***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Buckguy20]

Elwood that is a clever and easy idea. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ksane]

I'm sick of this weather, too, Bill.
We ended up getting a 10x10x6' tall chain link dog kennel for the Bantam Ameraucanas instead of building a permanent picket fence. It was so much easier this way, I had no idea how much easier it is. I believe I've built my last fence. They had 8x16' 70% shade cloth at Harbor Freight for $30 so I got that, it seemed like a good price although I've never priced the stuff so I don't know. I got their perches in their coop and put the younger set of 15 babies (Ameraucana & Orloff girls) in there with them til they get a bit bigger. It got so dang HOT out so fast though. We also found a solar light for the Bantam Faverolles coop for $20. You mount the solar charger on the outside somewhere, the cord is like 8' or 10' long that leads to the light inside the coop. It worked out really well and we're going to get these lights for the other coops instead of running cords. Pretty handy.
Here's some pictures of my Blue Salmon Bantam Faverolles boy, 2 of my Bantam Ameraucanas (I really like this breed) and their coop with the roosts I just put in. The top of their chain link pen is covered so it'll be really nice not to have to clip their wings. I'm worn out though and it's only 4:15 in the afternoon.

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*

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

I'm sick of this weather, too, Bill.
We ended up getting a 10x10x6' tall chain link dog kennel for the Bantam Ameraucanas instead of building a permanent picket fence. It was so much easier this way, I had no idea how much easier it is. I believe I've built my last fence. They had 8x16' 70% shade cloth at Harbor Freight for $30 so I got that, it seemed like a good price although I've never priced the stuff so I don't know. I got their perches in their coop and put the younger set of 15 babies (Ameraucana & Orloff girls) in there with them til they get a bit bigger. It got so dang HOT out so fast though. We also found a solar light for the Bantam Faverolles coop for $20. You mount the solar charger on the outside somewhere, the cord is like 8' or 10' long that leads to the light inside the coop. It worked out really well and we're going to get these lights for the other coops instead of running cords. Pretty handy.
Here's some pictures of my Blue Salmon Bantam Faverolles boy, 2 of my Bantam Ameraucanas (I really like this breed) and their coop with the roosts I just put in. The top of their chain link pen is covered so it'll be really nice not to have to clip their wings. I'm worn out though and it's only 4:15 in the afternoon.

I made a decision this year to beat the power company out of several hundred dollars this year and haven't turned on the A/C at all it's not been bad really just on the few days we had that were over 110 degrees and those were still tolerable as long as I have the fans running, I had thought about shade cloths a couple years ago and my neighbor gave me an old trampoline I used the mat from it over a pen and since then I keep an eye out for anyone wanting to get rid of them, they are UV resistant have built in buckles for tying down I have several now and when I can get to it I'm still going to build round pens out of the old frames, It did heat up fast out there and I've been taking frequent breaks but I'm heading back out for more though LOL

 

[Poco Pollo]

Ohhhh Poco I have to wait another 17 days or so for mine!!!!! That's just cruel!!!! lol lol How many did you hatch out?

Hi Kass,

I hatched four, and they are like tractors with wings. They plow each other down, fly in the brooder and knock their heads on the screen top, and pull crickets apart with their bear beaks.

My blue NN pullet started laying this weekend. Her first egg was teeny tiny, and it was WHITE!!!!!!!!! OMP (Oh My Pullet), What in the world is going on with these brown egg layers? Tell Reba that she and her sister need to knock off the white egg business. I was expecting brown, so they'd better start working on a plan to change their output.

Hey, Poco,

I just pop in here from time to time and happened to see these little guys. THEY ARE CUTE!! I've missed all the background information so can you tell me about them and what they are,etc? Thanks.

Hey Junebug,

My babies are Naked Necks from Joe's stock. Do you remember the featherless chicken Joe had? I'm hoping that some of my NN babies carry the scaleless gene. I've got an amazing barred NN rooster, Hazaa II, and I want to have him in with some hens from Joe's stock next spring. Big bodied, egg laying machines with fewer feathers is the goal. Those that aren't producing eggs will be great for the roasting pan or the rotisserie.

 

[Kassaundra]

Poco that's good to know about Reba's sister I thought I might have been going crazy. The black girls lay brown though. Yes the short time I had those little NN babies they were intense, stealing food straight from the mouth of any unfortunate hen that happened to be handy, not just mom. One time she, the little NN, had a bug and one of the others (big hens) tried to steal it, the little nn girl held on for dear life got flung several feet rolling most of the way stood up and had the majority of the bug still in her beak, it was hillarious and I so wished I had the camera on her at the time.

Bill, your feeders look so much more professional then mine, but then I just laid mine down on the ground and put food in them. lol lol

 

[Ksane]

One time she, the little NN, had a bug and one of the others (big hens) tried to steal it, the little nn girl held on for dear life got flung several feet rolling most of the way stood up and had the majority of the bug still in her beak, it was hillarious and I so wished I had the camera on her at the time.

Baby chicks get vicious over bugs! I've seen chicks each grab a wing of the one with the bug and pull as hard as they can. And the chick with the bug still won't let go lol

 

[banjoejoe4783]

Joe - Take a look at these photos and let me know what you think regarding the scaleless gene. All four of the babies have a stripe of smooth skin from head to vent on both sides. You'll see this in the photo of the brownish chick held on its side. I've got two white and two brownish with red on their heads and shoulders. Lighter feathers keep showing up, so they may be some amazingly different color as adults. Have you butchered any of your black-skinned Naked Necks? I'm wondering if the meat is dark. I've heard that Silkie meat is as dark as their skin, and I'm curious to know if these black- (so black they look blue) skinned birds will be like Silkies in that regard.

I took leg pictures of one of the white NNs. The front of each leg has defined scales, but I can't see any scales in a long strip along the outside portion of each leg. BTW, a cricket got into the brooder when I was changing the water today, and by the time I was back with clean water, the cricket was disassembled. The NNs are HUNTERS!!!!

from what i see they look like carryers for scaless gene the white one is for shure a carryer you can clearly see the missing rows of scales congrats they are looking great

 

[banjoejoe4783]

kass your eggs cam from the UofA right ?? did DR bramwell tell you what % of his chicks are hatching scaless ??

 

[Kassaundra]

kass your eggs cam from the UofA right ?? did DR bramwell tell you what % of his chicks are hatching scaless ??

They did come from the UofA, but I didn't speak to Dr B, they were picked up by another bycer that was getting eggs for himself and we met up and he gave me the ones he had picked up for me and another lady. I mailed hers to Maine, but she got flavorelles, houdans and aruacana, I was the only one to get the NN.

 

[Kassaundra]

Joe what % are you getting????? What % did you get from the eggs you hatched directly from the uofa????