The Aloha Chicken Project - Page 16

Which means you are closest to MaBo and Tam'ra - they are in Washington state.  

FYI to anyone interested in chicks, I'm going to try and set some eggs on Feb 6th, which would mean chicks on Feb 27th.  The plan is to offer the first 25 that hatch as shipped live chicks to a potential new Aloha breeder out there.  Is there anyone who might be interested in getting chicks?  Cost would probably total $60-$70 for 25 chicks, which would include the box, Express overnight mail, and $1 per baby.  

Would have to clear the shipment with the Post Office on that date; they have to approve the route and make sure it's not too cold on any leg of the trip, so a freak late winter storm back east could mess up plans, for example, if I was shipping back there.  But I'm hoping that is late enough in the year to be past that stuff.  It's a narrow window to ship live animals from Phoenix.)  By May, it's over 100 degrees here, but before that, it can still be chilly in many other places in the US.)  Ideally they told me they like the temps to be 50-80 degrees the entire trip.  That's pretty much just March and April in Phoenix, ha ha!  

Oh, forgot to mention!

Potential breeder needs to have a good safe pen, free from predators (namely - dogs.)  And be willing to try and work with the project for a little while, at least a year.  Must have an incubator or be willing to get one, because it takes hatching and raising a lot of babies in order to get the best chicks.  (A broody isn't going to cut it.)  Must be OK keeping a couple roosters, and willing to work to improve the breed.  

In other words, there aren't enough of these in existence yet, and I'm not selling these at a profit, just barely break-even at $1 a chick - so these wouldn't be for someone just wanting a few backyard hens.  It's going to take some dedication to get these where they need to be.  

An existing flock of Buff Orps, Buff Rocks, New Hampshire Reds, and Speckled Sussex, Swedish Flower, Rhode Island Reds or Production Reds, could be integrated into this program and would actually help improve the breed.  Most other breeds would not be helpful, however, and would have to be separated or culled.

I just took my camera and pointed it next door to take photos of some of my "culls" that I gave to my neighbor.

This is what the Barred/Mottled "Confetti"colored roosters look like!  One dark one, one light one:

And this (not so great) picture shows a hen who had very little color when I rehomed her.  She sure is spotted now!  But now I notice she has gray legs and muffs, so she was still a good choice to cull out of the flock anyway.  Nice to be able to see her next door, though.

What cuties they are!  They all look happy and healthy over there.  Yay!

Ooops, sorry Tam'ra - got you guys mixed up with my cousin (who has chickens and lives in WA state!)

Yep, there are already some up there - though if I send a batch of new chicks the extra roos with the infusion of new blood here might help some things along for all of you . . . 

If this keeps up, it's going to go from an AZ based breed to a Pacific NW based breed soon!  (Which I have no issues with!)  LOL. 

I just did a Blog update, will do another one later this week.  Got a new batch of chicks from a special breeder pen featuring Cheeto and four select hens!  Cheeto really rocks, but does he carry the Sussex Mottling gene?  I set up this breeder pen to find out and got 13 yellow fuzzballs to hatch!

http://alohachickens.blogspot.com/2012/02/lets-get-hatching-again.html

The moms are beautiful (though kind of small) and the dad is my stunning half Buff Rock rooster, Cheeto!

This is Cheeto, above, and two of the hens in this special breeder pen, below.  (The two hens in front were in his pen.)

No other roosters or hens were allowed to mix, and no one escaped at any time, so I know these are the parents!  Here are the babies:

Hens from this batch will be kept for breeding.  Even if they don't show spots, they will at least carry the genes for spotting, with colorful moms like these!