Altsteirer

[rossfam06]

I just got 5 of these little beauties. They are almost 5 weeks old. I love the little crest on their cute heads! Does anyone know when they start laying? I saw an article that they lay as early as 15 weeks? Of course now I can't find the article again.....

My alts are almost 6 months old! They are getting more and more red on their combs and wattles...eggs should be here soon. The cockerel hasn't started crowing or showing any breeding behavior but is maturing into a very pretty little boy. I cannot wait for my breeding venture to start with these cute little things!

Mine did not Tart laying until closer to 30 weeks. I have one that's about 34 weeks and still not laying!!! Hahahahah!! $

 

[henpoophappens]

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I received 3 Altsteirer chicks in my "Mystery box of 20 chicks". Does anyone know how to tell the sex at this age?

 

[cutipatooti]

Wait until chest feathers start to come in.

 

[brickabracker]

I'd love to hear more about this breed. Are they quiet/friendly? Thank you!

 

[henpoophappens]

What does the chest feathers look like?

 

[rossfam06]

This is what mine girl looks like. Don't mind her blinders. Lol!

 

[Sylvester017]

This is what mine girl looks like. Don't mind her blinders. Lol!

May I ask what her blinders are for? How old is your pretty girl?

 

[rossfam06]

May I ask what her blinders are for?  How old is your pretty girl?

The blinders are for pecking. She likes to beat up on my bantam hen. But she's not alone. All the big girls have them because they all like to do it. Lol!!! So a week with these on should hopefully help her out.

She is a year and 3 months.

 

[Sylvester017]

The blinders are for pecking. She likes to beat up on my bantam hen. But she's not alone. All the big girls have them because they all like to do it. Lol!!! So a week with these on should hopefully help her out.

She is a year and 3 months.

The bantams do seem to get the short end of the stick in pecking order politics. I've cycled through a lot of breeds to find compatible hens around my 2 Silkies. I was advised not to mix bantams with LF breeds and I learned the hard way. I won't get dual purpose or layer hens any more as they tend to be more combative and bullies toward the littles. I've narrowed it down to Breda hens (around 4 lbs) and pure APA Ameraucanas (around 5.5 lbs) as the only LFs that played nice with our Silkies. Of course the Ameraucanas (not EE) give pretty blue eggs although not our best layer but the Bredas lay a medium white egg and turned out a laying dynamo so we felt a little better about having to re-home all the heavy, dual purpose, or production breeds. I considered Peepers for our large hens to keep them from pecking but I read some reviews where the customers said their hens eventually learned how to maneuver around wearing the Peepers and still could feather-pick so I made the sad decision not to deal with the bullies and just re-homed them. I cycled through 14 chickens to get down to our compatible 4 hens we have now. It's been a challenge for us.

This is how one of our 2-lb Partridge Silkies got cannibalized by a 7-lb bully Marans in the coop at night before we realized the Silkie wasn't molting! The poor little dear even had her outer feathers pulled out! I can't imagine how painful it must've been for the little thing!


This is the same little Silkie (middle) before she lost all her fluffy crest, body feathers, AND comb to the bully Marans! The White Leghorn was nice to the Silkies for about 3 yrs but then she went bonkers on her flockmates and we had to re-home her too. I only get calmer small breeds now in lieu of popular LF layers.


In an evenly matched LF mixed flock I think an Alsteirer could hold her own in a group of dual purpose breeds. They look like a sturdy no-nonsense hen. I would love to have a group of dual purpose but DH loves his Silkies so I build the flock with compatibility in mind around the gentle littles.

 

[rossfam06]

My littlefrizzle is one tough cookie. She is ranked 3rd or 4th out of 7. I just want to make sure everyone get along and no one is overly aggressive. Since I put those peepers on its been great. Her head feathers are almost back!!!