bronze Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 (edited) Well heres the outcome of my part of the adventure meet Florence (Jamies chicken) Gwendoline one of the twins - Ellen other twin - Edith the twins Boy -who I hatched out, he won't be staying The other SLW bantam I hatched who I realised could be named now. Must have anothe rlook at the family tree The morning was hard work the white wyandotte who I have whos slightly bigger got very vicious with the new girls so I tried putting him in with my big ones which turned into a cock fight between him and Frankie my barnevelder. So White wyandotte and two SLW who are also going to a new home are fenced off on the veg patch with a hutch to live in. This is only short term anyway as a friend will be having them in the next couple of weeks. Nw I'm off to clean out the cube run and put some more hemcore down. I was originally doing that in time but our adventure got brought forward so only had time to do the houses. Non stop work this chicken addiction. btw Tina, your daughter is stunning. Thank you for letting us join you even if it was a very brief meeting. Edited October 13, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 What lovely photos karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Gosh it was a brief meeting wasn't it? It was dark in that barn wasn't it? I think Robert wanted to get to the pub (I also think it hit him that he was going to be letting all his babies go... at one point he referred to them as his pets, despite the fact that they live in a barn and yard and have a wilder life than our girls. Layla gave you that smile didn't she - one day she is going to using it to charm the boys.... I felt a bit sorry for your boys - ushered in and out and then back into the car again. But it was an adventure, being up late and going into a barn of roosting chickens and I bet they love your new chooks. Oh and for some reason I thought you had 3 boys but Mike said your baby is a girl - and I think he got a bit broody, despite hearing your story from your OH. Sorry - I don't do the photo thing - but we have (as yet not officially named apart from Layla's ideas) Blackie (a younger version of Bron's Florence) Pom Pom - like Bron's twins but lighter and fewer markings Stripe - very much like one of the twins Unnamed Baby - a little version of Pom Pom Speckle - another baby hmmm we are bit concerned this one might be a boy. In fact (don't panic Bron) we had a few moments this morning when we thought they all might be cockerels.... Apart from Blackie they all have five toes and Mike thought they were spurs. But even the babies have very long fifth toes and I am now thinking that they are five-toed chickens. Pom Pom and Baby have very round feathers, as does Stripe except her (his?) neck feathers are sort of in between round and pointy - she has markings like my Light Sussex hybrid though and Cluck, who is definitely a girl, has similar neck feathers. Stripe and Pom Pom are the oldest of the ones we took but I think they are still quite young. Apart from wanting to be boss chook, Stripe doesn't seem to be displaying any male traits like little Speckle is, so I am a bit confused about whether she/he is a boy or a girl. As for little Speckle, his tail feathers are not the same as his sister's although they don't look entirely pointy either. However he has a redder face and already has a little comb showing, which I think is a sign of a cockerel? He is also squaring up to everyone, which is another sign. We are probably going to take him back tomorrow and try and get another little girl. I could kick myself - I said to Mike that we should not take any little ones in case they turn out to be boys and then gave in because they were so cute.... The babies have just had a dust bath in a bowl of mash (silly things). Anyway, they seem to be getting used to the eglu (they have a converter and extension so lots of room) and they love the perches we have put through the bars for them - they keep jumping up there to survey their new territory and have a snooze. So does anyone know what sort of chiceksn these girls are? And does anyone know anything about five-toed chickens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 I hadn't even checked my ones toes. Gwen for certain is a girl. Boy keeps 'going' for her. I'm pretty sure mine are all girls in fact.... luckily. they seem to be settling in ok now I have them all divded right after this mornings debacle. It will be interesting when the others go and I put Judy in with them, shes a bit of a bully but hopefully it'll be safety in numbers and they'll have a few weeks to settle first anyway I've given mine perches too. I thought it would be a good idea after seeing where they had been living. Yes I assume the smile Layla gave me was 'that smile' I think boys will be crumbling at the knees. Steve said he had a good chat to Mike. I think they could have talked for longer we'll have to drag them both along to a meet up. Sorry if Nias made him broody. You're welcome to borrow her for the night sometime to knock some sense into him (unless you want another of course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Ha - I am too old. Layla has been saying she wants a brother or sister - having always said no before but I am 46 and I am not starting again. Would be interested to know how many toes yours have (the birds not the babies) - I bet you have just gone out to count haven't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Gwen looks like she might be ready to lay too? Hope she gives you an egg soon. I was wondering - if she does lay it might be fertile - will you eat it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 Freaky feet! I wish I hadnt checked now One definitely has 4 toes. One has got almost 5 fully formed toes and the other two have this weird half toe thing going on. Theyre definitely not spurs more mutant hens I guess theres been a lot of inbreeding going on and no control over the mating so we have freaky feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 We could call one of ours Freaky Feet! There ARE some breeds that have five toes though so they are not entirely freaky. (I spent a bit of time reading up on toes and cockerels this morning ). But yes, they are in no way pure breeds (and I still think they are pretty, despite the freaky feet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Wow, lovely chooks - you two have been having a good time! Don't silkies have 5 toes? Yours look very similar to someones who posted here recently about a silky x light sussex. It had the top knot and five toes. Will put in link if I find it. Here's a picture: http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=18045 Cockadoodledoos' Daisy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 You know you're in trouble when 2 Omleteers get together and go chook shopping! Beautiful girls, girls! Looks like you had a great time - many congratulations on your new feathery friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Beautiful chickens ! Florence is a stunner!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Wow, lovely chooks - you two have been having a good time! Don't silkies have 5 toes? Yours look very similar to someones who posted here recently about a silky x light sussex. It had the top knot and five toes. Will put in link if I find it. Here's a picture: http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=18045 Cockadoodledoos' Daisy! Thanks for that Snowy - yes there is a resemblance between Daisy and our girls. One of mine definitely has the Sussex patterns (or whatever the technical term is). And its reassured me about the five toes too! Chelsea - we have a baby Florence and she is very cute. On the 'is it a cockerel' thing I have noticed that Baby Speckle has cream legs and the others have dark legs - is this significant? OH thinks we should keep 'him' until we know for sure but I think it would be harder to part with him later. I am veggie but I have been teasing Mike by saying this will test his meat-eating credentials - and reading him snippets about how to despatch ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutechicky Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Aww I love the photos! How do you get them to keep still?! I have tried to take pictures of mine and I find it awfully hard to get one that isn't blurry!! (They run to me thinking it's feeding time! ) I sometimes manage to get some good ones (which is really satisfactory!). I once managed to get "Pip" standing with her leg on a beer can. I couldn't wait to edit it and put the words "Get drunk and then lay" (with the strange sense of humour I have I thought it was rather funny). But hey, some chickens aren't made for posing right? x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 14, 2007 Author Share Posted October 14, 2007 and I got an egg this morning..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 Gwen???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 What lovely chooks - looking at those crests on their heads, I bet they'll lay blue eggs I love your SLWB cockerel Bron... if only I could have a boy PS, we're up in Norfolk from Friday if you're around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 14, 2007 Author Share Posted October 14, 2007 oooh Matthew wanted a blue egg layer. that would be good. One definitely lays pale brown but it would be good to get a blue. I'm at a wedding in herts saturday but may be around sunday. Will talk to DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 They look like crossbreds, so it's a bit of a gamble as to whether you get blue eggs, but they've got a bit of araucana in them by the look of those crests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Unfortunately I don't think there will be any blue eggs All the ones I saw at their former home were brown. Don't get your hopes up Bron, sorry. I was just getting used to the fact that they may be silkie/sussex crosses and Clare has to go and introduce another possibility! I don't really care what they are as they are so cute, but its interesting to know what people think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Sorry to have confused the issue - try asking Lesley - she has some that look a lot like your twins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted October 15, 2007 Author Share Posted October 15, 2007 I realised after I named the twins that one has white legs and the other yellow. I'm not too excited about blue eggs, afterall what an excuse for hatching in the spring. My Judy has a tufty hairstyle too. Always wondered where she got it from Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
