feemcg Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Congrats on the chicks Can you tell us 'hatchers' the sexing technique - I'm doing fairly well with feather sexing at the moment, but every little tip helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Well, you'll think I'm crackers, but I use the pendulum method. You can buy a special magnet thing on a string, but I use a ring dangling on string. Hold above the birds head..if it goes round in circles...it's a girl, if it goes from side to side swinging..it's a boy. I hope I'm right..coz I've got 2 girlies ! See, told you, you'd think I'm nuts!!! Boon, the partridge cochin is lovely coloured, sort of pale with brown stripes. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Yes, you're nuts ........scurries off to the grower's run with a ring on a piece of string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I'dl ove to hatch some of my own...what a lovely thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Hee hee - what age do they start clucking rather than cheeping?? And I have to ask, what age do they start crowing?! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Isnt the ring method an old wives tale used on pregnant women? Bumble and Boon are such cute names Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 In answer to when they start crowing, I had Frizzle bantams that crowed their little heads off at 9 weeks ..and were vicious too , and I've had a Buff Orp that didn't crow till 29 weeks (but I think that was because she/he had decided to change sex ). Generally they've started practising - a sort of croaky squawk - around 12 weeks with a full crow a week or two later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Bumble & Boon..makes them sound like a detective duo!!! The only eggs I'm still waiting for are the buff Wyandottes, all the others have hatched (sister doesn't really name hers until older tho). The buff wyandotte eggs haven't wiggled since Sunday & are overdue by a day now. Yet these were originally the first eggs to wiggle. I'll give them until Friday, then my sister can do a mini autopsy on them...to see if they were fully developed. So sad, but I suppose that's nature & maybe they could have been cockerels! hmm, still hanging on to a bit of hope though. But very pleased with Bumble & Boon!!! My sister got 2 Friesian fowl hatch last night at her end. One is very much smaller than the other. Tonight she is expecting 2 more & 12 Marans to hatch. I'm waiting to hear from her, when she gets in from work! I must take more photos of Bumble & Boon & get them on here for all their chookie aunties to see. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Ahhh, so cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 In answer to when they start crowing, I had Frizzle bantams that crowed their little heads off at 9 weeks ..and were vicious too , and I've had a Buff Orp that didn't crow till 29 weeks (but I think that was because she/he had decided to change sex ). Generally they've started practising - a sort of croaky squawk - around 12 weeks with a full crow a week or two later. I've got a Buff Orpington s/he. I thought it was a girl (and so did my French Maran cockerel!) but now s/he's started to cook-a-doodle-doo... hasn't laid an egg yet... so we still don't know what s/he is! I've looked 'under the bonnet' and I'm still none the wiser as it doesn't seem to be anything there... (Unlike Kingsley who's clearly a boy.). I'm going to try the 'ring thing' first thing in the morning... although someone used to do it to me when I was pregnant and always assured me I was going to have a daughter... and I'm proud mum to two lovely boys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 When you did it whilst pregnant, I'm not sure it works like that..as it would be picking up you..ie:female. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Ooooh lovely pic - I'm so envious! Come on lottery numbers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I noticed today that 'Boon the partridge cochin is starting to grow proper foot feathers already...and only 2 days old! You can see the tiny quills of the foot feathers, very comical. Bumble & Boon are now eating their chick crumbs & drinking perfectly...preening each other & doing the chicken one leg ballerina stretch thing!!! I can't believe how early they learn chicken antics. I wonder how long it will be before they do the left leg, right leg, step back - peck thingy???? Totally gorgeous & love to be held in your hand, which is good for getting them tame. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemychooks Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Awwwww, how cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixabell Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Ssssssssssoooooooooo gorgeous!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Hee hee - what age do they start clucking rather than cheeping?? And I have to ask, what age do they start crowing?! I have a 9 week old Barnevelder and an 11 week old Cochin. Both girls (I hope ), and they are still cheeping. Not a cluck to be heard!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 so so cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 They sound gorgeous - I am desperate to see more pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hmm - I came in from my parents last night to find Boon trying to do an escape act!!! Boon flew up on top of the tddy bears head and wanted to see what was outside of the brooder. The little devil! So I tookthe teddy out. I shall be keeping a close eye on Boon, as I may need to put a mesh top on the brooder to stop any escaping! Never mind, in a few weeks, Boon will be too heavy for flying! I'll take more photos later! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I have a lid on mine Emma - after a couple of weeks the chicks can fly up, perch on the edge, jump down and have a play (and poo!) in the utility room then jump back inside. I leave the lid off from time to time to give them some exercise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 In 3 weeks time, the new chicken house will be here & built, so they will be going in there, I'll block an area off and hang the heat lamp over it. But I bet they will be in & out of the area like I don't know what, when I walk out of the shed! I need another heat lamp or 2, where is best to buy from. I want the decent large type ones. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I got mine from hatchitincubators, but I've seen them on various sites - Wells Poultry Housing, Solway Feeders etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 Thanks for that ! Well I've cleaned them out today, gosh what a mess lickle baby chicks can make in less than a week. Oh well, it didn't take long to clean the shavings. I've changed their water lid to the base off the water mushroom. The mushroom top can go on it in another couple of weeks, when they are used to it! But then, they will use that to escape! Bumble hasn't any feathers at all yet, but Boon has little foot feathers coming & wing feathers that look sort of Very dark with white laced tips!!! That could be the partridge colouring / pattern starting (girl) Bless them, they are gorgeous! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 Here are my chicks Bumble (the Cobar) & Boon (the Partridge Cochin) One week old now!!!! First we have Bumble (Cobar) Next we have Boon (Partridge Cochin) - look at those wing feathers! And finally playtime together in the brooder! I hope I resized the pictures ok!!!! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 They are sooo sweet the middle one is going to have beautiful markings Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
