Discuss all aspects of raising poultry. No topic is too small
Gold Top, Or Silkie X Gold Top?
People; I am Blown Away!!! I'm sat here with my mind reeling. But, I'll try to keep it reasonable:
I've just discovered the Mother Lode of eggs!!! I have a LS, a GT and my Silkie roo. I've also been sick, for two months. Auto pilot. Lock 'em up. Let 'em out. Feed and water. Barely even looking at them.
Good god! Come to think of it? I've never 'counted heads', in their box at night, either! I'd maybe spot the roo going in and *Assumed* they were all in there.
Anyway, ye probably well ahead of me here. Just found the LS, under some brambles. And glimpsed what looked like an Insane mass of eggs! May be the shock. I only got a retinal snap shot. But, yeah ...!
He's always *Preferred* the LS. But, I have a poult out of each, out there. ** How may I tell what's what, if this lot hatch, please??? ** My 100% GT poult and S x GT poult are murder to tell apart, even at half grown.
Will it matter??? Only difference I can see it that I can offer pure GT's for sale. Any SxGT 'mongrels' ....?
Wow! LOL! Never saw That one coming! :D
Ratcatcher
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 Half the crosses will have silkie feathering so it should be easy to spot them. Some of the other crosses will have different colouring from the standard goldtop. Can't you tell from the size of the eggs? I normally find the sussex eggs would be a little bigger. If you can keep them over winter, both will be in demand next year when they go broody. To be honest it will be getting late in the year to sell any chicks, most people are getting short of space now. Hope you're feeling better.
Glyn
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 Feeling Much better now, thanks, Glyn. What doesn't kill me makes me craftier at avoiding it, next time! LOL! Back to scheming and dreaming more crack pot ideas!
Now; Between me getting my head together, since I posted. And the whole Load of fresh data ye own reply has added ... Errr!
See, I went back out there for another peek. Counted a Dozen, and gave up. Ran out of fingers.
But, then? I wondered what to do next. My options have just this minute been drastically reduced: She's in the coop! I'd also observed that she hadn't been near those eggs since. Maybe I'd happened upon her laying todays one to the collection?
Bottom line? I have a dozen + eggs, under a bramble clump. And no one's brooding them. And you just indicated that the time for broodiness is finished for the year. Bummer :(
There go any ideas of a load of little chicks. No point putting their plastic nest box back in their coop. *Sigh* I guess then, the procedure now is to remove all those eggs. Then, what? Keep an eye out for new ones?
Just accept that at least one of them is laying again. But, the roo probably isn't working them. And any more should just be seen as eating eggs. (I'll give that other lot to the crows and foxes, out on the track)
And, that's pretty much it, for this year then, yeah? I'll study the size and colour of these eggs. I'll also really have to get shots of these two poults. Try to fix on the differences to look out for.
Gotta say; It's been a riot! :D Kicked off in September. Spent heavenly sums on it.Been one of the sharpest learning experiences Ever! Main thing I've learned being that I don't know jack about what I'm doing and I'll probably never live long enough to learn a fraction more.
But, yeah. Absolutely. I honestly don't think my life, and head, has Ever been so full as since I got these chickens! Loving it! :D
Ratcatcher
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 Yes, probably best to give up for this year, you don't want them in bad weather when they are too young, unless you have indoor housing for them.
I would normally stick a bucket, bin or something where they are laying to discourage them from laying there and keep them in the coop untill they have laid each day if you can.
My plan for next year would be, wait until goldtop goes broody (she will probably go first) then save the eggs laid, as you know they are from the ls and put them under her.
I've been keeping hens for over 50 yrs and still feel like I know Jack sometimes, but wouldn't be without them.
Glyn
Thursday, July 20th, 2023
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Gold Top, Or Silkie X Gold Top?
People; I am Blown Away!!! I'm sat here with my mind reeling. But, I'll try to keep it reasonable:
I've just discovered the Mother Lode of eggs!!! I have a LS, a GT and my Silkie roo. I've also been sick, for two months. Auto pilot. Lock 'em up. Let 'em out. Feed and water. Barely even looking at them.
Good god! Come to think of it? I've never 'counted heads', in their box at night, either! I'd maybe spot the roo going in and *Assumed* they were all in there.
Anyway, ye probably well ahead of me here. Just found the LS, under some brambles. And glimpsed what looked like an Insane mass of eggs! May be the shock. I only got a retinal snap shot. But, yeah ...!
He's always *Preferred* the LS. But, I have a poult out of each, out there. ** How may I tell what's what, if this lot hatch, please??? ** My 100% GT poult and S x GT poult are murder to tell apart, even at half grown.
Will it matter??? Only difference I can see it that I can offer pure GT's for sale. Any SxGT 'mongrels' ....?
Wow! LOL! Never saw That one coming! :D
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023
Half the crosses will have silkie feathering so it should be easy to spot them. Some of the other crosses will have different colouring from the standard goldtop. Can't you tell from the size of the eggs? I normally find the sussex eggs would be a little bigger. If you can keep them over winter, both will be in demand next year when they go broody. To be honest it will be getting late in the year to sell any chicks, most people are getting short of space now. Hope you're feeling better.
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023
Feeling Much better now, thanks, Glyn. What doesn't kill me makes me craftier at avoiding it, next time! LOL! Back to scheming and dreaming more crack pot ideas!
Now; Between me getting my head together, since I posted. And the whole Load of fresh data ye own reply has added ... Errr!
See, I went back out there for another peek. Counted a Dozen, and gave up. Ran out of fingers.
But, then? I wondered what to do next. My options have just this minute been drastically reduced: She's in the coop! I'd also observed that she hadn't been near those eggs since. Maybe I'd happened upon her laying todays one to the collection?
Bottom line? I have a dozen + eggs, under a bramble clump. And no one's brooding them. And you just indicated that the time for broodiness is finished for the year. Bummer :(
There go any ideas of a load of little chicks. No point putting their plastic nest box back in their coop. *Sigh* I guess then, the procedure now is to remove all those eggs. Then, what? Keep an eye out for new ones?
Just accept that at least one of them is laying again. But, the roo probably isn't working them. And any more should just be seen as eating eggs. (I'll give that other lot to the crows and foxes, out on the track)
And, that's pretty much it, for this year then, yeah? I'll study the size and colour of these eggs. I'll also really have to get shots of these two poults. Try to fix on the differences to look out for.
Gotta say; It's been a riot! :D Kicked off in September. Spent heavenly sums on it.Been one of the sharpest learning experiences Ever! Main thing I've learned being that I don't know jack about what I'm doing and I'll probably never live long enough to learn a fraction more.
But, yeah. Absolutely. I honestly don't think my life, and head, has Ever been so full as since I got these chickens! Loving it! :D
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023
Yes, probably best to give up for this year, you don't want them in bad weather when they are too young, unless you have indoor housing for them.
I would normally stick a bucket, bin or something where they are laying to discourage them from laying there and keep them in the coop untill they have laid each day if you can.
My plan for next year would be, wait until goldtop goes broody (she will probably go first) then save the eggs laid, as you know they are from the ls and put them under her.
I've been keeping hens for over 50 yrs and still feel like I know Jack sometimes, but wouldn't be without them.
Thursday, July 20th, 2023