once it's grown enough to confirm my suspicions. Birds with tardy will have normal feathers by six weeks, where as birds with K will still be growing in their feathers at that age.

Here's the same chick next to some of his faster feathering siblings.


My other concern is that I've used the same silver cock over some of my best splash hens with the intent of creating a strain of blue and splash Ameraucanas that are based on S/S instead of s+ or S/s+. So far all the offspring from these matings have feathered in fine...and fast. But now I'm worried it may come back to haunt me in the next generation...having a large quantity of chicks to select from will likely be the key. I hope anyway. 

Breeding for improvement while maintaining what you’ve already accomplished is a fine balancing act that is for sure. There really are no short cuts to experience I am learning! That and there is nothing easy here. And there is always something more to learn. 

63

Breeding / Re: hen that does not breed.

« on: June 25, 2014, 11:32:04 PM »

I'm sorry to hear you lost your hen. 

I seem to be experiencing the same thing with one of mine. I've been trying to get offspring from her since spring began...I've used three different cocks over her so far and not a single fertile egg yet. It's very disheartening because she has this certain youthful pullet look that I'd love to replicate, and lays a large sized sky blue egg. Her vent looks good too, not overly fluffy or any pokey feathers. I'm kind of stumped. 

And going to be massively disappointed if she turns out to be a dud. 

64

Breeding / Tardy feather growth

« on: June 25, 2014, 11:21:07 PM »

Out of 40 chicks, I have one silver chick that is not like all the rest.  It has wing feathers, but none anywhere else except a few stubs along the spine. Could this be tardy (t) retarded feather growth? But why only the one chick?  The others are from the same parentage and are feathering in fine... Has anyone else ever experienced this? I'm a tad disconcerted as they all share the same sire....

65

Housing, Health & Hatching / It never gets old...

« on: May 04, 2014, 09:29:22 AM »

For either of us! hehe

66

Housing, Health & Hatching / Re: Raising chickens stinks.......literally!!!!

« on: April 29, 2014, 09:11:45 AM »

Interesting! I've never used lime myself.

What I do use to keep things dry is a mixture of Stall-Dry and peat moss thrown right onto straw bedding. The chickens do all the hard work of mixing everything up, and there is no odor at all.
Makes wonderful compost too. 

Oh, and really good ventilation also helps with dryness. In my experience chickens seem to do the best with lots of fresh air.  -40C is common for my area in winter (quite literally a deep freezer, haha) and I keep wide open vents and cracked windows year round. Just have to be careful there are no drafts in the roosting area and all is well. 

67

Housing, Health & Hatching / Re: Reality Check!

« on: April 27, 2014, 10:51:22 AM »

Last year my husband told me no more chicks in the basement...so I've moved them to the bedroom.

Lo and behold, suddenly the basement is just fine for the first few days, hehe.

68

Breeding / Re: Myth of the of the Mottle Ameraucana.

« on: April 27, 2014, 10:33:26 AM »

Hi Rose,
Wow. Your birds are stunning! I’ve always admired the mottle pattern, and must say it looks fantastic on Ameraucanas. Well done! And what a huge breakthrough on the slate legs…do you mind if I ask how you got there? Was it by using a wheaten male? I imagine it must have taken quite a few chicks and some intensive selection pressure...that is some impressive dedication alright.

Oh man, I am really liking these mottled Ameraucanas... I think I’m a bit smitten actually…lol Do you have anymore pictures? I’d love to see more!

69

Ameraucana Marketplace / Re: Pricing your birds

« on: April 22, 2014, 11:17:31 AM »

Hi Preston,
I think pricing depends a bit on supply and demand in your area, as well as the quality of the birds.

I know around here hatching eggs start at $2.50 per egg and up...some go way up past feasible to downright ridiculous imo. Day old chicks average $8 to $10 a piece, with the price often increasing by a dollar for every week they're brooded. POL pullets fetch the best prices at $20-$25, and good quality breeding pairs/trios go for anywhere from $75 to $100+

Hopefully someone in your area will have better insight as to what your market is like. Good luck.