Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[mimi5]

Hi all,

 

Feeling really blue tonight as I've had a friend of mine sex my 4 lovely pekin chicks and bad news all 4 are boys!!!! Really gutted as they are from my cockerel and girls and I had wanted to replace the 2 hens I've lost this year. It's also my 1st hatch and hubby will go spare!!(think it will be my last as well)

 

So what do I do next???? They are four and a half weeks old. They are pure pekins and their dad is gorgeous!! Is it too early to advertise them??? I really am on a mission to find them all good homes!! Is "pre-loved" a good idea? Thought of the vets and local animal supply shop. What do you guys do?? Also my friend said that everyone seems to be hatching boys this year, he's only hatched one girl himself this year!

[miller30]

It sounds like you have as much luck as me all i seem to hatch is boys you will be lucky if you can manage to find them a new home i have just culled 3 8 week old lav pekin boys much to my daughters horror who went into meltdown but theres not much else you can do with them leanne.

[Luvachicken]

Oh no, I'm sorry they all turned out to be boys.

[keyhole kate]

I know just how your feeling I am fairly sure I have two pekin boys out if my four chicks too both have bigger more prominant combs one of them is the most beautiful blue colour as well

[Kirstie]

Snap, I hatched 3 chicks this year and all three have lovely big bright red combs (they are 5 weeks old) !

I'm trying to decide whether to try and find homes (they are a mix of rhode island red x dorking) or just let them get bigger and have them for Christmas dinner (sorry for being so blunt). I've not grown for the table before so it will be a tough learning curve!

 

Good luck finding homes for your boys (are you absolutely sure yours are all boys?) - I live in Cornwall and we have a group on Facebook called poultry and livestock for sale - Cornwall and Devon which is a great place for buying and selling chickens etc. There may be one for your area?

[Isabel]

Sorry (?) to hear about all the boys. Kirstie, we have one of each and our boy is also destined for the table. Do you know much about feed types and what age they should be grown to? I've been debating asking on here but am not sure where to post as I know it's not something everyone will want to read about Don't know how I'll manage it with the children who are all amazingly attached to the chicks that they hardly ever go and visit

 

Isabel

[markAndCharlene]

If you want to have cockerels for the table, id recommend feeding them on a combined growers/finisher pellet and then getting them ready for the table once you hear the first crow. From what ive read, any longer and the testosterone can spoil the meat. Take them off food 24 hours before you do the deed. This is based on what ive been reading up on myself, as we are a few weeks off our first table bird being large enough (faverolle)

 

I never thought id be able to do it, but having culled a few cockerels now, its not as bad as i thought it was going to be. You do become de-sensitised to it i think. Still hate doing it of course.

[Shirl]

Out of the 5 I hatched the black araucana and one of the lavender leghorns are cocks. The other lavender leghorn is a pullet and the 2 polish is anyone's guess although I have a horrible feeling their hairdoes are far too extravagant to be pullets. I can take my cocks back to where I got the eggs from but I'm guessing leghorns and araucanas should be worth eating if I can persuade DP to do the deed.

[Kirstie]

Sorry mimi for talking about raising table birds under your post (I'm going to start a new message with clear title so people don't need to read it if they don't want too) good luck with your boys x

[kittyl]

Hi all,

 

Feeling really blue tonight as I've had a friend of mine sex my 4 lovely pekin chicks and bad news all 4 are boys!!!! Really gutted as they are from my cockerel and girls and I had wanted to replace the 2 hens I've lost this year. It's also my 1st hatch and hubby will go spare!!(think it will be my last as well)

 

So what do I do next???? They are four and a half weeks old. They are pure pekins and their dad is gorgeous!! Is it too early to advertise them??? I really am on a mission to find them all good homes!! Is "pre-loved" a good idea? Thought of the vets and local animal supply shop. What do you guys do?? Also my friend said that everyone seems to be hatching boys this year, he's only hatched one girl himself this year!

Poor you, what bad luck. last year I ended up with 4 bantam brahma boys, someone had offered to take

the boys before I agread to hatch, but I was let down. I kept one & managed to home the other 3 though.

My advice is fuss them lots & make them as tame as possible, take the cutest photos you can & advertise

them on preloved, I had enquiries from people looking for a cockerel friendly with children. Good luck!

[mimi5]

Hi all,

 

Well it seems the littlest chick is actually a girl!!!!(becoming easier to see the difference with each day) Phew ,so I can keep one of my own chicks!!

 

And more joy as it's looking like 2 out of 3 in the second hatch (bought eggs)are girls too!!!!! So hopefully I will have 3 hens to add to Mr Monty and the 2 mummy hens!!! Yay!!

 

Too add to my joy I have also found a lovely lady on a small holding who will have my boys if all else fails...long story, but she has no hens at the moment!!!! So still going to to see if I can find other homes first. Shame as the are sure to be aa gorgeous as their dad!!! The littlest boy is such as lovely colour (and unrelated to my others!)I wish I could keep him too!! My neighbours are lovely ...but I think 2 cockerels might stretch their tolerance!!

 

Just a quick question....when should my first broody leave her chicks?? They are 5 weeks over the next couple of days.

[miller30]

All broodys are different i have one that is still with her lav babies beavis and butthead dont ask and they are 10 weeks but i have had some that have had enough at 6 weeks why dont you post some pictures if you can of your babies and maybe we can give you a deffo on the sexes leanne