Keep in mind though that the saddleback pattern is highly variable. some poms have too much color and others not enough. Don't rely on just the color pattern alone to determine whether or not a goose is a pure Pom or not.
Triangle acres poultry has some partridge wyandottes here is there website https://sites.google.com/site/triangleacrespoultry/professional.
I think Joel Gilman may have some partridge rocks, I have never seen them before so I don't know what they are like.
The ones that Bud and Carl have are Black Tailed Red. The last i heard Bud was considering getting rid if his, not sure if he still has them or not.
I do like the idea of using hatchery reds with a good exhibition male, even if it is a black tailed. Not sure how long it would take to get rid...
I know this question has been answered, the only thing i would add is that when you pick a breed do not pick the rarest breed in the standard. I know you may feel compelled to help save the really rare breeds but you will frustrate yourself when initially trying to find stock and trying to add...
I don't claim to be a Pomeranian expert but definitely a cross. You can see a rudimentary knob at the base of the bill. Definitely half African or Chinese. You can also tell by the color on the neck. you can see the dark russet stripe on the back of the neck, just like a brown African or Chinese
I agree, we have a ton of recognized breeds and varieties that need work. I think more effort needs to be put to preserving and improving what already have, rather than making up new colors just becasue they are pretty....look at Marans, lots of different colors and inconsistent type.
And...
Now that you mention it, we have a line of pea comb Leghorns at the University, and they have really crappy looking combs, there huge and flopped over.
Those Leghorns are just used for genetic disease resistence research.....not a new type of Leghorn for the egg industry btw...
I have seen this with Leghorns, whenever you cross rose comb and single comb the rose combs will be kind of crappy for a few generations. But after breeding back to rose comb the combs will show improvement. I'm sure a lot of us know that already.
I think it's nice someone is working with this...
If the comb is not too frozen hold a rag soaked in warm water on his comb. hold it there for maybe ten minutes and leave him where it warm for a day or so. I have done that with bantam Leghorn cockerels and it did work.
I don't mean to get this thread sidetracked, but are people seriously arguiung over whether or not that bird is a Wyandotte? Walt was actually there and saw it in person, why don't people believe him?
Or am I just overreacting to others' reactions???
You're right. Pretty much anyone could make a similar bird to these blue egg layers. Its just a lot selection after the first cross is made for a deeper shade of blue eggs.
These birds were crossed using parent stock of commercial layers. What is available at the hatcheries are the "hybrid" cross. which is usually nothing more than a cross between two inbred lines.
The Brown Leghorn Line the University still has are all SC birds and all lay blue eggs. Once the blue egg gene is introduced comb type has no relevance. The only reason I say rumpless Aracauna is so that you know they are pure, but you're right a tailed bird might be cheaper.
Hatchery stock will not work. You will need to find True Rumpless Aracauna. Tufts will not matter, the crossing you will do will most likely eliminate them. A lot of the time pure Aracaunas will throw tuftless offspring, I wouldnt worry if the particular bird you use if tufted or not as long as...
I would try a true Aracauna on a leghorn. If you want blue egg shells DO NOT cross with a brown egg breed because you will get offspring that lay green eggs and not blue. You could create a similar bird to these Arkansas blue egg layers by crossing a black Aracauna on some commercial white Leghorns.
We still give eggs out from various other breeds at the University. The blue feathered blue egg layers are gone, but the light browns are still being worked with, however they are not ready to be released yet. Anyone is welcome to get eggs, the University just does not ship them.