Planting notes, 7 Aug

So, hubby took my camera out the other evening while I was milking and grumping about getting hardly any pics in focus, and he took a bunch of pictures of all the goats (from all angles, as well).  I did try to pull those pics off the digicam, but apparently the computer and cam are not talking to each other today.  So, you'll get a text update.

First, our chicken thief returned last night.  This time it got a Silkie hen who was setting a nest, and almost everything in the nest as well.  I discovered it quite early this morning, when I heard a chick cheeping LOUDLY.  Along with the missing hen, I also found a dead hen - the last black one.  She has no marks on her, so either internal injuries or she literally died of fright.  I am guessing the wet smell of chicks hatching is what attracted it.  We still don't know what is preying on our chickens, but we did learn what the problem was the other evening: the pulser in the fence charger died.  Tomorrow afternoon, the big brown truck will bring us not only a new pulser, but new poultry netting as well - this one 48 inches tall.  Let's see if it can get over that.  Of course, if it does then we are dealing with something not only big enough to carry Feyd off the other night, but something that can climb the trees well enough to bypass the fence ... the only thing I can think of that could do that would be a Florida panther.  (Yes, they are real.)  Recap: good news/bad news first thing this morning.  One hen missing, one hen dead, one new (really loud) chick.

I managed to accomplish the task I wanted to do today a little after lunch: spreading forage and clover seed in the goat pasture.  The goats followed me around as I tossed the seed, trying to figure out if I had treats, then getting annoyed that they couldn't find the grain seeds.  I tried to tell them, "Curiosity killed the cat, ya know," but the look I got basically said, "What does our crazy little cousin have to do with this?"

Talking to Lynn afterwards, I asked if she starts any seeds this early.  She not only said yes, but she meant to tell me the other day that August and September were the months to start tomatoes and peppers as well as herbs.  So, I plan to start some seed trays tomorrow - parsley first as it takes just-about-forever to sprout.  One of the herb gardening books poetically puts it, "Parsley must go to the Devil and back seven times before it will sprout."  It may sound silly, but it sticks in my memory.  Speaking of memory, I read rosemary is good for memory, and students in ancient Greece used to wear crowns of rosemary for tests.  Again, odd visual ... and it stays in my memory.  My rosemary is still alive, but still not yet big enough to start harvesting.

In case anyone is wondering, I am also trying to learn a bit of basic herbalism to go with the culinary uses.  I'll have to get a picture of all my herb books: growing/gardening, medicinal uses, and of course magical properties as well.  Those of y'all who don't believe in magic can just think of it as learning the old folklore associated with herbs.  If y'all want to take it a step further, plant herbs when the moon is in Libra (by the astrological chart, not astronomical one).  Same with pasture and field grains and grasses.  If it takes magic (or folklore, if you prefer) to overcome my black thumb, then magic it shall be.

Crazy critter week

Very, very busy week with the critters here, starting on Monday with first baby Silkie chicks that had to come out into the brooder tub because the two black dragons were so deep into nest setting mode they pecked at anything moving too close to their nest ... including the newly hatched chicks.  Then Monday afternoon, hubby called to me to come outside and identify something ... "Baby bunnies!"  Except only one of the three was still alive.  I hadn't put the nest box in because Brooke gave no hint of impending labor or delivery.

We've had some heavy downpours this week (though no flooding, thankfully) and the first really heavy wall-of-water rain flooded the brooder tub.  Hubby just happened to hear baby chicks cheeping, and went out and saved three of the four in the tub, which he moved into his workshop until last night.

The squirmy little bunny kit started off a bit chilled, then I held Brooke on her back, cradled in my arm like a babe, so the kit could nurse.  The kit kept going from teat to teat, and I could hear it sucking vigorously, but it would take 20-30 minutes before I could see the milk belly.  Brooke wasn't making much milk.  We also caught her using the nest box as a litterbox, so I pulled the nest box out and set it in the brooder tub so baby bunny would stay warm and dry.  When I got home Thursday afternoon from Tractor Supply to pick up some feed and kitten bottles, the kit was lethargic, barely responsive, and looked emaciated ... so I called up Lynn, who used to breed and raise a LOT of meat rabbits.  She told me Brooke sounded like the textbook problem "newbie" mother, and that she usually figured her first timers would have small litters and then lose them all through clumsiness or benign neglect.  I found the kit cold, stiff, and dead the next morning.  Lynn says I can breed Brooke back two weeks after the kits were born, and she ought to do better with the next litter.  If she doesn't, Lynn recommends "into the frying pan with her!"

I sold Harry Houdini and Cocoa to my friends Caroline and Frank yesterday, then today I drove to the other side of Gainesville (good grief, there are a lot of goat people on that side of Gainesville!) to pick a new Nigerian Dwarf doe/nanny, who is registered and looks to be a great compliment to Brownie if I feel inclined to sell registered kids.  The option is there.  Here she is, Honey Road FRP Tangie, or just Tangie for short.

Honey Road FRP Tangie, Nigerian Dwarf doe

Ain't she purty?  She's technically oversized, as in too tall and would be disqualified from the show ring, but I didn't buy her to show.  While she hasn't been milked this year, the lady said she did milk her last year and Tangie produced quite decently with tolerably good milk stand manners (especially when grain is involved).  She's two years old, a couple months younger than Chocolate, and kidded twice now - single birth both times - with this year's kid born four weeks ago.  The lady said she wanted to finish this year's kids on the bottle, as that makes them a lot more people-friendly.

So, two kids leave here, and one nanny sans kid arrives ... and all that milk will be MINE!  Mine to make all sorts of cheese with, and still have plenty to keep us in caramel coffee creamer and me in yogurt.  Now all I need is a decent cheese press, so I can make colby, cheddar, brick, swiss, and whatnot.

Oh, almost forgot to mention sending out guinea eggs - 45 to Lynn (who also has my incubator to hatch them with, along with her whites) and then 15 went home with Frank and the kids, but he probably won't let the kids have anything to do with them.  LOL

Just think - this is the short version, and doesn't cover planting.  It's been quite the busy week.

Whole lot of busy

Today is one of those days I realize just how many different things I have going on here.  I've been working with Chocolate on the milking idea, and as long as she has Goat Chow in the feeder, she could not care less.  The instant she's done inhaling her Chow though, she tries to get away.  Hubby has been holding her for my to milk, except this morning he is up in Jacksonville because his brother just got back from a rotation to Korea.  I tried to get Lynn out here to hold her, but business is picking up fast at the commercial nursery she owns/runs so no dice there.  As a result, I only got about two ounces this morning, whereas I got over six ounces yesterday morning, and the difference is someone holding her.  A milking stand is en route here from Pennsylvania, but FedEx tracking says it won't be here until Wednesday.

Also in transit are: a meat grinder, patty mold, and bell hog scraper to get the hair off the pigs' skins after slaughter; hoof trimmers, hoof knife, goat halter, and a lamb/kid bottle in case I need that for my next goat; and two cheese making kits plus another cheese making book so next year when I have three in milk, I will be able to make cheese from the excess.  One Nigerian Dwarf doe can give up to a quart a day even with kids on her, depending on how good a milking bloodline she's from.  That is enough for hubby and me, but Cocoa will grow up, as will the registered doeling I am on the hunt for, so for a couple years I will be having three kidding and milking, so cheese making has been on my to-learn list for a couple years.

The guineas are finally acting like proper guineas: they are flying or hopping out of the enclosure and moving off in a gaggle to hunt for bugs.  May they find every tick nest not just on our property, but the neighboring properties as well!  I find it amusing they just started doing this the day after Craig, Marty, and me were discussing how to cook guinea.

On the chicken front, more hens are getting into the spring mood and starting to camp out on eggs or golf balls ... including one of the Big Butt Girls, the black phase BLR Wyandottes I got from Luanne.  Luanne has now had a grand total of two Wyandotte hens go broody on her over the years (one last year, just to prove her wrong when she told me they don't go broody) so having one out of only three in the back of the tractor all fluffed up and growling was a surprise.  Kids and critters will make a liar out of you every time.  Having another Silkie go broody wasn't much of a surprise, but having it be one of the black dragons still tending Silkie chicks was.  Let the daily battle over marked versus unmarked eggs begin.

Hammy and Pork Chop continue to grow and eat like pigs should.  I have decided not to keep either one, and instead go hunting for a pair or trio of full blooded Pot Belly pigs for my pork project.  Hammy will go first, as he is the smaller one and not putting on fat to the extent Pork Chop is.  Pork Chop has the fat jowls and wrinkles around the shoulders that Potbellies are known for, so I am curious to see just how big and fat he'll get.  I even had to buy the second bag of pig food for those two last week, making my total investment still less than $35 for pigs plus feed.

I was going to including planting notes and greenhouse update, but wow this has gotten quite long with only part of the critter update.  Oh, no pics this morning, as I set my camera down somewhere and don't recall where.

BeeCee died

BeeCee, the big black Silkie cockerel, died Thursday afternoon.  I noticed he looked off that morning, and upon inspection he had saliva all down his neck and chest.  I separated him, and the thought flitted through my mind I ought to simply slaughter him and salvage the carcass.  I ignored that thought.

He basically sat around in the shade in an isolation cage the rest of the morning, and hubby said he saw BeeCee take a drink in the afternoon, but when mid-afternoon feeding time came around, BeeCee was dead on his side and rigor had not fully set in yet.  It's a shame, because BeeCee was my biggest Silkie cockerel.

He had been in with the five splash Silkie pullets, with intent to hatch eggs next month.  Instead, I pulled out eight eggs from the refrigerator, and put them under the four setting splash Silkie pullets while letting the fifth out to join Dude's group.  There was a ninth egg under a Silkie, so I marked all nine for incubation.  This way I can pull out unmarked eggs for possible setting under another if they take to the new Silkiebator house right away.

Here's hoping for a 100% hatch rate on those eggs.

Bigfoot and a baked Silkie

I caught Bigfoot just a short bit ago, then held him until hubby reached a break point on the Silkiebator tractor he's working on to take a few pictures.

Bigfoot, the one grow-out cockerel from the October hatch

Bigfoot isn't sure if he liked his throat stroked
He certainly has lovely hackle feathers!

Bigfoot staring down the camera
(I am holding him by his hocks)

Bigfoot's wingspan - he still has a lot of growing to do!

Bigfoot still has big feet and long legs to grow into ... and a nice wide wingspan.  He flapped a bit while I was posing him, and left his one wing spread out, so all I did was extend the other.  I am still quite pleased with how he's growing out - especially considering he's from my first F1 hatch.  He seems to be setting the standard pretty high.

Quick note on the January hatch - the best cockerel has a single comb, so I will not be growing any intact cockerels from that hatch.  That gives me more caponizing practice.

Finally, we ate our first Silkie cockerel recently.  I had a couple of oranges from my friend Lynn's trees, and an idea to make a nice exotic spiced baked chicken using orange juice, ground cinnamon, ground clove, and just a touch of cayenne.  Exotic-looking chicken, exotic spices for it.  I am so doing a Silkie for Halloween, with green food coloring in the rice and acorn squash.

orange spice baked Silkie

The Silkie cockerel was quite small, which is why he ended up on our table.  The amusing part is, when he had his feathers he looked about the same size as BeeCee.  It was when I picked them both up the size difference was apparent.   Plucked, cleaned, and without giblets the Silkie only weighed one pound, ten ounces.

We also ate one of the guineas, cut up and done teriyaki with fresh mushrooms, carrots, and garlic.  Not bad, a touch richer in flavor than even the Silkie, but the guinea only weighed one pound, fourteen ounces under all those feathers.

I had also slaughtered a cockerel from Bigfoot's batch, and he weighed two pounds, 15 ounces (just shy of 3 lbs!) which is quite a decent size for the age ... especially considering that slip from last year only weighed about four pounds even.  He was the smallest slip, and I should have just slaughtered him instead of trying to grow him out more.  Ah well.

Too cute!

Sorry for the exclamation mark here, but hubby managed to snap THE cutest pic of a Silkie dragon and "her" chicks.  I have named this image "ride the Dragon," as these cute fluffy Silkie pullets turn into raging dragons if you make any move towards their chicks.

Silkie chicks and their "dragon" mom

Next post will include a bunch of plant pics.  Later today, if I stay awake and the satellite internet connection holds.

Rainy day notes

No pics today - while the rain has let up from the earlier line of storms, it is still dreary and grey and blah.  The chicks made it through their first downpour, with most looking dry and warm, unlike the "dragons" aka the broody pullets.  Anyone who does not think that an appropriate nickname for broody bantams has never tried to pick up a chick in front of one.  I have no idea what Dude did this morning, but he was getting his fluffy butt kicked all around the tractor by one of the black pullets.

I had the unpleasant chore of culling one of the splash Silkie chicks.  It was not using its lower leg or foot, but was walking on the end of the drumstick, with the rest of the leg and foot off to the side at an awkward angle.  It may have been stepped on, or that may have been a hatching injury we just did not see, but after a few days it became more noticeable instead of getting better.

I  have a new egg customer: the fellow that runs the smoke shop where I buy my tobacco and filters.  I need to get his name today, because it really is bad form to not know.  I took a dozen eggs up to the family at the Latin Italian Grill ... only to find out they have chickens even with a restaurant to run.  When I commented that I honestly didn't think they had time for livestock, Lee said the one who does the chickens "goes 90 miles per hour every minute he's awake."

I got some more planting accomplished: starting tomato seeds indoors.  I planted some Home Farmer "Old German" and some Burpee "Mortgage Lifter" in a 72-cell starter tray, with cool little 6-cell packs that I filled with the seed starter Lynn sold me, plus the egg shell fragments from the hatch.  Every single time I have moved a tomato volunteer from the compost heap, it has had its roots wrapped around at least one piece of egg shell, and usually several.

Tomorrow I will be selling some layers, plus Silkie Boy.  I am now certain I have at least one black cockerel, and suspect a second.  The Pretties have us very well stocked in eggs, so some of our less favorite layers will go to the livestock auction to be someone else's layers.  Not all culls end up in our refrigerator!

Nothing cuter than new chicks

Right now, there is simply nothing cuter here on the property than the newly hatched Silkie and Wyandotte chicks.  That may change when I breed the bunnies, or it may change when I get my goat and her kids ... or the chicks may just set the standard for cuteness that high.  A couple pics of the babies with their mothers and foster mothers.

chicks peeking out from under the Silkie pullets

a small group of Wyandotte chicks

I know both sister and Tammy have expressed a desire to see more pictures, and sister specifically mentioned the fix of the pic issue when she called for my birthday.  Of course, what was really fun was brother's reaction when he googled up what blue Silkies are supposed to look like ... one of the few times I have wished for a video phone since I'd loved to have seen his facial expression.  It probably looked similar to Dad's when he visited in October and saw my "furry" chickens for the first time.

I have decided to sell a few layers on Saturday at the livestock auction.  We are up to our ears in eggs, and not all the hens are laying yet.  So Greyscale (won't stay in the enclosure or out of my garden beds!), Funky (don't need the temptation to breed her with that funky comb), and Beetle and Blackie will go up for auction.  I'll take Silkie Boy also, as I am now certain I have at least one black Silkie cockerel.

Hubby counted up the chickens yesterday, and with this weekend's hatch we are at 108 chickens on the property.  Add in twelve guineas and three rabbits ....

Chicks hatched

After waiting most the morning for the last two eggs that showed signs of life, I finally admitted there was no more forward progress and "whistled the ball dead," as the football expression fits.  Overall, a decent hatch rate!  I am satisfied with the results.

25 of 30 chicks hatched and healthy

I have a total of 25 new chickens from inside in the incubator, and I am pretty certain there are four hen-hatched Silkies outside.  I tried toe punching for the first time, using the more expensive nail clipper style punch, and that was a mixed success.  I'll need to check the Wyandottes again in a few days, and I could not get the web between the toes on the Silkies yet due to small size.  I'd like to have the Silkies toe punched so I can compare which cockerel throws the largest offspring.

It was a bit of a trick getting the chicks under the setting Silkies, as I had to shield the chicks with my hands to keep them from being pecked.  This is even after I took away unhatched eggs and golf balls as well.  I actually managed to get all 25 from inside underneath Silkies.  Getting them back ... now that is a whole 'nuther ball game!  LOL

So of the five (plus two outside) that didn't hatch, two died trying, three died before pipping for whatever reason, and the two outside never developed.  I have read some chicken breeders will actually reduce the amount of calcium supplement (oyster shell usually) before breeding season so the egg shells are not as hard as normal.  I did not do this, nor do I intend to ever do it.  I want the chicks strong enough to kick out of a regular strength egg shell here.  Oh, my "regular strength" egg shell is a lot thicker and harder than what you'll find at the store.  It is the first big test.

Freeze warning now issued for tonight - my poor garden beds.

Eggs in incubator

OK, so I set the eggs into the incubator on Sunday evening, the 20th.  I had intended to set on Tuesday the 22nd as a way to mark the winter solstice, but the Pretties in particular had other ideas and the egg turning tray was full a couple days early.  I candled those eggs the other night, and pulled out a total of twelve clears from the original forty-two set.  Three of the 15 Silkie eggs were definitely clear, and nine of the 27 Wyandotte eggs were clear.  I had read that decreased daylight hours affected roosters' fertility, and I suspect this is what I am seeing, as I do no extra (artificial) lighting.  No big deal, especially as the eggs may start hatching early on the 9th, which is my birthday.

I have four Silkie pullets setting nests now, with the first one having five more Silkie eggs under her, and the second currently has one Wyandotte egg from Tiny and the Flashy Girls, after kicking the other two out twice.  The other pullets are either setting golf balls or an empty nest (until another pullet lays and she tucks that egg under her, which I pick up every evening).

The bunny report:  George has a couple of mates.  One is a black Mini Rex looking doe, at least one year old, whom I have named Gracie.  The other looks to be a part Rex part-Lop, as she has one ear that always sticks out to the side.  I named her Brooke, and she is a lovely color rabbit folk call opal.  I'll try to fix the picture situation soon, and post pics of these adorable bunnies.  None was pet-tamed, but I have gotten to where I can pet all three, although none will let me pick him/her up without fussing.  Ah, the joy of having soft furred mammals to raise and play with!

Chicken thoughts and updates

I have some pictures that may actually be in focus, but the thingy that I plug the memory card into to plug into the computer has finally given up the ghost.  Hubby says his dad sent it to him when he did the Korea rotation, and that was back in 2007, so I suppose we got our money's worth out it.  Now to find a replacement ...

The incubator was full-up by Sunday afternoon, so I went ahead and set it on the 20th instead of the 22nd (solstice).  If this batch follows the same timeline as the previous one (even though I lowered the set temp another half degree because they were still hatching a bit too early) ... then I will have the first chicks hatching on my birthday, January 9th!  I tried for birthday chicks last year, but they had to bump my order back to my brother's birthday due to a poor hatch rate.  It happens.  I have fifteen Silkie eggs and 27 gold-laced Wyandotte eggs from Azar and the Pretties.

I now have three Silkie pullets out there setting nests.  The first one has five Silkie eggs under her, set on Sunday also.  The second had three Wyandotte eggs under her from Tiny and the Flashy Girls, but she kicked two of them out - twice.  So she has one Wyandotte egg under her, and will get some Silkie chicks from the incubator when they hatch.  The third, a black pullet I got at the auction a few months ago, just decided to set yesterday, so I am only letting her have golf balls until the eggs in the incubator hatch, at which point she'll have Silkie chicks also.  I'll start Pollux out with eight of the Wyandotte chicks, and see if he can nanny more than that or not.

From the October hatch of GLWs (Tiny x Flashy Girls), I will only grow out one cockerel, nicknamed Bigfoot, and caponize the rest.  I have more pullets than I originally thought, and at least two are in the current cockerel tractor (supervised by Pollux) because they have large feet and shanks and I mistook them for boys a few weeks ago.  I also suspect there are two effeminate cockerels hiding in the pullet tractor - I'll know for certain when I try to caponize them.

We will be eating one of the pied guineas, as the rest of the flock has rejected it.  This is the one I had to separate out last month due to an open sore pecked on its wing and back.  We had all the guineas out to see if the pieds could mingle back into the flock, and this one was chased away by whichever guinea was closest.

Update and early resolution

Bad me ... I am really slacking on both blogs here.  We've been doing stuff - lots of stuff - I just haven't felt much like posting or fighting the digicam for pics.  So, I will make an early resolution ... I will update at least weekly here, pics or no pics.  This morning will be pic-less.

• Eggs: All the splash Silkie pullets started to lay, and two more black Silkie pullets have started about a week ago.  This makes for some tiny eggs!  I decided to just go ahead and work my plan for these tiny pullet bullets: hard-boil then put them in pickled beet brine, which I had been saving up to either put eggs in, or to dye the tablecloth to match the stains.
• Canning up more chicken meat, as I have slaughtered all but two of the slips, and they are only alive because we couldn't fit them into the refrigerator until I do more canning.  I have four quarts of meat, and haven't done up the stock just yet.
• I am collecting eggs for hatching now, from all three breeding groups of Wyandottes plus the older Silkies.  One splash Silkie pullet is camped out in a cubbyhole, tucking any and all eggs she can reach under her.  I take them from her each evening, leaving the poor thing with only two golf balls to set on.  If she's still wanting to set when I go to start the incubator, I'll tuck some eggs back under her to hatch.  This way, if she quits like Bossy did in October, I can pop the eggs into the incubator without losing them.
• Hubby took down a tree in the middle of the back so we will hopefully have enough sunlight to power the fence charger back there.  Large pieces of wood will be next year's heating plan, as hubby got all the needed parts to install the chimney for the wood burning stove.
• I have a rabbit now.  He'll get his own post when I feel like fussing with pics.  I have named him George.
• I am definitely on a list to get a dairy goat in the spring, and her kids as well, so we will be having fresh goat milk soon.  I am pretty jazzed, although not nearly as jazzed as my friend Lynn, who has already volunteered to goat-sit when I go to my son's college graduation in May.
• I have broccoli out in my garden!  This is actually the first time I've managed to grow my own broccoli, and when the rain passes in a couple days, I'll be making a lovely little broccoli and cheddar quiche for brunch on the first cool day.
• The red cabbage ain't doing enough to justify watering it anymore ... I'll pull those and toss to the chickens.  I am going to try Pak Choi seeds next.  I also need to reclaim the greenhouse(s) from those industrious vine plants, and get tomato and pepper seeds starting.  I did get a bag of seed starting dirt from Lynn, so this ought to be doable.

I think that's everything for now.

Bossy on the nest

Just a few fun chicken pictures - first is Bossy doing what she was brought here to do: sitting a nest.  There is a total of nine eggs under her, seven from Tiny and the Flashy Girls and two from Spikey and the red broilers.

broody Bossy on nine eggs

After snapping this pic, I then tried to get a new picture of the two chicks who hatched the other week and are being reared by Pollux the Ameracauna capon.  As I pressed the shutter button, the little Wyandotte ducked behind a 2x4 of the guinea pen, while the Meatie did an about-face and put his head down.  Chickens ...

So I decided to get another pic of the two black Silkie pullets who are laying, and this time they co-operated!  Here is a surprisingly good photo of the two black pullets and a splash pullet, shot through the wire and also through a spider web.

Silkie pullets: two black, one splash

You can also see all the feathers laying around as the splash Silkies do their juvenile molt in preparation for the pullets to start laying.  This is about as close as I care to get to looking like snow!  LOL

Two chicks hatched

So only the two chicks hatched out of 27 eggs set.  The upside is they are both very bright-eyed and active, and I have one of each.  The downside is ... I need to figure out why the other 25 eggs didn't hatch.

one Meatie and one Wyandotte chick

Meanwhile, my primary incubators (disguised as feather dusters, aka Silkies) are growing up, and the two larger black ones I bought at the local livestock auction earlier this month have started laying.  The splash Silkie pullets shouldn't take too much longer to start laying, and then I will have seven Silkies that should go broody shortly after the New Year's.  Until they do, I'll practice with my electric incubator ... and hopefully do better.

the two black Silkie pullets with the splash cockerel

Silkie pullets

Little chicks pics

So I made a conciliatory gesture to the digicam (as opposed to my usual gesture) and have a few pictures of the little chicks, including a couple of the Wyandotte babies I got from Luanne on Tuesday.  These pics were taken Wednesday.

a couple splash Silkies and a couple Wyandottes

a Cackle Wyandotte pullet with her face in the feeder

a single-comb blue Wyandotte in front,
Silkies and Gold Wyandottes behind

Most of the Wyandottes I bought from Luanne are actually only one week old in these pics, even though they are pretty much the same size as the two week olds from Cackle.  At least one of the single comb Wyandottes is a blue phase!

The Silkies are absolutely adorable ... but they may not be as vigorous as the Wyandottes.  I had a second dead Silkie chick this morning, and like the other it looked like it simply got crushed under the pile-up beneath the heat lamp.

I thought of a name for the black sex link pullet who started laying yesterday: Beetle.  While she looks jet black in the shade, in sunlight she looks iridescent beetle green.  Beetle has the distinction of being the only single comb chick so far to fool Maria, who thought she might be a cockerel.

Interestingly, Maria thinks one of the New Hampshires Luanne gave me is a pullet, and both of the black Americaunas.  I guess time will tell, although Luanne is certainly more familiar with her birds and I wonder if that many chicks could fool her.