Wife needs to stop sending me to town

[CrealCritter]

Speaking of breeds... I count 5 different breeds. Some I know are RIR and BO, but anyone have any ideas on these three?

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[CLSranch]

If you take a young chicken chick in your hand, flip it on its back and wait a couple of seconds, for it to settle down. If the chick pulls both of it's feet up tight, it's a hen. If it extends even one leg, it's a roo. Although most roos extend both logs out straight.

I've heard of this method. Forgot which was which though. I'd hate to grab a handful straight run behind you. Straight roo's . Couldn't tell you the breeds yet. I do like how some of the farm stores lower the price for older chicks. That's about all I buy from them. Was talking about that with an employee of our store last week. She stated they had 50cent chicks the week before that. I missed it.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Here, in Maine, they NEVER drop the price. One store I visited a couple years ago actually charges MORE for older chicks. And, they usually sell out on day one.

 

[CLSranch]

Here, in Maine, they NEVER drop the price. One store I visited a couple years ago actually charges MORE for older chicks. And, they usually sell out on day one.

If you go to any house, auction or any other chicken specific sale it shoots way up. But around here the chain stores drop it. I guess city people want the little chickies instead of a month old bird, that someone else feed and housed for the hardest most important time of raising chicks. It benefits me as long as CrealCritter didn't take all the pullets first.

 

[CrealCritter]

If you go to any house, auction or any other chicken specific sale it shoots way up. But around here the chain stores drop it. I guess city people want the little chickies instead of a month old bird, that someone else feed and housed for the hardest most important time of raising chicks. It benefits me as long as CrealCritter didn't take all the pullets first.

Yeah, just a fair warning... don't go and buy discounted straight run chicks, after I went through the tub.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

If you go to any house, auction or any other chicken specific sale it shoots way up. But around here the chain stores drop it. I guess city people want the little chickies instead of a month old bird, that someone else feed and housed for the hardest most important time of raising chicks. It benefits me as long as CrealCritter didn't take all the pullets first.

Yeah, just a fair warning... don't go and buy discounted straight run chicks, after I went through the tub.

A few years back, I happened to glance into a tub of "SR" chicks. Barred Rocks. I'm guessing that Creal had visited Maine, cause every single chick in that tub was a cockerel!!!!

Buyer beware! I suggest that you never buy chicks from a TSC or other feed store open bin, UNLESS you know what a certain breed of chick should look like, and UNLESS you know how to gender id. the breeds that are USUALLY autosexing.

 

[Hinotori]

Big white spot on the head is male in barred rock. Females tend to have smaller or no spots. Has to do with the gene that controls the color turning on and off in the feathers and how 2 copies make for finer barring that makes the adult roosters look lighter colored because they have almost double the stripes on each feather than the females.

This actually holds true for cuckoo as well even though the stripes on the feathers aren't the same on each side of the feather shaft.

Show barred rocks are bred for either female show or male show. Ideal barring for both isn't actually achievable in the same flock. Goes back to how that gene works and what the standard says.

Try raising silkies in any color other than partridge. You often can't be sure of the sex until it lays an egg or crows. If you breed them, you get used to sexing your own birds early, like around 10-12 weeks. Silkies also mature very slowly. Mine average around 9 months before they lay. Often the roosters won't crow until well over a year old.

 

[Chic Rustler]

let us know how it goes

 

[CrealCritter]

Roo

Hen

Sunset

 

[Alaskan]

Fantastic sunset picture