Oldies, babies & ex batts!

[Stanley]

Havent posted photos in a while!
Currently have 14 chooks, 13 hens (hopefully!) and a cockerel chick

Not sure if I showed you this, but 2 of our ex bats from November, first photo from beginning of December, and last 2 photos from around March time, top on is Bronwyn, and bottom one is Bailey!

Our oldest hen, who has a rude name, but is also a dessert, so she can just be 'chook 1'

Bethany, one of our ex bats from November

Bethany and Bailey being nosey!

Another original hen, with another rude name, so this is chook 2.

2 ex bats we got yesterday, Beau is the bald one, and Brandy is the other one

Bronwyn

Sheila, the lighter one, and Shirley the darker one, Stanleys 'girls'

Bethany sunbathing and Bailey

And now the babies!
4 hybrids, all hopefully hens and we were given a cockerel baby too, apparently cream legbar?

baby 1

baby 2

very small baby 3

baby 4, with baby 3 in bg

baby boy!

 

[chrismahon]

They are all sweet but he's a darling Stanley. We tried to find a Legbar cock but being autosexing they are usually killed at hatch. He reminds me of our Lucy as a chick, who is 5 now.

 

[Marigold]

It's lovely to see how the exbatts have feathered up and are enjoying life. I'm not sure whether the lack of feathers is just because they are normally culled or rehomed at the point they all go into a moult as a flock and are thus useless to the farmer, or whether it's always down to feather pecking, or a bit of both. If feather pecking you might expect this to continue when they are rehomed, is this likely to happen?

 

[Stanley]

They are all sweet but he's a darling Stanley. We tried to find a Legbar cock but being autosexing they are usually killed at hatch. He reminds me of our Lucy as a chick, who is 5 now.

Yeah the lady seemed shocked i wanted a cock, and gave me him for free as she doesnt want them, nor can get rid of them!
pity i cant have more than one, or i would
(Stanley died on valentines day, so we dont have a resident boy anymore)
hopefully also have some naturally born chicks next year, although only have wyandottes, or these hybrids, so may have to have a legbar girly

 

[Stanley]

It's lovely to see how the exbatts have feathered up and are enjoying life. I'm not sure whether the lack of feathers is just because they are normally culled or rehomed at the point they all go into a moult as a flock and are thus useless to the farmer, or whether it's always down to feather pecking, or a bit of both. If feather pecking you might expect this to continue when they are rehomed, is this likely to happen?

Yeah, every day I watch them run around and its completely different to watching your normal hens, they always look so happy and full of life being able to run around and be chickens
im also not sure about the feathers, some are definitely worse than others..
the 2 in the first photo have come along so well, and Bethany came mostly feathered apart from a bit missing, some has grown back but im sure shes feather pecking, she almost gets feathers and then none, shame really as shed be so lovely fully feathered, like the rest, but shes healthy and happy so i dont mind
but i do wonder if its a bit of both, cant imagine theyd fight, and arent they warm and dark to stop fighting?

 

[Kalynta]

They all look like they are enjoying being "just chickens" well done for giving them a chance

Just love the chicks pics...

 

[Stanley]

They all look like they are enjoying being "just chickens" well done for giving them a chance

Just love the chicks pics...

Yeah! its so nice to watch, quite hard when they first come a they dont look the best and you do wonder if theyll make it but once theyre better its so lovely!