Paul - thank you so much for those photos! You have a lovely mixed group of chickens. I only recognize the little red hen variety - the browns and salt and pepper looking ones and that lovely silver one are new to me. Makes me want my own flock!

Paul - What are the blues? I think the brown/golds are wyndotts.. (sp?)

Picking up my last set of chicks tomorrow... and picking up a MASSIVE wooden crate tonight that I'll be making into a coop for them on Sunday. It's just the frame, I just need to put sides, roof, floor, door in, then rebuild the tractor I built so they're fenced in (we have a pair of falcons that lives in the tree in the house next to mine..). Picking up more buffs & light brahmas. I'll be sad to not have chicks any more..

The little blue hen is a blue Andalusian. The Blues with the red markings in the last picture are blue laced red Wyandottes.......

Paul2032 said:Here are my 8-9 week old chicks. I enjoy turning them out and sitting in a lawn chair and watching them.

Oh Paul, they are so nice. I wish I could sit there with you and watch the chickens.

They are getting cute Paul. They can bring lots of enjoyment along with eggs.

Picked up the last of the chicks I'm getting for the year more than likely today. Picked up 4 more Buff Orpingtons, 4 Light Brahmas, & 2 Black Sex Links. They're all downstairs right now. I picked up a MASSIVE wooden frame yesterday.. 10' x 4' x 3' that I'm making into a massive coop. Got about half of it completed today, will try to complete it tomorrow night when I get home from work. I let the 5 white "rocks" run around the yard today.. but they were NOT willing to go back into the hutch for the night! Chased them around for about 15 minutes before I finally capitulated & got my bird nets to capture them. That worked a lot better. I'll be taking the older Buffs out on Monday.. too cold on Sunday I think.

I am still recovering from the photo of Deb's chicken coop. Her chooks live better than I do!

I picked up a few chicks yesterday on the way home from work! Woo Hoo! I didn't realize how much I'd missed my chickens.

I got what the store had - 3 Buff Orpingtons, 3 Plymouth Barred Rock and 3 Ameraucana. They were still snug under their light this morning, so we are off and running!

Jill - I haven't done the Ameraucana's.. but their eggs are the funniest thing. Today green, tomorrow blue, Saturday brown...

If their eggs are edible, that will meet my goal, but green, blue, brown are all gravy to the process. Each new color will make me happy all over again - about July or August.

My experience with Americana is that what ever color egg they lay, it stays that color. They don't change colors. I have 3 that are 3 years old, and they still are laying the same color of egg that they did when they started to lay.

I agree with Tom. Also, as I understand it, true Ameraucanas lay blue/green eggs. The "Easter Eggers" may lay other colors.

They've gotten so big!

They certainly have!

Gonna rant & rave here just for a minute.

Adopted 6 tiny chicks this evening. Guy had gotten some fertile eggs from a friend of his to hatch for his church's children so they could witness the miracle of life. Then give them away because they don't want to deal with raising chicks, heat lamps, cleaning, etc. If you didn't want to deal with raising the chicks, why on earth did you hatch eggs???? These are the tiniest chicken babies I've ever seen. They're 2 days old here. I swear that 2 of them are actually today's hatchlings based upon how the fuzz is still stuck to their head. He didn't even know exactly what kind of chickens they were.. he thought they were silkies, but silkies have 5 toes & black skin. After doing a little bit of research, I am now the proud mama of some cochin babies.



So I had to move some chickens around for these little itty bitties. Anyone know how to sex chicks?

Brought up the white orpingtons, the black sex links, the buff orps, & the light brahmas. I put them in the bunny hutch upstairs and I think they should be OK in there. It's well insulated on the enclosed (non-wired side) so I hope they won't need the heatlamp. Plus that room gets pretty gosh-darned hot in the afternoon (faces south & no sun protection, so it beats pretty warm in there).

How delightful . I am glad they found you.

Day-old chicks take an expert to sex. At the age of 4 - 7 days when the wing and tail feathers are growing in, it is possible to make an "educated guess" at gender. Most noticeable is that the roosters are later growing tail feathers.

Toni, you will love the cochins, they are really mild mannered chickens that make good pets. They also make good broodies. Looks like you have blue cochins which means some will be black some blue and some splash.

Skiekitty said:Gonna rant & rave here just for a minute.

Adopted 6 tiny chicks this evening. Guy had gotten some fertile eggs from a friend of his to hatch for his church's children so they could witness the miracle of life. Then give them away because they don't want to deal with raising chicks, heat lamps, cleaning, etc. If you didn't want to deal with raising the chicks, why on earth did you hatch eggs???? These are the tiniest chicken babies I've ever seen. They're 2 days old here. I swear that 2 of them are actually today's hatchlings based upon how the fuzz is still stuck to their head. He didn't even know exactly what kind of chickens they were.. he thought they were silkies, but silkies have 5 toes & black skin. After doing a little bit of research, I am now the proud mama of some cochin babies.



So I had to move some chickens around for these little itty bitties. Anyone know how to sex chicks?

Toni, I've been watching your posts (&others) over the past weeks, and I am "smitten" by your pictures. As a child of the "old-fashioned" farm life, we always had chickens and other farm animals (cows, ducks, hogs, horses, etc.). This lifestyle has always been in my blood to this day. I guess that's why even with a "city" job I have maintained my lifestyle in the country raising kids, animals, & gardens. I didn't want to cut in on this thread without acknowledging all the great pictures from everyone, and I have enjoyed every single post in all 8 pages of this thread. So the least I can do is post a few pictures of my "itty bittys". These are straight run assorted Bantams which will be allowed to run free in the landscape on bug patrol later on. We are limited to six for the time being.

Thanks to everyone for making this a great thread.

Leon - you're always welcome to post with us.. In fact, I encourage it!! Especially with adorables that you got there!!!!