Photos of the gang

[Nick]

Just for fun,
Here are my three hybrids a bought a few weeks back...

Tawny tau - my Chalk Hill Blue - currently laying lovely (smallish) blue eggs


Zeta - my Blubelle, who is laying huge eggs, mostly double yolkers and then keeps popping out soft ones (although getting less)


and Speckledy Pi - who isn't laying at all yet.


These three were bought after a fox attack killed all but one of my last flock.
The survivor is Ensign Rho - a dark Brahma


She probably survived because she was just starting to broody, and so wasnt on the perches. So, we gave her some eggs, and she hatched 5/6
Can you spot the 4 weeks olds in the broad beans?


And here is a question at the end - I have three French Wheaten Maran chicks, two male, one female.
And two White leghorns - both the same (unknown as yet) sex.
Do you reckon this is a cock or a hen???



Just for comparison, here is the definately male Maran - he has a bigger comb than the leghorn...



Cheers!!
Nick

 

[dinosaw]

Lovely photos Nick, Ensign Rho has really striking plumage. Regarding sexing, if only 4 weeks I would be erring on the side of caution and saying too soon to be absolutely sure but looks female, would expect a larger comb by now on cockerel.

 

[Marigold]

What lovely pictures, I enjoyed looking at them.

 

[foxy]

lovely photos! Very nice looking hybrids from Chalkhill. Love the dark brahma she looks very good quality too 08

 

[Icemaiden]

Cheers Nick. Some nice hens there. Looks as though you've got Morehens disease :lol:

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Nick. Lovely photos and the Leghorns I think are female. They should develop large floppy combs, but our female looked exactly the same at that age. The male Leghorns have far larger combs very early and they were obviously male at 3 weeks -the earliest crowed at 3 1/2 weeks.

 

[Nick]

Thanks all!
Ensign Rho is a lovely chicken, I was so happy that she survuved the foxes - she has a great character, really friendly, but very good mothering instinct.
Morehens disease! Deffo - I can;t seem to shake the habit - particularly the habit of putting fertile eggs under anyone who goes broody, even though I know the sage and onion flavoured problems that will ensue from 50% of the hatchlings!!
I'm really hopeful that the leghorns are female - so I choose to believe wholeheatedly the sage words of Chrismahon and Dinosaw. 3:2 female to male woule be a great result!!
Ensign Rho was from a hatch last year, her brother - Jean Luc Pkaak was a lovely bird too, I was very happy that a local breeder took him off my hand to have a life of lurve, making lots of lovely baby brahmas.
Here he is!!