Rusty Bucket Farm

[CoopBoots]

Adding some photos and updates on the rest of the flock...

Peaches' wounds seem to be healing; spoilers for wound imagery:

She remains feisty and completely resistant to treatment, and I think I've been able to keep the flies away. So far, so good. She'll join my special needs pen once she's healed up really well for look but no touch integration.

Rusty's baby girl, peering from behind Peppa (her hatchmother):

Have you ever seen such a fluffy, dumpy looking baby?! There's so much floof! I'm calling her Duster.

Your fingers just sink in... I love the barring but so far all of Rusty's girls outgrow it.

The crazy 8 boys, consistently stealing the spotlight. Chad (he's so pompous and confident and I'm going to be very sorry if I have to eat him):

Kloud (a less boisterous, reserved little man since daddy taught him his place, but I caught him mating poor Helen and he doesn't even CROW yet!!!!):

Popeye, who seems to be developing a bit of a rounded back and irregular wing posture?

That rise in his back is the actual shape of his spine, if I'm any judge. It is quite hard. He was never destined to be a breeder or guardian but I do wonder if I have his mother right. He's the first irregular chick I've hatched and if I get more I might have to consider either Daisy or Yorvir as carrying something undesirable. These are his first definite babies, or should be, and probably Daisy's first as well. 1/8 isn't terrible but if I see more of this I'll have to take it into consideration. Inbreeding should not be an issue as Yorvir is a crossbred from the neighboring farm.

What, I'm perfect! ~Yorvir

Chicken Jane is getting quite interested in the selfie cam:

Noodle can't look straight enough to really take advantage of it. This is her typical angle on the world:

She will claw at my boots for scritches or a lift into the coop (which she manage herself, but I'm afraid we've made a bit of a princess out of her). She also just likes to preen herself in your company. I wish I could get better photos because I find her quite irresistible

Anyway, I'm just killing time until I can check for more babies tomorrow. Argh. I need a distraction!!!

 

[CoopBoots]

7/4 Updates:

There's at least three, egg 4 has probably opened since I took these maybe 30 min ago.

Rusty and Salty (both front) are parents!

Can't believe I accidentally had a July 4th hatch date!!!

 

[CoopBoots]

Three 4th babies is all we get this time. I'm grateful but it was a sad loss of the last egg, who never completed its hatch. Fly high, little one.

Here are the living babies to put a smile on our faces!

A ginger who was sleeping in my hand yesterday and now is Houdini incarnate... little trace of a broken line or darker headstreak down the middle of its head, but I don't see any chipmunk in it otherwise:

Here's two shots of yellow + white:

And here's my mysterious white with purplish beak?!

One of both blondes to compare coloration:

If I had to guess, I'd say Rusty and Salty's is the pure white, but the difference in beak color has surprised me!

 

[fuzzi]

Three 4th babies is all we get this time. I'm grateful but it was a sad loss of the last egg, who never completed its hatch. Fly high, little one.

Here are the living babies to put a smile on our faces!
View attachment 3882341
A ginger who was sleeping in my hand yesterday and now is Houdini incarnate... little trace of a broken line or darker headstreak down the middle of its head, but I don't see any chipmunk in it otherwise:
View attachment 3882342
Here's two shots of yellow + white:
View attachment 3882343
View attachment 3882344
And here's my mysterious white with purplish beak?!
View attachment 3882345
One of both blondes to compare coloration:
View attachment 3882346

If I had to guess, I'd say Rusty and Salty's is the pure white, but the difference in beak color has surprised me!

Adorable, of course.

 

[lightm]

7/4 Updates:
View attachment 3881417
There's at least three, egg 4 has probably opened since I took these maybe 30 min ago.

Rusty and Salty (both front) are parents!
View attachment 3881434
Can't believe I accidentally had a July 4th hatch date!!!

Congrast to rusty and salty! The chicks can have patriotic names like Liberty

 

[CoopBoots]

7/23 Updates:

Guess who is broody again:

Yes, Peppa insists on a second go. As she's my ONLY backup broody, I've given her 4 eggs from the bonus flock as Grumpy has been allowed to run that flock for about three weeks. We'll have to guess whether or not the babies belong to him or Robin. Today is day 0. If she has a second bad run, I think I'll give up on her mothering instincts and hope for another volunteer in future.

Here's one of the crazy 8 boys; probably the last update before freezer camp:

Here's Dora, from the same batch:

Her sister Delilah (green band, not pictured) is blooming in the comb. I have no idea how soon to expect eggs but they are just lovely little pullets. Daphne (purple band, not pictured either) is the most like her mother Daisy in my opinion, and therefore my favorite. May one at least be a brilliant broody!

Speaking of my queen, Daisy:

Third baby (white, and likely Rusty's progeny) only has legs visible here. Mama is doing her usual stand-up job; the babies are fully integrated and I haven't seen ANY disrespect from hen, rooster, pullet, or cock towards them. The pullets are very curious; maybe a little too curious, and I've seen them punished for their interest. Possibly Daisy reads it as aggression and understands it must be dealt with. Either way, I trust her methods.

As for the babies, I really think these two are boys! X(

Ginger-with-spangles has early and dark wattle lines and I unfortunately feel confident in my assessment. White and buff is a boy because of the buff shoulder patches and his bi-color pattern overall, which I never see (so far) in ANY girls. Sigh. No pictures to check the white baby. I have no guess either way but it is quite a slow featherer compared to its hatchmates. This also points to a genetic difference and makes it even more likely that it belongs to Rusty instead of Robin (Niederrheiner + Orpington/Leghorn hen instead of Orpington/Leghorn + Rock or Sexlink hen).

Rusty's confirmed pullet, Duster:

Her hatchmother Peppa left her early, and every single hen in my special needs group has taken her under their wing. She seeks out Noodle to preen and relax and forages/eats happily side by side with Helen (pictured here) and Chicken Jane. I'm so pleased with their welcoming nature, and I hope it bodes well for Peaches who is still in look but no touch with this group:

Peaches was a single pullet with 5? brothers and is a neurotic, cantankerous, antisocial, rooster-hating biddy. It will test even the good nature of my special needs group to get along with her in any way, but she's worked so hard to heal her wounds that I want her to have another shot. No boys allowed in this group for the most part, so she ought to settle a little. It will all come down to whether she treats Noodle right. I don't tolerate any bullying of Noodle for any reason.

Noodle is ALSO in look but no touch because of Daisy's crazy 8 cockerels who know an easy mark when they see it. This weekend, their time is up. We won't have total peace in the flock until they have been dealt with.

 

[fuzzi]

7/23 Updates:

Guess who is broody again:
View attachment 3899347
Yes, Peppa insists on a second go. As she's my ONLY backup broody, I've given her 4 eggs from the bonus flock as Grumpy has been allowed to run that flock for about three weeks. We'll have to guess whether or not the babies belong to him or Robin. Today is day 0. If she has a second bad run, I think I'll give up on her mothering instincts and hope for another volunteer in future.

Here's one of the crazy 8 boys; probably the last update before freezer camp:
View attachment 3899360
View attachment 3899361
Here's Dora, from the same batch:
View attachment 3899363
Her sister Delilah (green band, not pictured) is blooming in the comb. I have no idea how soon to expect eggs but they are just lovely little pullets. Daphne (purple band, not pictured either) is the most like her mother Daisy in my opinion, and therefore my favorite. May one at least be a brilliant broody!

Speaking of my queen, Daisy:
View attachment 3899371
Third baby (white, and likely Rusty's progeny) only has legs visible here. Mama is doing her usual stand-up job; the babies are fully integrated and I haven't seen ANY disrespect from hen, rooster, pullet, or cock towards them. The pullets are very curious; maybe a little too curious, and I've seen them punished for their interest. Possibly Daisy reads it as aggression and understands it must be dealt with. Either way, I trust her methods.

As for the babies, I really think these two are boys! X(
View attachment 3899373
Ginger-with-spangles has early and dark wattle lines and I unfortunately feel confident in my assessment. White and buff is a boy because of the buff shoulder patches and his bi-color pattern overall, which I never see (so far) in ANY girls. Sigh. No pictures to check the white baby. I have no guess either way but it is quite a slow featherer compared to its hatchmates. This also points to a genetic difference and makes it even more likely that it belongs to Rusty instead of Robin (Niederrheiner + Orpington/Leghorn hen instead of Orpington/Leghorn + Rock or Sexlink hen).

Rusty's confirmed pullet, Duster:
View attachment 3899377
Her hatchmother Peppa left her early, and every single hen in my special needs group has taken her under their wing. She seeks out Noodle to preen and relax and forages/eats happily side by side with Helen (pictured here) and Chicken Jane. I'm so pleased with their welcoming nature, and I hope it bodes well for Peaches who is still in look but no touch with this group:
View attachment 3899379
Peaches was a single pullet with 5? brothers and is a neurotic, cantankerous, antisocial, rooster-hating biddy. It will test even the good nature of my special needs group to get along with her in any way, but she's worked so hard to heal her wounds that I want her to have another shot. No boys allowed in this group for the most part, so she ought to settle a little. It will all come down to whether she treats Noodle right. I don't tolerate any bullying of Noodle for any reason.
View attachment 3899380
Noodle is ALSO in look but no touch because of Daisy's crazy 8 cockerels who know an easy mark when they see it. This weekend, their time is up. We won't have total peace in the flock until they have been dealt with.

It's amazing how much quieter it gets in the run once the number of males is decreased.

I saw the rehoming difference with my original straight run that was 7:3 (boys:girls) last year, my 5 (all boys!) from April, and now my 3:3 hatch from May (removed 2).

Right now it's 7 hens and 5 juvies (2 boys, 3 girls). A 10:2 flock should work out well I think. I had a 7:2 flock for most of last year with few issues.

 

[CoopBoots]

It's amazing how much quieter it gets in the run once the number of males is decreased.

I saw the rehoming difference with my original straight run that was 7:3 (boys:girls) last year, my 5 (all boys!) from April, and now my 3:3 hatch from May (removed 2).

Right now it's 7 hens and 5 juvies (2 boys, 3 girls). A 10:2 flock should work out well I think. I had a 7:2 flock for most of last year with few issues.
View attachment 3899507

Your group is so lovely; I often rethink my impulsiveness in cross-breeding so much when I see how pretty and uniform a flock like yours is! Are you planning on showing any? I bet it is a lot easier to sell purebred, plus you have so many determined broodies to hatch for you. That's the main thing I'm trying to solve for right now. At least 40 hens and ONLY two broodies out of the lot... That's it! And I realize I don't need 40, but my neighbor is always telling me how a fox or raccoon has been murdering her birds and I go into panic-mode and figure I need a population buffer lol. I really struggle with chicken math...

 

[fuzzi]

Your group is so lovely; I often rethink my impulsiveness in cross-breeding so much when I see how pretty and uniform a flock like yours is! Are you planning on showing any? I bet it is a lot easier to sell purebred, plus you have so many determined broodies to hatch for you. That's the main thing I'm trying to solve for right now. At least 40 hens and ONLY two broodies out of the lot... That's it! And I realize I don't need 40, but my neighbor is always telling me how a fox or raccoon has been murdering her birds and I go into panic-mode and figure I need a population buffer lol. I really struggle with chicken math...

Thank you.

I bought the Sussex from a local breeder, not realizing that they were a rare breed in bantams...SO I decided to do the best I could to help improve the breed. I rehomed four cockerels with yellow shanks (fault) and hatched eggs from another flock. I'll keep and breed the best.

They're not show quality, but I am going try anyway.

Samuel:

Standard prize winner:

Samuel was only 11 months in that photo, best looking of the bunch. Too bad he turned out to be a .

Maybe his son Zack will do better (3 months):

 

[CoopBoots]

I might have slipped one more egg under Peppa today. Rusty's group had the MOST perfect dark brown egg (my Buff Orpingtons all lay cream; nothing like the brown one sees in the store) and I'm almost positive his daughter lays that one. I'd get a 3/4 Niederrheiner if it hatches and grows out well, although that is as much back-breeding as I'm comfortable trying.

Haven't told my husband yet! Gotta move my extra roosters STAT. Busy weekend for sure...