First, I'd like to thank the friends who helped ID the chicks. Garrett at Dwarfs R Us who raises show bantams, and April at OlivYew Farm who is as new to chickens as myself. Alan at Ardenada Acres also confirmed the white is a leggy Japanese. The previous post has been edited with this new info.
I will probably adjust the flock over time to concentrate on a few breeds, and it might not be these. My not-so-great experience with Cogburn has me a bit leery of roosters in some of these breeds. Notably the Sebrights and Old English. While they are beautiful birds, Old English Games were originally raised for cock fighting. However, the (possible) Spangled OE roo and BBR OE hen are the calmest of all the chicks. Sebrights are persnickety, and the buff pair is pretty flighty. It could just be that Cogburn never had any other chickens to take his attention away from me. So I'll see how this goes.
I don't know yet what those might be. Cochins probably for sure. I like Wyandottes for their round cochin-shape but with clean legs. Japanese maybe (love the tails), but their big combs might not be able to handle the occasional deep freezes in winter. They won't have much in the way of winter housing so they have to be able to handle it. I'll see how the white Jap roo does.
Moved the 2nd batch into the transition cage, and the 1st batch into a bigger cage. Now I see another thing that needs changing. I just used a good sized screen bottom feeder in the bigger cage. It was already attached when I used this cage for guineas. But it's big enough for the chicks to stand in, and what do they do...scratch. Guineas don't do that. So a lot of feed is kicked all over, including outside the cage where they can't reach it. I have extra J-feeders w/tops so I'm going attach those instead. I can mount them from the outside so filling is easier. Job de jour. 3rd batch in their bin was moved into the shed to acclimate to outside temps.
In the rabbitry:
I moved 10 buns, plus 4 weanlings out to the Summer House yesterday, which pretty much filled the holes out there. I kept the show string, and of course, the working does in the shed. It's easier to load up for a show in there where there's lights. I need a flashlight to load up outside.
In the nestbox:
Honeycomb x Sugardaddy's 2 torts look very promising. Looks like 2 does at 5 weeks.
All the others have opened their eyes. I'm pretty sure all the himi litters are in fact himis. There's still one I'm not sure if REW or himi, but I think I saw a faint smudge of color on the tail. Color development is slow on all of them. They might be blue which is possible from both dams and the sire. That would explain the lack of color at this point. There's one that has much more so I'm sure it's black.
The brokens from Nyx x Sugardaddy and Cirocco x Ford's Roc, I love the patterns and they might have that bigger head I need. Roc's might be too big for my taste. He's right on at 2.08, but he looks bigger. I hope there's does if they turn out to be bigger than I'd want in a buck. Big bucks just don't mesh with my doe lines very well.
Cutting back on the herd also drastically cut the show string. I can barely fill a carrier with entries. Does are working, and several bucks aren't being shown for one reason or another. Fewer srs (and hard litter culling) means fewer jrs. I feel bad I can't support show clubs with more entries, but I just don't have them. The lack of entries means I'm only doing select shows these days, and distance is a big factor.
Lenoir City is coming up in May, and I'll probably only have 4. That includes debuting one of the broken jr does from Dreamcatcher x Whiskey Mac (no names yet). The other one ripped a back toe off (oweee!) when she was younger so she's out.
I'm debating whether to enter Dreamspinner. She's a BUD but a real good lookin one, and still under sr weight limit at 6 months. She did pretty well as a jr, and even earned a leg. Her pattern is a bit heavy and could be DQ'd for that, although it didn't happen (that I remember) the few times she was shown.
This is Chevette's last show. She's now over 6 months and I'll breed her after this. Stoney Brook's Jackson is still here on loan, and he'll get her in the next round.
Poor Jackson is blowing his coat and looking very scruffy. He's a little off-feed, too. He's getting more hay to help him through the molt. It hasn't been that hot, but he was bred in a cooler climate (Ohio), and then kept in a climate-controlled barn in VA. Rabbits from other breeders tend to molt sooner than the rest of my herd. At least for the 1st year they are here.
Happy Easter
tnt
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Chix Pix
Finally got around to getting some new pix of the chicks. This is also to show some friends who might be able to help ID them.
* Edited 4.24.11 with what I now believe thanks to friends' help, and a little more research.
1st batch - approximately 4-1/2 weeks old.
This chick is more gray than it shows here. Actually rather dull. Also smaller than the rest of its agemates, and it's a hen. So much smaller, it's with the 2nd batch.
* Black Breasted Red Old English (OE)
These are the biggest ones, there's 3 like this. Distinctive thick legs and big feet. Very little comb showing, so probably hens. Some variation in color. The one behind has more gold spangling on the wings. Very stocky sturdy looking birds.
* Dark Cornish
These 2 are roosters, and smaller than the 2 above. The white is already showing cockiness.
* Spangled OE, White Japanese
This is the brown from above. My favorite in this batch, I think he's going to be very pretty. He's also calmer than the white.
* Spangled OE
2nd batch - approximately 3-1/2 weeks old.
There's 3 like this. Research says Partridge, maybe? That would be cool. That's probably my favorite color - the classic rainbow rooster.
* Partridge Wyandotte
There's 2 this light buffy color. A little faint barring on the wings. Looks like hen & roo.
* Buff Amercauna
4 like this.
* Self Blue OE
Black something. There's 2, and looks like hen & roo. This is the roo.
* Black OE
3rd batch - approximately 2-1/2 weeks old.
This is the only one I've been able to ID for sure. There's 2 and might be hen & roo.
* Black Mottled Cochin
If comb size is an indicator, I think there's more hens than roosters.
This is the transition cage out in the Summer House currently holding the 1st batch. They should be big enough to turn loose in the pen in another week or so. Then the next batch will go in the cage. That's a modified bird feeder serving as chick feeder. I move the cage daily so they have cleaner ground under them. Less feed goes to waste because they can get it off the ground, and they can indulge their need to scratch. There's chickweed and grass growing along the back fence and they found that very interesting.
I used this last year for guinea keets, and have another slightly bigger one that I'll set up for them when the time comes. Guinea eggs are in the incubator. Estimated hatch in about a month.
I'll get new pix of the inside of Summer House soon. Still finishing the remodel in there. There's 12 holes for rabbits, and I'm moving buns out there today. The rest of the space will be for the birds.
tnt
* Edited 4.24.11 with what I now believe thanks to friends' help, and a little more research.
1st batch - approximately 4-1/2 weeks old.
This chick is more gray than it shows here. Actually rather dull. Also smaller than the rest of its agemates, and it's a hen. So much smaller, it's with the 2nd batch.
* Black Breasted Red Old English (OE)
These are the biggest ones, there's 3 like this. Distinctive thick legs and big feet. Very little comb showing, so probably hens. Some variation in color. The one behind has more gold spangling on the wings. Very stocky sturdy looking birds.
* Dark Cornish
These 2 are roosters, and smaller than the 2 above. The white is already showing cockiness.
* Spangled OE, White Japanese
This is the brown from above. My favorite in this batch, I think he's going to be very pretty. He's also calmer than the white.
* Spangled OE
2nd batch - approximately 3-1/2 weeks old.
There's 3 like this. Research says Partridge, maybe? That would be cool. That's probably my favorite color - the classic rainbow rooster.
* Partridge Wyandotte
There's 2 this light buffy color. A little faint barring on the wings. Looks like hen & roo.
* Buff Amercauna
4 like this.
* Self Blue OE
Black something. There's 2, and looks like hen & roo. This is the roo.
* Black OE
3rd batch - approximately 2-1/2 weeks old.
This is the only one I've been able to ID for sure. There's 2 and might be hen & roo.
* Black Mottled Cochin
If comb size is an indicator, I think there's more hens than roosters.
This is the transition cage out in the Summer House currently holding the 1st batch. They should be big enough to turn loose in the pen in another week or so. Then the next batch will go in the cage. That's a modified bird feeder serving as chick feeder. I move the cage daily so they have cleaner ground under them. Less feed goes to waste because they can get it off the ground, and they can indulge their need to scratch. There's chickweed and grass growing along the back fence and they found that very interesting.
I used this last year for guinea keets, and have another slightly bigger one that I'll set up for them when the time comes. Guinea eggs are in the incubator. Estimated hatch in about a month.
I'll get new pix of the inside of Summer House soon. Still finishing the remodel in there. There's 12 holes for rabbits, and I'm moving buns out there today. The rest of the space will be for the birds.
tnt
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Well heck
Lost another guinea to the marauding fox yesterday. I assume it was the fox. Didn't see it but heard the uproar just before sunup. Stupid birds don't have enough sense to stay inside the fence until full daylight.
This time it was a hen. Down to just the 1 hen and 2 males now. Since I have no idea which of the hens was laying in the garden nest, I confiscated the 10 eggs that were there and will begin incubating them. I'll watch the nest in case more appear.
I plan to attempt to keep the chickens' wings clipped in hopes that will keep them in the fence. Hoping they will be as efficient as the guineas for controlling pests like ticks. That's the reason for having guineas. If they weren't so useful, they'd be too loud and annoying.
Shaping up to be a beautiful day!
tnt
This time it was a hen. Down to just the 1 hen and 2 males now. Since I have no idea which of the hens was laying in the garden nest, I confiscated the 10 eggs that were there and will begin incubating them. I'll watch the nest in case more appear.
I plan to attempt to keep the chickens' wings clipped in hopes that will keep them in the fence. Hoping they will be as efficient as the guineas for controlling pests like ticks. That's the reason for having guineas. If they weren't so useful, they'd be too loud and annoying.
Shaping up to be a beautiful day!
tnt
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Thoughts on Himis
Recently, there was a discussion of himis on a forum. Actually pointed whites since this was an all-breed forum, and that's what other breeds call himis. A breeder got some very colorful kits out of a pair of PWs and didn't know what to think. Turns out I was right and they are smutty PWs, or "cold himis" as we call them in dwarfs.
I should probably start at the beginning for anyone reading this not up on the mechanics of breeding himis. From the start, I was told himis are temperature-sensitive. The himi gene forces the color to the extremities (the points) which are most susceptible to cold. When himi kits are chilled in the 1st days of life, they can display a lot of body color (smut) that makes the breeder think they have anything but white. They can look like Sable Pt, Sia Sable, or Smoke Pearl. I remember how excited I was the 1st time I saw one. I had been trying for Sable Pt and was sure I finally had one. Not. The excess color eventually recedes to the points and makes for very nicely colored himis.
This is a litter of himis. An uninformed breeder might think they had Sable Pt or Smoke Pearl. This is out of 2 himis so they can't be anything but himis.
The last year or two, I gave up shadeds and only breed the himis to himi or black. Well ok, sometimes to broken but that's a whole nother thing. My point is that I learned new things about himis and the kit smut. I now believe it is more about genetics than temperature, although temperature is still a factor. I have some new thoughts based on what I know about my himis, and observations of PW breeds.
Some of the smuttiest litters were born when it was warm. My himi does are notorious for pulling a lot of fur and making good nests. Many were good-sized litters of 3 or more so the kits kept each other warm. These "cold himis" did not get cold.
I think the tendency for smut is genetic. I've seen it more from some lines than others. Messenger is a himi who throws smutty kits. He's out of a Sable Pt, and his color is not that great. Not what you usually see when cold himis grow up. I wondered if the smut actually came from the Sable Pt. It's pretty common on SP and is inherited, and the smut on himi kits looks a lot like on SP kits. Makes sense to me.
The recent discussion was joined by someone who emphatically insisted that the PW smut is completely controlled by temperature, and that genetics play no part. Since this person used Himalayans and Californians as examples of proof, I realized the myth was probably propagated by breeders of these breeds. It may not apply to other breeds in quite the same way.
Himalayans and Californians are PW breeds and that's the only variety they come in. They're old breeds and have been bred for the best point color over hundreds of generations. They vex show breeders by displaying smut on other parts of the body when mature. One myth says that if you shave 2 Californians on the back and put one in a cold place and the other in warmth, the cold one will grow dark fur where it was shaved. They even say that does get smut where they've pulled fur. Something I've never seen on my himis or heard of on any others, even up north. Some older himis might get a little smut around the eyes or bleeding out from the nose spot up to the eyes, but not on any other part of the body that's white.
To me, this just proves genetics plays a part. Temperature-sensitivity has been strongly bred into these PW breeds simply because only the PW gene which is sensitive is present. In other breeds, PWs are bred to other varieties which would dilute this sensitivity, and the smut doesn't always come from being chilled.
I also learned how temperature can affect mature himis. It's said it's hard to raise good PWs in a warm climate. I've proven that's not necessarily true. By eliminating the shaded factor, my himis are now "pure himi". Their color is true black or blue and doesn't fade to brown in summer heat. The only fading I saw in an extremely hot summer was that the nose spot receded to just the top of the nose. My himis had white lips. I assume due to their panting hot breath. Once the weather cooled, the color went back into the entire muzzle. However, since the PW breeds are so temperature-sensitive, they would be affected much more.
In the nestbox:
Flashdance x Stoney Brook's Jackson finally kindled. She was 2 days late. She only had the one and it was a large DOA hippo. This is only the 3rd hippo I've seen (that I noticed). As usual, it came from a new rabbit (Jackson).
In the himi x himi litters, most of the kits are himis, but there's a couple I don't see any color yet. These litters are nice and toasty. It's not that cold, the does pulled piles of fur, made a good nest, and had good sized litters. The color will be slow to develop.
Cirocco x Ford's Roc, Nyx x Sugardaddy (fostered), and Dreamcatcher x Roc, their brokens are looking good. As expected, Nyx let her solid black die. She's a good looking doe so I'm glad I finally got something out of her. Her days here are probably numbered since it's such trouble getting anything from her. I'll try her one more time.
But there's a problem with rebreeding Flashdance and Nyx right now. Neither can be trusted to raise their litters, and I have no reliable does open. I'll have to think about about this. I could breed Honeycomb since her litter is about 4 wks. I'm going to put Lady Blaque up for sale real soon when her litter is weaned out, so I don't want to breed her again. All the other litters are too young to rebreed the dams right now. The only others are some young does just or almost sr, but being unproven, I can't count on them. Looks like Honeycomb is my only option.
In the brooders:
I split the chicks out into 3 bins. 5 of them are quite a bit bigger and more feathered. I kind of wanted to move them outside into a cage on the ground in the pen, but it's still getting cool at night. So their bin is in the bunny barn where they are acclimating to the temps out there. The other 2 bins are still in the house, and the youngest are still under a heat lamp.
I was getting really frustrated trying to keep the chicks in water. They were kicking the shavings all over the place, into the water bowl and feeder. It quickly soaked up the water, and I was cleaning and refilling 4 or 5 times a day! I found a way to put a stop to some of that. I cut a piece of floor wire to fit the bin and laid it on top of the shavings. Problem solved. Now their water stays cleaner and they don't run out several times a day.
Weather has been up and down. Typical spring. A few cool nights below 40, but not freezing. Spring storm lines continue to develop in the valley, beat up the deep south, and lose power (luckily) by the time they get up here. This morning, I have the tail end of the latest line and there's wind and rain. Don't need more of either, but what are you gonna do?
tnt
I should probably start at the beginning for anyone reading this not up on the mechanics of breeding himis. From the start, I was told himis are temperature-sensitive. The himi gene forces the color to the extremities (the points) which are most susceptible to cold. When himi kits are chilled in the 1st days of life, they can display a lot of body color (smut) that makes the breeder think they have anything but white. They can look like Sable Pt, Sia Sable, or Smoke Pearl. I remember how excited I was the 1st time I saw one. I had been trying for Sable Pt and was sure I finally had one. Not. The excess color eventually recedes to the points and makes for very nicely colored himis.
This is a litter of himis. An uninformed breeder might think they had Sable Pt or Smoke Pearl. This is out of 2 himis so they can't be anything but himis.
The last year or two, I gave up shadeds and only breed the himis to himi or black. Well ok, sometimes to broken but that's a whole nother thing. My point is that I learned new things about himis and the kit smut. I now believe it is more about genetics than temperature, although temperature is still a factor. I have some new thoughts based on what I know about my himis, and observations of PW breeds.
Some of the smuttiest litters were born when it was warm. My himi does are notorious for pulling a lot of fur and making good nests. Many were good-sized litters of 3 or more so the kits kept each other warm. These "cold himis" did not get cold.
I think the tendency for smut is genetic. I've seen it more from some lines than others. Messenger is a himi who throws smutty kits. He's out of a Sable Pt, and his color is not that great. Not what you usually see when cold himis grow up. I wondered if the smut actually came from the Sable Pt. It's pretty common on SP and is inherited, and the smut on himi kits looks a lot like on SP kits. Makes sense to me.
The recent discussion was joined by someone who emphatically insisted that the PW smut is completely controlled by temperature, and that genetics play no part. Since this person used Himalayans and Californians as examples of proof, I realized the myth was probably propagated by breeders of these breeds. It may not apply to other breeds in quite the same way.
Himalayans and Californians are PW breeds and that's the only variety they come in. They're old breeds and have been bred for the best point color over hundreds of generations. They vex show breeders by displaying smut on other parts of the body when mature. One myth says that if you shave 2 Californians on the back and put one in a cold place and the other in warmth, the cold one will grow dark fur where it was shaved. They even say that does get smut where they've pulled fur. Something I've never seen on my himis or heard of on any others, even up north. Some older himis might get a little smut around the eyes or bleeding out from the nose spot up to the eyes, but not on any other part of the body that's white.
To me, this just proves genetics plays a part. Temperature-sensitivity has been strongly bred into these PW breeds simply because only the PW gene which is sensitive is present. In other breeds, PWs are bred to other varieties which would dilute this sensitivity, and the smut doesn't always come from being chilled.
I also learned how temperature can affect mature himis. It's said it's hard to raise good PWs in a warm climate. I've proven that's not necessarily true. By eliminating the shaded factor, my himis are now "pure himi". Their color is true black or blue and doesn't fade to brown in summer heat. The only fading I saw in an extremely hot summer was that the nose spot receded to just the top of the nose. My himis had white lips. I assume due to their panting hot breath. Once the weather cooled, the color went back into the entire muzzle. However, since the PW breeds are so temperature-sensitive, they would be affected much more.
In the nestbox:
Flashdance x Stoney Brook's Jackson finally kindled. She was 2 days late. She only had the one and it was a large DOA hippo. This is only the 3rd hippo I've seen (that I noticed). As usual, it came from a new rabbit (Jackson).
In the himi x himi litters, most of the kits are himis, but there's a couple I don't see any color yet. These litters are nice and toasty. It's not that cold, the does pulled piles of fur, made a good nest, and had good sized litters. The color will be slow to develop.
Cirocco x Ford's Roc, Nyx x Sugardaddy (fostered), and Dreamcatcher x Roc, their brokens are looking good. As expected, Nyx let her solid black die. She's a good looking doe so I'm glad I finally got something out of her. Her days here are probably numbered since it's such trouble getting anything from her. I'll try her one more time.
But there's a problem with rebreeding Flashdance and Nyx right now. Neither can be trusted to raise their litters, and I have no reliable does open. I'll have to think about about this. I could breed Honeycomb since her litter is about 4 wks. I'm going to put Lady Blaque up for sale real soon when her litter is weaned out, so I don't want to breed her again. All the other litters are too young to rebreed the dams right now. The only others are some young does just or almost sr, but being unproven, I can't count on them. Looks like Honeycomb is my only option.
In the brooders:
I split the chicks out into 3 bins. 5 of them are quite a bit bigger and more feathered. I kind of wanted to move them outside into a cage on the ground in the pen, but it's still getting cool at night. So their bin is in the bunny barn where they are acclimating to the temps out there. The other 2 bins are still in the house, and the youngest are still under a heat lamp.
I was getting really frustrated trying to keep the chicks in water. They were kicking the shavings all over the place, into the water bowl and feeder. It quickly soaked up the water, and I was cleaning and refilling 4 or 5 times a day! I found a way to put a stop to some of that. I cut a piece of floor wire to fit the bin and laid it on top of the shavings. Problem solved. Now their water stays cleaner and they don't run out several times a day.
Weather has been up and down. Typical spring. A few cool nights below 40, but not freezing. Spring storm lines continue to develop in the valley, beat up the deep south, and lose power (luckily) by the time they get up here. This morning, I have the tail end of the latest line and there's wind and rain. Don't need more of either, but what are you gonna do?
tnt
Sunday, April 10, 2011
This & That
Attended the Taylorsville show yesterday. A lot of dwarf breeders were missing because they're gearing up for Nationals next week. Best of luck, fun, and safe travels to all who are going.
Because of the lack of entries, legs were hard to come by. Even otters couldn't pull a variety leg. Group and breed legs were all that could be earned. Chevette got the AOV BOG leg in Show A. Actually if I'm not mistaken, I believe AOV was the only group that could get a leg. I've seen that before at small entry shows where tan patterns weren't strongly represented. Oh wait, maybe Self as well, but since I didn't have any selfs, wasn't really paying attention to that group.
It was still a fun show. I like the T-ville shows. Everyone I talked to had the same reasons for liking these shows. Easy to get to because of uncomplicated directions, nice facility on the fairgrounds, usually pretty good organization, and good home-cooked breakfast and lunch from the best chef in the south.
Oh and yay. Cogburn is gone. I took him to the show and hung a "Free" tag on his carrier. Had 3 people who wanted him. The 1st's wife said no, so he went to the 2nd. He was crowing all day long which was strange to hear there when I've heard it for so long here. I'm happy and I'm sure he'll be happy. The new owner is getting him some hens. My baby birds will be safe from him.
It was a very violent day weatherwise in the south and surrounding states. I woke up to a bit of a light show which made me change my show day routine a little. Usually, I drink some coffee and do the internet for a few, then allow enough time to load up the rabbits and myself, and hit the road by the deadline. The lightening made me run out and load the animals first so I didn't get caught doing it in the rain. Turns out the lightening was actually not headed this way and the drive was dry.
Just a few miles from home, I was racing a storm. Got home in time to unload the rabbits before it hit. And it hit hard! There was pea and gum ball size hail that littered the ground like snow. I don't remember ever seeing that much hail on the ground, even up north. It was like stones falling on the roof, and it went on for quite a while. I don't know how much rain I got here. The rain gauge only goes to 5" and it's topped off! Serious runoff is flooding the bottom of the yard again. I think I'll have to call the road commission and ask them to dig out the ditch across the road that was taking the runoff down to the creek. It must be blocked as now it's coming across the road to me. Bad.
In the nestbox:
Chevelle x Stoneybrook's Jackson (himi buck on loan) has 4 fat healthy kits. Himis, I'm sure. His owner says there's REW in his background, but I have no reason to believe Chevelle carries REW. At least I hope not. On the other hand...
Anaba x Jackson has 3. It's possible she carries REW so I'll have to wait to see if the kits are himi or REW. Keeping my fingers crossed for himi.
Nyx x Sugardaddy - 1 nicely broken black fostered to Anaba, and a black. I don't trust Nyx. So far, she hasn't built a good nest and if she has live kits, they die if left with her. She did pull plenty of fur this time, but most of the other nest material had been kicked out. Good thing it was warm enough. I left her the black to see if she raises it.
Dreamcatcher x Ford's Roc - 1 nicely broken black. I might foster it as well, although Dreamcatcher is really good about raising a singleton. I've left singles with her before and they always thrive. Since I don't know if or to whom I'll breed her again, I might as well let her raise it. I could give her 1 or 2 of the himis.
Cirocco x Ford's Roc - 2 nicely broken blacks. Yay...they're not otters! This is her 1st litter and she did it perfectly. Can't wait to see how this match turns out.
So letsee. 5 new litters - 7 himis, 4 brokens, and every doe was successful. I'm very pleased with this round.
In the older litters:
Shadowland Honeycomb x Sugardaddy has 2 torts (almost 3 weeks), and I think one of them got his little ears. That would be cool!
Lady Blaque x Shadowland Whiskey Mac has 2 torts and 1 broken (75%) tort (almost 5 weeks). Their color is off so I'm not sure what I'll do with them. They're too light and not charcoal where tort is supposed to be charcoal (belly, etc). It's a creamy color. Strange. I even thought they might be blue tort, but I've got those before and know what blue tort kits look like. This is not that.
I recently chatted with Donelle Bomben, and she gave me lots of good information and theories on the cause. She said it might be due to Sable Points. There's no Sable Point in Mac's pedigree, although that doesn't mean it's not there somewhere. I believe he does not carry shaded, or I would have seen it by now, especially when he was bred to himis. Lady Blaque probably does carry shaded so it might have come from her. Another theory Donelle had was that the wideband gene from Red had been mixed into that line of torts. That makes more sense to me than the Sable Point theory. I have got properly dark torts from Mac with his other does, and lots of breeders do Tort and Sable Pt together without bad results. It might explain the odd extension (for lack of a better word) of the undercolor. I don't really know how the wideband gene works or why it would show up in Lady's litter. Research time, I guess.
In the chick brooders:
I got a 3rd batch of TSC chicks this week. Got even luckier than the 2nd batch. Picked up 3 more blues, another red, and 2 striking black & white chicks. I didn't realize until I got them home that they had feathered legs. Hopped onto The Feathersite and discovered they are Black Mottled Cochins! That was exciting because for feather legs, I like Cochins the most. Such an attractive bird, like a ball of feathers. And they're the only chicks I've been able to ID for sure.
It was all I could do to restrain myself from running back up there to get a couple more. No no no. I now have a total of 19 chicks and that's enough to start.
Not to mention a guinea is laying, and I'll be incubating those. I found a nest under a big grass in the garden inside the fence. One by one, eggs are appearing in it, but I never catch the hen on the nest. Since guineas lay large clutches of 20 or more and that's how I found the nest, I just assumed they laid all at once. I now realize it's that they lay the entire clutch before they begin brooding. Usually, I don't find the nest until the hen goes missing because she sitting all the time. Probably nature's way of making sure the eggs hatch at the same time.
It always amazes me that the day after a violent storm is beautiful...clear and sunny. It's like Mother Nature gave us the day to clean up the mess. I'm off to survey the damage and hopefully enjoy it.
tnt
Because of the lack of entries, legs were hard to come by. Even otters couldn't pull a variety leg. Group and breed legs were all that could be earned. Chevette got the AOV BOG leg in Show A. Actually if I'm not mistaken, I believe AOV was the only group that could get a leg. I've seen that before at small entry shows where tan patterns weren't strongly represented. Oh wait, maybe Self as well, but since I didn't have any selfs, wasn't really paying attention to that group.
It was still a fun show. I like the T-ville shows. Everyone I talked to had the same reasons for liking these shows. Easy to get to because of uncomplicated directions, nice facility on the fairgrounds, usually pretty good organization, and good home-cooked breakfast and lunch from the best chef in the south.
Oh and yay. Cogburn is gone. I took him to the show and hung a "Free" tag on his carrier. Had 3 people who wanted him. The 1st's wife said no, so he went to the 2nd. He was crowing all day long which was strange to hear there when I've heard it for so long here. I'm happy and I'm sure he'll be happy. The new owner is getting him some hens. My baby birds will be safe from him.
It was a very violent day weatherwise in the south and surrounding states. I woke up to a bit of a light show which made me change my show day routine a little. Usually, I drink some coffee and do the internet for a few, then allow enough time to load up the rabbits and myself, and hit the road by the deadline. The lightening made me run out and load the animals first so I didn't get caught doing it in the rain. Turns out the lightening was actually not headed this way and the drive was dry.
Just a few miles from home, I was racing a storm. Got home in time to unload the rabbits before it hit. And it hit hard! There was pea and gum ball size hail that littered the ground like snow. I don't remember ever seeing that much hail on the ground, even up north. It was like stones falling on the roof, and it went on for quite a while. I don't know how much rain I got here. The rain gauge only goes to 5" and it's topped off! Serious runoff is flooding the bottom of the yard again. I think I'll have to call the road commission and ask them to dig out the ditch across the road that was taking the runoff down to the creek. It must be blocked as now it's coming across the road to me. Bad.
In the nestbox:
Chevelle x Stoneybrook's Jackson (himi buck on loan) has 4 fat healthy kits. Himis, I'm sure. His owner says there's REW in his background, but I have no reason to believe Chevelle carries REW. At least I hope not. On the other hand...
Anaba x Jackson has 3. It's possible she carries REW so I'll have to wait to see if the kits are himi or REW. Keeping my fingers crossed for himi.
Nyx x Sugardaddy - 1 nicely broken black fostered to Anaba, and a black. I don't trust Nyx. So far, she hasn't built a good nest and if she has live kits, they die if left with her. She did pull plenty of fur this time, but most of the other nest material had been kicked out. Good thing it was warm enough. I left her the black to see if she raises it.
Dreamcatcher x Ford's Roc - 1 nicely broken black. I might foster it as well, although Dreamcatcher is really good about raising a singleton. I've left singles with her before and they always thrive. Since I don't know if or to whom I'll breed her again, I might as well let her raise it. I could give her 1 or 2 of the himis.
Cirocco x Ford's Roc - 2 nicely broken blacks. Yay...they're not otters! This is her 1st litter and she did it perfectly. Can't wait to see how this match turns out.
So letsee. 5 new litters - 7 himis, 4 brokens, and every doe was successful. I'm very pleased with this round.
In the older litters:
Shadowland Honeycomb x Sugardaddy has 2 torts (almost 3 weeks), and I think one of them got his little ears. That would be cool!
Lady Blaque x Shadowland Whiskey Mac has 2 torts and 1 broken (75%) tort (almost 5 weeks). Their color is off so I'm not sure what I'll do with them. They're too light and not charcoal where tort is supposed to be charcoal (belly, etc). It's a creamy color. Strange. I even thought they might be blue tort, but I've got those before and know what blue tort kits look like. This is not that.
I recently chatted with Donelle Bomben, and she gave me lots of good information and theories on the cause. She said it might be due to Sable Points. There's no Sable Point in Mac's pedigree, although that doesn't mean it's not there somewhere. I believe he does not carry shaded, or I would have seen it by now, especially when he was bred to himis. Lady Blaque probably does carry shaded so it might have come from her. Another theory Donelle had was that the wideband gene from Red had been mixed into that line of torts. That makes more sense to me than the Sable Point theory. I have got properly dark torts from Mac with his other does, and lots of breeders do Tort and Sable Pt together without bad results. It might explain the odd extension (for lack of a better word) of the undercolor. I don't really know how the wideband gene works or why it would show up in Lady's litter. Research time, I guess.
In the chick brooders:
I got a 3rd batch of TSC chicks this week. Got even luckier than the 2nd batch. Picked up 3 more blues, another red, and 2 striking black & white chicks. I didn't realize until I got them home that they had feathered legs. Hopped onto The Feathersite and discovered they are Black Mottled Cochins! That was exciting because for feather legs, I like Cochins the most. Such an attractive bird, like a ball of feathers. And they're the only chicks I've been able to ID for sure.
It was all I could do to restrain myself from running back up there to get a couple more. No no no. I now have a total of 19 chicks and that's enough to start.
Not to mention a guinea is laying, and I'll be incubating those. I found a nest under a big grass in the garden inside the fence. One by one, eggs are appearing in it, but I never catch the hen on the nest. Since guineas lay large clutches of 20 or more and that's how I found the nest, I just assumed they laid all at once. I now realize it's that they lay the entire clutch before they begin brooding. Usually, I don't find the nest until the hen goes missing because she sitting all the time. Probably nature's way of making sure the eggs hatch at the same time.
It always amazes me that the day after a violent storm is beautiful...clear and sunny. It's like Mother Nature gave us the day to clean up the mess. I'm off to survey the damage and hopefully enjoy it.
tnt
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
More Chicks
I asked when TSC got more chicks and he said the bantams came in on Thursday or Friday. So I ran up there Thursday and I'm glad I did. There was much more variety to choose from and all different from the first batch.Still don't know what they are, but at least I can guess colors on this batch. They only had the 1 blue. The 2 whites this time are actually a buff color. I looked around the net and the reds might be partridge. That would be cool since that's one of my favorite varieties...the classic "rainbow rooster". The blacks might be mottled something...one has some white on it.
I also took a chance on the only feather-leg in that shipment because it was such a pretty foxy color. Sadly, lost it the 1st night. I took it back and they allowed me the exchange, but the only ones left were black or buff so I got another black. Then I lost another little odd color not like any of the others the next day. I was pretty sure I would lose it, it didn't seem to be thriving. Would have been nice if it died when I took the other back. I didn't feel like going back up there so I just called it a loss.
This is the 1st batch with wing feathers giving more hints to colors. But I still don't know what colors exactly. There is a pair of spangled greyish, a pair of white & gold spangled, and then the white and another more black with some gold.The white and a couple others are developing combs which might mean roosters. A friend told me that big combed breeds will sometimes develop early on hens, too, so can't really call that either until I figure out the breeds.
I handle them everyday. Some are flightier than others. A couple are considerably calmer and allow me to pet them without running away.
This is the brooder setup. These bins just fit in this large wheeled birdcage stand. I actually just set it up today. I had all the chicks in 1 bin with the light, but it was getting crowded and messy with the older birds in there so I split them up. Don't have another light so I hope the older chicks will be ok. It's in the house, and they seem comfortable without the light.The infamous Rooster Cogburn got on my last nerve this week, and he's now in jail awaiting deportation. I think I've mentioned how he goes in the pet carrier where I feed the cat. I've tried to block it from him while still allowing her access, but he always figures it out. He pecks her tail until she comes out. When he got past my latest attempts at blocks, I said fine, stay in there, and locked him in it for the day. During that time, I decided he lost privileges. I was tired of his mess on top of the cat's box, and all over the porch where he roosts. I was really tired of having to carry a weapon everywhere I went in the yard. I had a large cage kicking around and set it up for him...his jail cell. Then decided he needs to go away. I'm worried about the new chicks. He was pretty rough on the guinea keets sometimes. I think he will be a problem when it comes time to put them outside. I'm taking him with me to the show this weekend to try and rehome him. His previous owner said he'd take him back if no one else took him. One way or another, this bird has to go. I'd rather take my chances that roosters in the chicks will be easier to live with.
I need a few things from TSC so I'll go up this Thursday to see if I can catch another interesting bantam shipment. Trying to restrain myself but I know if there's some new variety or more of the colors I like, I'll get a few more.
The poultry pen is coming along. It was so nice yesterday, I worked on it almost all day. Then that line of storms came ripping up through the valley last night, and left cold air in its wake today. Too cool for me to do much outside. Supposed to warm up again after today so I'll be back at it.
Not a lot going on in the rabbitry. A few litters due this week. I'll get back to that next time. BTW, I decided bantams fit under the Spring Creek Gems name. Little rabbits, little chickens.
tnt
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