I had to put the top on the aquarium brooder tonight because those darn things are trying to fly. The most daring is the little blue one, Sprinkles. It got up on the small dish feeder (not the jar type) flapped for all it was worth and just about got to the top of the aquiarium to get out. Didn't quite make it but it was awefully close.
Pictures of the chicks
they are so funny
Good for you Annie! I'm so glad you got some good quality birds, and not at the show.. that would make me nervous too... (Even though I got a darling Modern Game pullet from a huge show here a couple years ago) Marans lay beautiful eggs.. I'm not familiar with eggs from a wheaten hen, but I'm sure they will be beautiful. :)
LFJ I say go for it! We had a huge show here last year, and even if you don't enter, it's fun to be amongst chicken people!
Rita, flight practice is sooo funny.. it's amazing how fast they CAN get out!!
Well, the top is on now so they are not getting out. I just didn't think they were ready to fly yet. Apparently they have a different view.
So the thing about dust bathing. The silly chicks have tried dustbathing on the paper towels. Already one of them is into dustbathing and lots of grooming in their new digs. I moved them as I need the other for the new ones. They are in a 116 quart clear plastic storage tub from Target that I bought yesterday. It is about 30 inches long, 13 high and 18 wide. I also got pelleted horse bedding at agway and used that for litter. I figgure it is good as they can go their scratching and amuse themselves that way.
New diggs for the chicks.
another picture
I am holding the Black olive egger. This is the chick with the most comb of the three and the one I think is a boy. Can anyone tell me if this is a straight comb or a pea comb as I am so ignorant that I have no idea at all
its not letting me do another picture :-((
another picture, same chick worked this time, ha
This message was edited Oct 22, 2010 5:53 PM
I am now holding the blue olive egger. It has gotten really dark as it feathers out. Looks almost as black as the others. No comb like its brother though. Hoping she is a girl.
another picture, same chick
Here's the entire batch of three.
The Black Copper Marans chick. So funny, it has no leg feathering while the olive eggers are both leg feathered.
they grow up so quick don't they??
So do I have a boy and a girl? They are growing like weeds.
in the pic of the 3 the one looking back looks like a boy to me the others I can't tell. Let more experienced people tell you for sure
I think it odd that the olive-eggers have feathered legs. Is there any chance you have them backwards?
The comb looks like a single comb to me at this stage. I'm no good at sexing chicks. I just assume the ones with earlier wing feathers and tails will be pullets.
Excuse me, but weren't they just tiny babies a few days ago?
They really are growing!
Thanks for the updates. They sure didn't stay tiny did they?
Growing like weeds.
I know it seems like I might have them switched as the ones from the olive eggs have feather legs and the real BCM does not. But I assure you I do have them correctly. I had the incubator sectioned off into two sections with a piece of very secure screening. Much too high to jump over and not able to push down or thru. Before I ever even had them out of the incubator I could see the ones from the olive eggs had feathered legs and the real BCM did not. I thought that might change and that the feathers would grow so I put a little twisty tie leg band on the BCM. No feathers ever grew and I took the leg band off today.
I also do know that not all BCM are feather legged.
These olive eggs were 2nd generation olive eggers. So Easter eggers to BCM rooster. Those pullets back to another BCM rooster. So these olive egger chicks are three quarters black copper marans.
At least I learned that the black olive egger chick has a straight comb. And it does look like the same type of comb that the BCM chick has. So since the chance of a straight combed chick carrying the gene for blue eggs is only about 3% it would be a good bet it is not going to be an olive egger. Olive eggers need both the gene for blue eggs and the gene for the dark brown paint like a BCM or Wesummer has. None of this will be important if the black straight combed one is a rooster as I suspect. Since I am not keeping roosters. But its still staying for now for my own learning process.
One of the big guys today. This is the Black Copper Marans chick. They look so scruffy LOL!
They are that!!! I just got mine up to the 5 month old stage and They are gorgeous!! ...BUT in the beginning Ughhhhh... they were the Ugliest chicks I have ever raised!!!
Ok, I took pictures and downloaded. Here are some updates. The big ones just over 3 weeks old.
The (hopefully) olive egger pullet.
same girl
The young rooster.
same bird
Black Copper Marens. No idea of sex.
One of the lavenders. I just think they are so pretty.
Here is a different chick.
A black one.
All the little guys.
Ooh my I do love the Lavender one! They all look so nice and healthy. good going Rita!
I cant wait for my EE's to hatch, they have 2 more weeks. Hopefully that will give me enough time to get the baby Frizzles and the Baby Seramas settled into their big Kid brooder before the ee's get here!
Thats one thing I didn't think about before I started. That each hatch would need bigger and bigger acomidations. But I think I got it covered, at least for now.
Those lavender chicks are stunning, at least to me. I had seen the pictures of the adults which is what got me to buy them. Really, really pretty birds.
As far as heathy, just the chick starter and for the past few days, some mealworm treats and some sand for grit.
I'd bet big money that the lavender in that first picture is a pullet! Beautiful!!!
Well, that sure would be good. I want at least two pullets from them.
I see that pullet is the blue one from a few weeks ago? Marans have the prettiest faces of all the breeds.. Their eyes are just amazing.
Yes, the (I hope) pullet is the blue one from last time. Her feathers are coming in black. That really surprises me. Of course I don't really know if she is a pullet, I just hope so. The big combed one is already growing wattles so he must be a boy. The real BCM I don't know what it is. Just have to wait and see.
No doubt that one is a roo. :) I thought you had 2 boys and a girl.. jury is still out on that though.. LOL Sure looks like a pullet... I'd think that lil Marans would have some red by now.. but hey, I had a lavender that had me fooled for ever!
Also had a cuckoo Marans... I had it hanging to be butchered, at the last minute took it down cause I wasn't sure, and it was 7 months old.. Once we finished all the others and put the pot away, the stupid thing crowed the next day.. Naturally.. LOL
I wouldn't be surprised at 2 boys and the one girl. I am thinking one boy and one girl and one don't know yet. But you are probably right in that they could be two boys there. Just really hoping for the girl to really be a girl. She would be a really nice olive egger. And I have to start somewhere. Need a girl to start my little flock with LOL!
That Marans has me totally baffled.. looks so pullet... but that comb could darken up in a heartbeat.. I was so sure it was a roo at first wasn't I?
It's eyes are amazingly beautiful.. and going to get prettier too.. what a pretty face of a class bird.. shows well.