Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[Madchook]

Well my fourth hatch are now 4 weeks old so I thought I would do an update as I haven't posted in ages.

 

This is the last batch -cuckoo marans, cream legbars and an oddbod

I had 2 boys, 2 girls and top right is 'Bertha' the inderminate cuckoo - it has barring like the boys, is a quarter again bigger than the boys, but yet has not developed the face furniture (compare to Boris, bottom left) and is growing a hen shaped tail! Had one of each with the legbars and the bantam cross turned out to be a cockerel. Bottom right is Bacon the Red Dorking (the one survivor to a disasterous hatch) with Quack the duck. She is the sweetest hen, I hope she will be my broody of the future (though she does think she is a duck!) Not sure what to do about housing her, she wants to live with the ducks but wants to roost on a fence

 

The youngest lot -Indian Game, a couple of Hubbards and an Apenzaller. This lot are incredibly flighty

 

Not great photos, but you can see the Appenzallers hair-do and the size differential with the Hubbards. Not sure how it is going to go with them, they are already spending alot of time on their bellies. I have started putting them out in the day now though, so hopefully it will slow down their growth a bit, now they can't just lay in the food bowl .

 

Going to have to get the vet out again next week, as we have possible mycoplasmosis (or a viral respiritory illness) She came out last week - for what had just been a bit of sneezing. It isn't anything really chronic, but became enough to notice (mainly because of the Hubbards being more susceptable i think). They had a week of antibiotics but it is still around - she said I might have to sacrifice one to send off for cultures. Annoyingly the ones that are most symptomatic are the girls... hoping it won't come to that...and dread to think how much that could cost.

Anyway, that is me at the moment - currently running at 21 plus 2 ducks and an incy full. Once the infection is under control I will be moving the table birds down to my friends farm to keep them on grass to grow - hopefully not too long as the boys are starting to worm their way into my affections ('cept the bantam that is already crowing!).

Maddy xxx

[Jools]

That indeterminate Cuckoo does look a bit different to the others I must admit. They're usually easy to sex by about 3-4 weeks because of the colour differences, though the face furniture helps too lol. I wonder if Bertha has a little of something else in the mix as the cuckoo markings look nearly barred, though that could just be how it looks in the photo.

 

I had a couple of hubbards two years ago and had them out free ranging (ish) on grass. They got to nearly 6 months before they went in the freezer but that was mainly because one of them kept attacking my legs and he was a Big Boy!!

 

I find Indian Game to be very flighty, so yours may be influencing the behaviour of the others. They tend to be spooked by anything and everything and scream blue murder when handled. They are lovely though.

[craftyhunnypie]

I think I'd call the Appenzeller Jedward! They are lovely birds - well done.

 

Emma.x

[Madchook]

PMSL, Jedward it is!! Pretty sure it is a boy, would like to keep it, but I want to keep my CL boy too so not sure yet, depends if I make a CL trio with this next hatch. I can just imagine the Jedward offspring crossed with my others, they would be wacky!

 

Yes the Maran is weird - I hadn't thought about it having something else in it. Feathering is identical to the boys though, I should have put a pic of the girls on too as they are very dark so look very different. The size of it makes me very curious too, it is absolutely huge! Also very fiesty-often spa's through the fence with Pumpkin the lav Ara - who I am now pretty sure is a hen -just a mean one. So it is confused whatever - XXY I reckon

[Chick-a-doodle-doo]

lovely pics, hope they all get over the infection.

 

Love your duck.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Maddy have you got pics of your cuckoo marans at a week-2 weeks please, I have four in with Drusilla at the mo & I think they are girls as they are very dark, but I'm not sure.....thing is they'll all be the same I reckon as they look identical to me

 

I'll try & get a pic of the 4 of them together & post it up later......they have an irritating "ah camera....ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun" attitude

 

Hope your chookies are all well soon

 

Sha x

[Jools]

Here's a photo of some bantam Cuckoo Marans from three years ago, I think they were between 2-3 wks when this was taken. The two darker ones (top and right) are the girls.

 

[Madchook]

Sha, I don't think I took any others-sorry! The girls were quite a bit darker, but it wasn't until the end of week 3 I could really tell for sure (well, all but one!). Mainly that was when the boys sprouted wattles and started pinking up.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I've got 2 who are showing colour on their wings & two who aren't.......maybe half girls, half boys

 

Thanks Maddy, I'll try & get some better pics than I managed today......coo they don't half move fast when they see a camera

 

Sha x