Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Kev]

My broodies hatches aren't going well at all, there are only 2 more that might live, we'll see not very good chances on either one. This has been a HORRIBLE hatching year for me and my broodies. I am going to have to set another batch in the bator at the beginning of the week. Today 3 were SHRINK WRAPPED, now how in the h**l can a chick shrink wrap when we have had 17 inches of rain in 3 weeks and floods and near 100% humidity for their entire incubation and sitting under a broody!!!!!!!

Oh wow, what is happening....

 

[Kev]

I have some bad news....

Was away from home for a couple days, helping a friend deal with a personal family issue.

What do I see??? A crow inside the pen with the new baby chicks! The mother hen was huddling tight in the nest with all chicks under her and staying put... unfortunately it looks like several chicks are missing.... and appears they are dehydrated, one is dying and one has a bite mark on its back... Tried pushing them out but they are all so terrified they went straight back in nest.

Crow was all raggedy like it might have been in there for a day or more. Gave it a few "choice words" before letting it go...

 

[Kassaundra]

No clue, several other Okies are having hatching issues this spring too. But then some are hatching like normal??????

This is the 3rd batch of 20 - 25 egg set and from that I have about 16 chicks hatch alive and including the 2 new ones just hours old 13 alive still.

These have been over the course of 3 ish months.

 

[Kassaundra]

And both incubator and broody hatches and one hybrid (little of each)

Kev that is horrible, so sorry, hope you can save the dehydrated ones.

 

[Kassaundra]

Kev go get them some watermelon, the sweet "water" will be a natural sugar so less likely to cause diarreaha and may w/ the sweet and the red color be more temptation then they can resist

 

[CliffB]

Ha, reminds me of those ladies with egret feather caps in the old days.  Is this the broiler mix?

Yes sir.

Anyone ever seen this color pattern before? I am 90% sure it's a boy so I don't plan to keep it anyways but just curious what it may end up looking like.

 

[Kev]

Kev go get them some watermelon, the sweet "water" will be a natural sugar so less likely to cause diarreaha and may w/ the sweet and the red color be more temptation then they can resist

Excellent idea, it so happens I brought a watermelon home.. will chop it up for them.

Went back outside to push the hen out- the chicks definitely were thirsty, drinking like they had no water for a day even though there were two waterers, still full.

Unfortunately, found ripped apart pieces of chicks in the far end of pen, a chick is walking strangely like it was hit in the head- maybe by accident by the mother hen going crazy or it had escaped the crow.. the one with bite on back seems otherwise allright.

They're all out but many are still on high alert and sticking really close to the hen. I think they will be fine, except for that dazed chick.

I've been very tolerant of crows all along, because they harass the hawks and after no longer free ranging they were not even a thought at all despite being around all the time. So this surprised me a fair bit for sure.

 

[Kev]

Yes sir.

Anyone ever seen this color pattern before? I am 90% sure it's a boy so I don't plan to keep it anyways but just curious what it may end up looking like.

That chick feather pattern is due to the Pg(pencilling) gene. It will either grow up into a black tail buff with a lot more feather detailing(black and/or lighter gold streaks, stippling over the back) than the usual black tail buff. There may be a chance it will be a black breasted red or approximate it somewhat if a boy. Also possible for hens to look more like the typical wheaten hen.

 

[DesertChic]

Good for you! He was beautiful but roosters like that are no fun at all.

That's the truth! And with so many other roosters to choose from around here, there really wasn't a good reason to keep him off the dinner table. I should probably switch out my avatar now though. It just seems wrong to keep his adorable chick picture as my avatar after just butchering him.

 

[DesertChic]

I have some bad news....

Was away from home for a couple days, helping a friend deal with a personal family issue.

What do I see??? A crow inside the pen with the new baby chicks! The mother hen was huddling tight in the nest with all chicks under her and staying put... unfortunately it looks like several chicks are missing.... and appears they are dehydrated, one is dying and one has a bite mark on its back... Tried pushing them out but they are all so terrified they went straight back in nest.

Crow was all raggedy like it might have been in there for a day or more. Gave it a few "choice words" before letting it go...

Oh no!!!! I hope the remaining chicks pull through.