Chicken saga photos

[Heldi]

For those who have been following my chicken saga...and I hope you have because I will be asking questions during the interval.. I took some pictures today.

[Heldi]

[Delilah]

And what beauties they are Heldi, have to say no nothing about chickens but the boys definately look like boys, how did you mistake them for girls ???

[rosebud]

Nice photos Heldi lovely looking chooks.

[Aussie Chick]

They are lovely. You can tell a Rooster by the long feathers of the cape, the hackle. the hens feathers are more rounded. ( apart from the crowing of course)!  ;D

Are you thinking of getting more hens or keeping the cockerals?

[Heldi]

Thanks guys!

Delilah,they were only just about 3 months old when I got them. They are about 6 months now,possibly a bit younger Until recently all the chooks looked the same feathers wise. First thing I noticed was Dennis' comb becoming larger and the wattles growing.I checked in magazines and on the net. The pictures I saw of the hens of their breed all had quite large combs so I really wasn't at all decided. I compared him to Jessie who didn't have much of a comb at the time. They moulted their feathers and very very recently Dennis' came back in looking longer and the tail feathers looking curled and getting longer. Exactly like Aussie Chick has described. He also seemed to fill out and get taller than the others in a matter of a few days.We'd asked other allotmenteers who have chickens to take a look but all they said was "Could be!" and "It's possible!".   We hadn't even considered Jessie until last week when his longer feathers became clearly visible and his comb became more pronounced.

Dennis has now started to crow. The clincher lol! That was last week I think. I haven't heard him...only via OH recording it on his mobile this morning. He has just started to prance about like he owns the world. Luckily we can still pick him up and he settles down on a foldy chair with my son.  I didn't want a cockerel because I'd heard how aggressive they can be. I haven't had any plans about breeding and I think I've put OH off that idea. Hopefully picking the hens up almost everyday will have had its benefits ...fingers crossed.

AC we do want to get some more hens. We have enough room and we enjoy them so much. There were some for sale but my neighbour tells me they've all gone. They are very popular! They were point of lays so NO MORE COCKERELS!!

We are going to watch how Dennis and Jessie get on. I read on one of the poultry websites that is shouldn't be a problem if they have been together since day one and have enough hens. I'll follow that advice first and wait and see. Fingers crossed because Dennis is my son's and Jessie is my little pal.

Wardy I will name one after you when we get some more hens!  There was a hot debate about Jessie's name in the kitchen this morning. I quite like the fact he's become named after a Wild West gunslinger. I can picture him in a cowboy hat. I sing Cher's "Just like Jessie James" to him.  My son wants to rename him Gnasher lol! OH wants to call him Corporal Cluck.
   

[Delilah]

Hope you didn't take me too seriously I was only teasing you Heldi, I'm a completely ignorant when it comes to chickens ;D

[Heldi]

Imagine if someone asked me to sex a chicken...erm, if it crows it's a cockerel...I think. lol!

Here's a couple of pics. The first one is within the first month I had them. thats the two boys at the front.The second is probably about a month ago. You can see Dennis and the suspicious comb arising then! He didn't have the feathers yet. Jessie had grown the comb but not that much.

[moonbells]

Well I guess you'll get more birds anyway since you've got cockerels!

Imagine a basketful of chicks for Easter?

;D ;D

moonbells

[Heldi]

ooooh noooo Moonbells...those eggs aint gonna be sat on! Two men are more than enough.   ;D

[moonbells]

<laugh>

Wish I could get some. Not in this house or lottie though. Restrictive covenant and no-livestock tenancy agreement respectively.

The bit that worries me is can you get them vaccinated against bird flu?  Or do you shut them up in the eventuality?

moonbells

[Aussie Chick]

http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=22

try this Moonbells, lots of sensible suggestions.

[spacehopper]

They look like lovely happy chickens. :)
A couple of blokes about the place will keep your hennies entertained!

Moonbells, we had worried about bird flu and have stalled on getting chickens for that very reason. Looks like the threat was overstated in the media though.

[paranoid mandroid]

they are lovely. i'll try to get some pics of my lot on soon when im not working (next year sometime  ;D )