Barred Holland breed of chickens

[smoothmule]

Thanks John
Mine are beginning to show signs of maturity. One cockerel is really looking great, comb is "red" now, saddle hackles coming in and trying to show attitude when I put some Serama's in the pen. All of the young ones are in the grow out pen together, the Araucana's and Hollands. None of them are laying or mature so I also put some adult Serama's (tiny bantams) in that coop since it's large. This Holland cockerel tried to jump the Serama roo so I took the Holland cockerel out. There is another cockerel but he's not at this point in maturity. I'll move him out too so the 2 boys won't harass the younger ones or the pullets so they can focus on maturing. I don't think any of them are ready to lay yet. They are all tall but so far, not really heavy. I'm guessing they will need more time to mature and fill out.

I'm very anxious to see some eggs but prefer they don't too young. I feel they need another month at least to mature. They were hatched from Dec to Jan. so there are some almost a month apart in age.

I have 7 pullets. Once they begin to lay, I may try the food color on the vent thing to see if I can identify who's laying what

 

[NJNick]

Hello
can anyone tell me if Barred hollands come white legged. As I bought a cockeral and have bred him. To my white leghorns. He seems very large. But the White legs. I do not know the leg color standard. Any help....Thanks....NJNick

 

[smoothmule]

Hello
can anyone tell me if Barred hollands come white legged. As I bought a cockeral and have bred him. To my white leghorns. He seems very large. But the White legs. I do not know the leg color standard. Any help....Thanks....NJNick

The leg color should be yellow for the barred Holland. Ear lobes are red.

 

[Pocket Farmer]

Hello
can anyone tell me if Barred hollands come white legged. As I bought a cockeral and have bred him. To my white leghorns. He seems very large. But the White legs. I do not know the leg color standard. Any help....Thanks....NJNick

Hi Nick,

I'd suggest getting the Standards of Perfection before breeding, if you are looking to enhance the Barred Holland line. I believe the ALBC is asking us to selectively breed within the existing lines without introducing other breeds. We need to be careful what we are introducing, as the breed was already diluted due to years of cross breeding.

 

[NJNick]

Hello
I really am just breeding this cockeral to the leggorns. It seems he is White Legged and I was told he was a Barred Holland. So I kept him around. And now I have just bred him over my White leghorns.
I am not into showing and birds at this time. It is just a cross to see next spring. How they will grow. How the hens will lay. And am kind of bumbed out. I should have checked the standards before buying.
well we live and learn. Just wanting a good laying hen. Thanks for the replys...NJNick

 

[Cross Creek]

Hi there,
I am very interested in starting a flock of Barred Holland chickens on our family farm in Florida. Please send me more information about purchasing some from you.
Thanks,
Dawn

 

[Cross Creek]

Hi Cathy,
I'm very interested in starting a flock of Barred Hollands on our family farm in Florida. Would you be able to help me with a source for them.
Thanks so much,
Dawn

 

[smoothmule]

Dawn,
Definitely
My flock is young. My 2 cockerels have been moved from the grow out pen (my Holland pullets, my young Araucana's and a handful of mature Serama's are in this pen) The cockerels were showing signs they are maturing, well one for sure, so I didn't want my pullets harassed until they were more mature too. A few are getting more red in the combs/ears/wattles that tells me they are close to the point of laying but no eggs yet. They are coming up on 6 months old but look immature to me, not filled out but good size frame. Some are obviously nicer than other but they will all be utilized to begin with. When I have a fair number of chicks hatched I will sell some of the adults, maybe a trio or quad.

I have 2 cockerels and 7 pullets. I'm trying to decide how I want to pen them for breeding. One cockerel to all the pullets till I have a good number of chicks and then swap out to use the other cockerel and hatch some by him keeping the chicks banded or toe punched to indicate which roo was used. The other option is simply to have 2 breeding pens, a trio and a quad. I still have time to make up my mind. I will be selling hatching eggs and chicks as I go as well. I have found that shipped eggs have a much better hatch rate when shipped in the box with live birds, they arrive faster and the handling is much gentler.

 

[smoothmule]

Anyone with pullets laying now? Mine are sôooo close but not there yet.......... unless I go out today and find an egg . Several of them are getting nice deep red combs and yesterday, one of the pullets met me at the door and squatted as hens do to be bred

My pullets are now from 5 to 6 months old so they are close but I understand they can be slow to mature. I had removed both cockerels when they began exhibiting male behavior to give the girls all the time they need to mature before any breeding pressures. I plan to band them soon and record each one with their good points and faults and it will make it easier to identify them with the color egg they lay as well. I'm thinking, since I only have 7 pullets that I'll also take photo's of each for their record and to share for critique since I'm not comfortable yet, with critiquing them myself.

 

[smoothmule]

I think I may have my first Barred Holland egg, very white
I also have 2 Sumatra hens in that pen though and they lay a creamy white egg too but this one was much whiter and smaller. The Sumatra's are in that pen (grow out pen) temporarily. Not sure if any of them would be fertile, there are some Araucana cockerels in there but they're pretty young yet. I'll have a pen set up for the Hollands by the time the girls are laying well, till then, I may check fertility on a few. I'll settle the pullets into their pen for a week or two before adding the cockerels once I feel they're ready. The Holland cockerels are not mature enough yet.