Arkansas folks speak up.........

[draye]

When I was a kid growing up on the farm, I tossed a chicken in the farm pond a couple of times, thinking it was fun. They would immediately swim out of the pond and walk out, kind of panicked. When Dad found out what I was doing he was extremely displeased with me. I did not do it again after he “explained” that to me.

Chicken’s feathers have some oil on them but aren’t heavily oiled like ducks and geese, so they can get waterlogged. But chickens have pretty light bones so they can fly without being weighted down so they will float. They cannot launch themselves into flight from the water like a duck but as long as they are not in a swimming pool or something like that with steep sides, they can swim to shore and walk out. They are not going to drown but if the water is cold and they can’t get out they might get hypothermia.

When it is hot, chickens will wade into water to cool off. I often see mine standing in the water bowls in hot weather, it’s a good way for them to cool off. I’ve never seen a chicken voluntarily walk into deep water where it could go for a swim.

Chickens can be trained. A few years back there was another video of a chicken calmly swimming in a swimming pool on this forum. I wondered how long it took them to train that chicken not to panic when they put it in.

I don’t know what happened before they started filming the video you linked. Chickens are living animals. I can certainly imagine a chicken learning to enjoy swimming on its own, but from what I’ve seen it’s against their nature. Still, there are amazing videos all across the internet of animals doing things that are generally against their nature. With living animals and their behaviors you can never say never.

Was that explained in the same way my dad explained to me? He didn't use his voice when he explained something.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yep

 

[DarthRooster]

Who's got eggs to hatch in NWA?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You want EE's?

 

[DarthRooster]

Parents photos?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Parents photos?

I'll try to take some today.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First the egg basket. There are some brown which I do not consider EE.

Then some chicks I hatched about two weekends ago. I got 23 out of 28 eggs that went into the incubator to hatch.

Then a general look at the hens. The mottled ones were hatched two years ago, the red ones last year. They all lay blue/green eggs.

These are the older hens, pure for mottling.

This one was laying an egg so missed the general flock photo.

These two show the rooster. I have three of these red hens total. The three red ones, the rooster, and the one laying were hatched last year from a Buff Rock rooster over mottled hens. The rooster has the pea comb gene so probably has one blue egg gene. All these had mottled mothers so they are split for mottling. Mottling is a recessive gene so you should get some mottled chickens but most won’t show mottling. All the hens lay blue/green eggs but they all are split for that gene. I’d expect many of the pullets to lay blue/green eggs but you will get some brown egg laying pullets.

Since last year’s rooster was a Buff Rock, I’d expect the chicks from this rooster and last year’s hens will be a rainbow of colors. I think you could get some fairly light buff looking ones, some dark red/brown ones, some in between in shade of red, and some with black. Any of these could be mottled. From what I’m seeing of the feathers coming in on those chicks I just hatched, I don’t think any will be solid. They will have some patterns.

If you are interested PM me so we can discuss.

 

[draye]

First the egg basket. There are some brown which I do not consider EE.

Then some chicks I hatched about two weekends ago. I got 23 out of 28 eggs that went into the incubator to hatch.

Then a general look at the hens. The mottled ones were hatched two years ago, the red ones last year. They all lay blue/green eggs.

These are the older hens, pure for mottling.

This one was laying an egg so missed the general flock photo.

These two show the rooster. I have three of these red hens total. The three red ones, the rooster, and the one laying were hatched last year from a Buff Rock rooster over mottled hens. The rooster has the pea comb gene so probably has one blue egg gene. All these had mottled mothers so they are split for mottling. Mottling is a recessive gene so you should get some mottled chickens but most won’t show mottling. All the hens lay blue/green eggs but they all are split for that gene. I’d expect many of the pullets to lay blue/green eggs but you will get some brown egg laying pullets.

Since last year’s rooster was a Buff Rock, I’d expect the chicks from this rooster and last year’s hens will be a rainbow of colors. I think you could get some fairly light buff looking ones, some dark red/brown ones, some in between in shade of red, and some with black. Any of these could be mottled. From what I’m seeing of the feathers coming in on those chicks I just hatched, I don’t think any will be solid. They will have some patterns.

If you are interested PM me so we can discuss.

I'm liking the looks of the Red/buff pullet/hens. That rooster is a beaut.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here is a little bit older photo of the rooster and one of those pullets. You can see green leaves on that tree so you know it's been a while since I took it.

I do not have a way of knowing which hen laid which egg.

 

[draye]

Here is a little bit older photo of the rooster and one of those pullets. You can see green leaves on that tree so you know it's been a while since I took it.

I do not have a way of knowing which hen laid which egg.

So these two bred together should produce approximately 25% mottled babies?

Maybe I need to send my nephew by to get me done if those eggs to hatch. He lives at Boston Mountain ( I can't remember the actual name if the town) but he works fir the city of Fayetteville. How close is that?