Monday, April 11, 2011

I think he is a cutie... lol He's a cuckoo Silkie rooster!


So.. I took in a couple roos the other day. A black Silkie and a cuckoo Silkie. The cuckoo Silkie looks so different, though. He is supposed to be pure Silkie, I guess..

The lady I got them from is a breeder of Silkie & Welsummers. She didn't need these two anymore, because she isn't breeding the cuckoo color anymore, and the black roo has a slightly crooked beak.


The above photo was taken on the way home, while stopping for gas. He's a fairly friendly roo. The black one seems sweet too, except... While giving them a bath, he grabbed onto the Cuckoo's wattle, and would let go! =/

Yesterday was a busy day.. Cleaned 4 brooders (sigh).. Had to give the two new roosters a bath.. Give my goat a bath (not an easy task lol).. Give 2 dogs and 7 puppies a bath. After which time, it was time for me to take a bath...Was already soaked anyway! ha

Today, I have to worm the goat and try to get a lot done..And I woke up tired. Exhausted. Hate that. You know it's going to be a long say when you wake feeling that way. lol

Anyway.. The baby chicks are all doing well. I have chicks in 3 separate "brooders".. And a couple Mallard ducks in another.


The Tetra Tints and "mixed reds" (golden comets?) are in a cage in the house.. The original brooder has Amberlinks, a couple Leghorn pullets, 4 mystery chicks (lol) - they were in a bin at Tractor Supply marked "Comm. black pullets" , 3 Easter Eggers,3 barred rocks..

A brooder for the bantams - not sure what most of them are. I have 12, and out of those I know I have two Silkies. The other? Dunno. lol I have a couple production reds in with them for now, until they get a little bigger.

Then, I have the Mallards in their own little brooder. I think I got one male, one female. :) I tried the vent sexing method, and without a doubt, one is male. I'm 99% sure the other is female. lol


All are doing well, but have been a LOT of work to keep up, that many brooders, in an already crowded room. But, they are worth it.


The outside birds have been much easier to care for, obviously. lol

Outside, I have 4 month old Pekin ducks.. I bought them not too long ago from a guy in a nearby town. When we met up with him and tried to pet the ducks, I quickly realized they are not nearly as tame as I had expected/hoped. So, they will be some work.

Then, I have a white Silkie hen, a blue "splash" (?) Silkie roo, the two new roos,

an OEGB roo (he's not doing too great though).. Two White Rock hens, one "White Rock" with speckles.... lol Was told she was a White Rock hen, but if she is, she has to be mixed! lol She may be a Delaware or Sussex with faulty coloration, or a mix. She's the friendliest of the 3. :)


Back to the brooder situation... lol I'm moving the Tetra Tints and reds into a tall cage today, with more branches. I think the Ameracauna/Easter Eggers will be moving up, too. They are getting HUGE! They've outgrown the Amberlinks/Leghorns, all the same exact age!

Didn't think EE's were that much larger than Amberlinks, etc? Anyhow, they will probably move up into the big "brooder" cage today.It's actually a ferret cage. lol But it works! The bigger chicks love perching, roosting, flying.. lol


The last of the chicks I am planning to get this year will be here late April/early May.I have 5 Amberlinks & 5 black Australorps on order for the last week of April.. And 15 Buff Orpingtons on order for the first week of May. I only wanted 5-8 Buff Orps, but there was a 15 pullet minimum. =/


Sooooo tired. But, time to stop procrastinating. lol


Saturday, March 26, 2011

Starting over with chickens..

Last year, I lost my flock. =( First, I took in some sick hens. It spread to some of the others. *sigh* Then, I made the mistake of trying to be good to a stray dog that came along. I kept him a while, until one day he got loose while I was gone and it was a massacre! :*( All of my chickens, and my duck.. Gone.

That dog is gone, and i'm starting over again.

So far, I have 3 White Rock hens, a cute little Mille Fleur Old English Game Bantum roo and a pair of Silkies - one white hen and a blue (splash?) rooster. The lady I bought the Silkies from said he is a splash, then she said he isn't a "true splash"....not sure what she meant? But, he's cute. lol Bad on the back for now from her other roosters.....lol....but cute!

In the brooder, I have 3 chicks from the "assorted red pullet" bin at Tractor Supply. I'm thinking they are Golden Comets. 3 "Ameracauna"/Easter Eggers....they were straight run...hoping they are all 3 girls!! ..Or at least 1-2! lol

4 Amberlinks.. Well, one may not be an Amberlink? She was in the Amberlink bin, but she has a light tan stripe down her back. So, we'll see! lol
2 White Leghorn pullets.. 3 Barred Rocks, straight run..
6 Tetra Tints.. A new "breed" that Mt. Healthy hatchery is getting in strictly for Tractor Supply this year.....and has VERY little information on!
They said they will be white birds, 5 pounds, similar to a White Leghorn.. Some may have darker markings on them. They will be heavy producers of a light creamy colored egg. That's all they know! No photos are available of a full grown Tetra Tint.
It seems like everyone has been asking about them on backyardchickens.com and noone has a photo of a full grown Tetra Tint! Soooo.. I will be sure to keep everyone who comes across here with photos of my Tetra Tints as they grow up! :)
Oh, and I have four little mystery chicks from a bin marked "Commercial black pullets".
Again, noone seems quite sure WHAT these birds are! lol
Some people thought they may be black sexlinks..
But, I contacted the hatchery, and they said "these birds are in no way sexlinks"..
"They will be a lot like an Australorp"!
The first one I got of this type is not getting a lot of bronze coloring on her wings and tail!
Her legs are dark and the bottoms of her feet are pretty yellow.
The others I just picked up from the bin.. One looks just like her when I got her (almost, except she has a beige chin...this one doesn't, I don't think) and two itty bitty almost solid black chicks. They "fur" is very velvety textures, and they has white wing tips and yellow undersides.

Can't wait to see what the little black mystery chicks AND the Tetra Tints turn out to look like!! :)

...and... I have 5 more Amberlinks (love, love, LOOOVE Amberlinks! lol) and 5 Australorps on order, they will be here toward the end of April!!

Now.. The ONE breed I am currently looking for is the Orpington. I'd love to find a Buff Orp hen or chick or two! Doesn't have to be buff in color, but preferred. :)

I will post photos here sometime soon!