Chix Pixs
Do you know how fast nine day old chicks move? I tried to get some cute, interesting pictures to post today but mostly what I got were black and yellow blurs. They whizz around like the Energizer Bunny.
"Looky here, guys! A big dish of fresh food. Let's all stand in it with our dirty feet!"
Of our eight Light Sussex chicks, I'm thinking that we have three roosters and five hens. In looking at the two little yellow ones in the above picture, I think you can see one has darker, more defined wing feathers already than the other one. I'm calling the ones with the more prominently colored feathers roosters. Sound reasonable? I can't yet tell any difference in the Black Australorps. Stay tuned.
"Looky here, guys! A big dish of fresh food. Let's all stand in it with our dirty feet!"
Of our eight Light Sussex chicks, I'm thinking that we have three roosters and five hens. In looking at the two little yellow ones in the above picture, I think you can see one has darker, more defined wing feathers already than the other one. I'm calling the ones with the more prominently colored feathers roosters. Sound reasonable? I can't yet tell any difference in the Black Australorps. Stay tuned.
I so love baby chicks-so adorable. Last time I ordered Straight Run-I got 12 hens and 13 roosters. Boy, it got real interesting around October.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for freezers!
:D
If you can sex 9 day old chicks, then I am convinced you have super powers.
ReplyDeleteSue! OMG I just read your rooster count and almost choked LOL! I better make sure I get a big freezer when I get chickens :)
ReplyDelete3 roosters LOL, I see ice crystals in their future :) Seriously, they are so cute, too bad they only stay that way for about a day!
ReplyDeleteDitto, what Jane said! I am familiar with Australorps but not with Light Sussex. What are their redeeming qualities - other than cuteness...
ReplyDeleteSue - Well, considering Straight Run usually runs at a 1:1 raito, yours ran true to form. (Hey, ain't nuthin' wrong with rooster meat! Not so good for egg production though.)
ReplyDeleteJane - Let's see, would that make me the Sex Whisperer? Um . . . scratch that. Doesn't sound quite right. :o\
Erin - Yeah, about a day is right. When I was watching them today a couple stretched their scrawny little necks up at me and I could see their cute fluffiness disappearing before my eyes.
Erin - But remember there is sooo much you can do with chickie meat. Always good to have some of that in the freezer!
Susan - Light Sussex are a dual purpose bird (meaty but produce a lot of eggs), docile (like who wants a hostile hen??), good foragers and will sometimes go broody. Now, if they just live up to their names . . . !
my sister used to work at a place in brainerd -de-beaking chicks -she was one of the 1st people I know to make nuggets-what a imagination!---ya- McDonald's copied her idea ---lol
ReplyDeleteI want more of those fuzzy little critters! Hey, why didn't you get a funky chicken in the mix? I don't see the Show Girl!
ReplyDeleteAww I love chicks. We got to hatch chicks in school. I see some great dinners and lots of eggs in your future.
ReplyDeletejudy - De-beaking chickens?? Ooooh, please tell me she doesn't do that anymore!
ReplyDeleteAPG - Nope, we were just plain old boring with our chicks. No odd balls in this bunch. Unless there's a sleeper in there somewhere that turns out to be polka dotted and the size of a turkey.
Sparkless - Great dinners and lots of eggs? May you know of what you speak!
That was in the 70's -probably the beginning of the Tyson or Perdue fiasco-growing chickens like weeds,LIKE IN"Food Inc"
ReplyDeleteI FORGOT TO SIGN OUT MY DAUGHTER-SO THAT WAS MY COMMENT -NOT BECCA'S
ReplyDeleteCuteness! I read on some gal's blog that before she bought her chicks from the man store she hung them by their feet from her hand. If they raise their heads up they are a rooster.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they lose their cuteness quickly. I didn't get straight run so hopefully the hatchery got it right. Theoretically we are to have 11 hens and a rooster. Time will tell....
ReplyDeleteJudy
So cute! I love chick pix.
ReplyDeleteI have Australorps and Buff Orpingtons...thy are the best! Consistent layers and friendly/ sweet...The Buffs come over and scootch down to get pets and scratches every time I go in the run...lol
ReplyDeleteWe made a decision to have no roosters this year. Our last one was the meanest fowl on the planet! lol
Sooo cute. They don't stay little long enough! I just love the fluff ball stage...I got 6 "pullets" back in February from our local Farm Store. Alas, I still ended up with what I am pretty certain is 1 Rhode Island Red rooster. If he behaves himself and treats me and his ladies well he will be allowed to hang around. If not, he will surely become Sunday dinner!
ReplyDeleteI ordered 25 straight run chicks once and ended up with 12 hens and 13 roosters. Thank goodness for freezers!!
ReplyDelete:D
Hey, Everybody - Like many of you, I've lost your previous comments and my replies to this post because of Blogger's problems. :o( So it goes!
ReplyDeleteSue - Yup, we're just hoping for a 50/50 ratio instead of something weird like 2 hens and the rest roosters! With straight run, ya gotta take what ya get. The roosters won't go to waste . . . but we won't get many eggs from them either!
sorry about your posts-just wanted to say hi- I still have a houseful-never a dull moment- Becca ended up at the ER ON IV--SHE GOT TO DEHYDRATED FROM THE FLU-BUT THANK GOD ITS ALMOST RUN ITS COARSE- BUT NOT ME- HOW LUCKY CAN I GET.Good luck with the chicks.
ReplyDeletejudy - Hope things stabilize at your house soon! That flu is nuthin' to mess with.
ReplyDelete