Just My Luck....

Here is the chick update.

I got 4 chicks that were "guaranteed" by the breeder to be pullets at the beginning of March.

A library friend, Mr O'Malley even gave me holy oil from St Josephs church in Montreal so I could anoint them in hopes they would stay pullets.  (female animals here tend to turn into males. Read all about the duck diaries starting March 2012)

I sprinkled all 4 with holy oil and then one of the black pullets turned into a rooster very quickly.

This very rare Blue French Copper Maran started trying to crow when he was just 3 weeks old.

The chicks were still in the brooder in my bathroom, when he started practicing his crowing at 5:30 am.

There was no mistaking that sound.

 

His black feathers started turning a smokey blue, feather by feather.

Incredible to watch.

A beautiful light blue.

The Blue Laced Red Wyandotte is staying a pullet, so far.

 However, I do not know what this chick is. I am grateful this chick has also remained a pullet.

She was suppose to also be a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte (BLRW) But she does not look like one.

 

Her feathers are a different color.

Also very beautiful, but I do not think she is a BLRW.

Got any ideas?

I am keeping her.

Will probably name her Mystery.

 

The chicks have been spending the days out in the Chicken Winnebago. Its 12 feet long and in the spring sunshine.  I have a tree limb and lots of hay and straw inside. they scratch for the food and fly around.

Sometimes the hens come to visit them. it is a perfect way to raise young chicks.  At night I put them in a wire dog crate in the coop.  They have their own roost and space, protected from the obnoxious, hormonal ducks.

Last weekend I put an ad on craigslist for the rooster. 

In an hour I had several responses.

The next day I saw the 2 black chicks fighting with each other and surmised I might have 2 roosters!
How can this be ?

Even though the other rooster hadn't developed a larger comb yet, he has the longer tail feathers of a male.  Will have to "wait and see" if the comb grows and he starts crowing. It should be soon, since they all hatched on the same day.

A nice family from my town came and picked up Rooster #1 on Sunday.

They have 30 guinea hens and a dozen hens. They want to breed and raise hens that will lay a darker brown egg and this rooster is part of their breeding plan.

I get visiting rights.

And ironically, I have been driving by their farm for several years and admiring their Irish Dexter cattle and soon I will be getting a tour and meeting their cows up close and personal!

Talk about LUCK!

I am thrilled that this rooster will avoid the stew pot and be a noble rooster on a nearby farm.

Of course I had to ask if they would be interested in being part of the Tour D'Coop that we are planning for our 250th celebration.   Since they have a very unusual kind of chicken coop, they happily agreed to be included in the big event.  (stay tuned for photos of that tour this summer)

Now I need to do TWO things:

Get ready to find a home for Blue Maran  #2 "if" it turns into a rooster (still praying its a pullet).

 and get some more real pullets!!

Here are photos of what the chicks looked like the day I picked them up.  Click here.
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