juliepoudrier Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Sheena, Older hens can be good for things like chicken soup too! Let me know how it goes with your Marans. And Ameraucans/Araucans are difficult to sex even when they get a little age on them, so beware when you buy. Kelly and I bought a few from one woman and of the three supposed pullets I got, two turned out the be cockerels. Kelly had the same percentage. I also got some Araucana bantams and it was the same thing--meant to be pullets, turned out to be cockerels. So this is one case where I think I'd buy sexed chicks vs. buying slightly older birds (unless the seller will guarantee replacement if they've sold you the wrong gender). J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted May 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Cockadoodledooo!!!!!! He's a boy LOL Crowed this morning ;-) Freaked the dogs out ;-) It's not a bad crow though, kind of a pretty voice, and not nearly as loud as the mourning doves :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 We had one Maran, and she never layed (laid?) many eggs. She got mauled by something, during the day, no less, and we had to do her in. We do have Welsummers, though, and they lay gorgeous eggs! Not coppery dark like the Marans, but really dark, choclatey brown. We have one whose eggs have darker speckles. I like the Welsummers a lot. They're mellow birds, excellent foragers, and our half-Welsummer hens have proven to be excellent layers. (Our Aracauna x Wel lays a cool, speckled olive green egg. She's also a good broody & mother). Our current rooster is half Welsummer- he looks like a barred Welsummer rooster. I'm hoping he has the dark egg gene Sheena, those old hens will make great stew, enchiladas, etc. The dogs get the feet, heads (which is GROSS, but they love them), and various organs. Oh, and the wings. If we're not butchering them with the young meat birds when I have the plucker rented, we just skin our old hens. We chop off their wings and just peel the skin off. Way easier than hand plucking. Betty, young roos usually start off sounding like teenagers whose voice is changing Then they get their grown-up crow... Although, our old rooster just busted out crowing one day, loud and proud. Hope your roo doesn't turn mean! But even mean roos taste good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Sexing standard chicks is not a 100 percent thing, even at the best hatchery, so even if the feed store ordered pullets, they will get the odd rooster in the bunch. The farm where I worked last summer ordered 350 pullets and we ended up with 14 roosters for the stew pot. Nothing better than rooster noodle soup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Cockadoodledooo!!!!!! He's a boy LOL Crowed this morning ;-) Freaked the dogs out ;-) It's not a bad crow though, kind of a pretty voice, and not nearly as loud as the mourning doves :-) You know, it's amazing how some things work out - you got a bird that is going to be a beautiful fixture in your photos AND possibly mildly annoy the nasty neighbors....I call that poetic justice . Looking forward to the photographs.... Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toney Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Over the years, reluctantly, (VERY reluctantly) I have become the 4-H and FFA chicken show director. Therefore I have to classify all sorts of birds for fairs, livestock shows, etc. It looks like you have a Modern Game rooster. The Modern Games have that upright stature- and resemble the Asian/Indian fighting birds like the Aseel. The good thing is most Modern Games are raised for showing, and through the years have become gentle and easy going, unlike their "fight for a living" cousins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted May 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 LOL Liz, funny how things work out eh? ;-) Bill, I sure understand the difficulty in sexing chicks, has to be tough, but not only did I get the wrong sex, I got the wrong breed as well! But no biggie...I'll just go get a couple more hens. I hope this guy is tame/docile , I was reading where they get to be 3 ft. tall WTH????? They say they don't show them often, due to their height, and that they don't fit into the show pens! 3ft. tall! that's ridin' chicken! or at the very least a drivin' chicken LOL Think I could train him to pull a cart ;-) hee heee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toney Posted May 8, 2011 Report Share Posted May 8, 2011 Haven't seen many standard Modern Games- they do get very tall. Bantam Modern Games are a popular choice to show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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