Oops!

Just when I thought I had the babies figured out I failed not only the gender quiz, but the breed quiz too! I had thought from the beginning that Hazel was one of the Wyandottes based on his coloration as a chick, but as he grew, he looked less and less like Dandelion and what I thought a Wyandotte should look like. When it became clear he was developing a single comb I thought it was just a result of some cross to a single-combed breed in his background, but I was troubled because that meant I couldn’t sell him as a Wyandotte.

The day after I noticed this, I was idly gazing at Acorn (a dark-colored, shy bird that I usually see from a distance under cover) as she spread her wing and I thought “Wow, she’s a BLR Wyandotte,” and it all became clear.

This means that Hazel is actually a Barnevelder, and now that I know and he has matured a little more, he’s looking quite handsome with a lot of lustrous black plumage.

This also means that Bucky is a Barnevelder pullet--obviously female next to Hazel.

Also, if Acorn with her dark charcoal lacing is blue-laced, that means that Dandelion with his light lavender-colored lacing is a splash-laced. I found all this out in the nick of time as he was to be sold a few days hence. I emailed the buyer and sent pics and luckily he was still interested in Dandelion. He also offered to buy Acorn and I let her go with the promise of being able to buy future hatching eggs from him.

So back to the gender quiz--both lavenders are now looking similar to each other and now I think they are girls.

Holly, the Sussex is still looking like a boy to me, but at this point I wouldn’t swear to it!

Meanwhile, about a week after I set Flicka on her eggs in the new A-frame deluxe broody suite, Zen went broody again (after breaking the first time). I gave in and put her next to Flicka and gave her two of Flicka’s eggs so they’d both hatch out on the same day. My friend Nancy set a bunch of Sussex-cross eggs earlier this summer and all her chicks look like Sussexes, so I expected to see mottled brown babies.

Mine hatched two days ago--one black chick, Marie (offspring of Zen I think based on the head markings).....

.....and one beautiful buff stripey chick, Elizabeth, clearly of Orpington descent, both probably doomed to roosterhood now that they’ve been given feminine names!

So far Flicka and Zen seem to be sharing nicely, but I will keep my eye on them over the next couple of days.

I was thinking we might be at the end of the broodiness, but now Clucky is trying again. I was going to try to break her, but then was offered a dozen hatching eggs (of undisclosed but brown egg-laying breeds) from someone up the road who made a special effort to collect them. I might set 4 or so if I can integrate Clucky into the broody suite with the new moms without strife. I keep hearing about “chicken math” where people keep acquiring chickens as they get interested in different breeds, but my own hens are bent on reproduction. I have enough chickens!