Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Chris09]

I don't know a lot about Genetics but I believe that they were thinking of Melanotic --


Melanotic [MI] --
Dominant Black intensifyer, one of the genes which, in concert with Pg and other genes, is responsible for plumage patterns. There is speculation that there may be more than one eumelanin intensifying gene similar to Ml and non-allelic.
http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl/page3.html

Note --
Pg = Pattern Gene

Chris

 

[CharlieVoda]

Again, I am simple minded, but would not a person need to know excactly what genitic code was residing in your bird to began with in order to make corrections based said codes?
Ron

According to the above my birds are

eWh/eWh s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Mh/Mh Db/Db 'rb/rb' (exhibition Rhode Island Red , depth of color from interaction of Mh and rb on Wheaton base. Undercolour from light Mahogany to salmon colour.
All credit to Van Dort and Hancox book. ( available in softcover from author).
That is all I know
Charlie

 

[normanack]

Here is my question of the day.
Since the genetics folks know what all of the genes listed above are can someone tell me how to turn the dimmer switch up or down for lets say 'rb/rb' or perhaps Mh/Mh?
I would like to do this without crossing in any different kind of birds or strains into my flock if possible.
Charlie

That would be Di/di for dimmer switch.
(Sorry, I couldn't help it.)
;-)

 

[CharlieVoda]

Pretty sure I'm more simple minded than you fogelly
Charlie

 

[CharlieVoda]

That would be Di/di for dimmer switch.
(Sorry, I couldn't help it.)
;-)

In my case it may be Du/Du for dummer switch.
Charlie

I meant dumber switch

 

[normanack]

In my case it may be Du/Du for dummer switch.
Charlie

I meant dumber switch

Nah, I have it on good authority that you're Le/le.
(Legendary)

 

[Lacy Blues]

"Get the best male you got then get three females and put them in three seperate coops. Rotate this super male with each female every three days. Give him a rest on the fourth day. Toe punch the chicks to the mating of the females. Then if pen two female produces the best chicks mate this female back to the old male again the next year. Keep this going year in and year out till you breed up your strain to your ideal look to the standard. He told me to learn how to breed for genes in my Reds and build the chicken one step at a time."

The above is a quote from Bob in a 2010 post on this thread. What would be the ideal, smallest size pens for the hens to use for this type of breeding plan? Some of the pens I read about that people use are quite small, not tall enough for a roost. Do you just let them sleep on the pen floor as they would at a show? Probably overthinking but wanting the hatching eggs to be as clean as possible I would not think it would be best to have them sleeping in their poop? My current breeding pens are 5, 8x10 chainlink dog kennels with a 3 sided pole building around them about 7 ft. tall and a separate 10x12 separate portable horse stall. I have been breeding trios but want to focus on single mating this year so need more pens. I can easily divide the ones I have or build cages or? to fit inside of them. Currently my roosters stay locked in the pens and the layer/breeder pullets/hens live in the main coop and free-range until breeding season when my selections go in with the roos. Working with Delawares, Welsummers and BCM (I know not heritage!).

Anyone have pics. of their single breeding set-ups they would be willing to post?

I have pics. I thought I could upload them from my file. I'll check to see if I can find them and post. Sorry about that.

ETA:

I don't know if you can see it well or not, but my rooster pens are 4x4x4 Inside, there is a short perch with a small poop board below suspended from the wall. I have shade cloth fabric between the pens. Each perch is in the same corner, that way when they're up on their perches, they can see into the next pen but not get to each other. My girls run around together in the space outside the rooster pens. These double as breeding pens... I just take the rooster out and either move him to a temporary pen or put him with the girls. The girls I plan to mate with him go into his pen. After they are used to being there, I move the rooster back in.

Me neither, Lacey.
Breathe Deep, Seek Peace.
Regards,
Karen

Well, at least you didn't say "Fly High". I'm terrified to be off the ground!

In my case it may be Du/Du for dummer switch.
Charlie

I meant dumber switch

Oh you guys and all these initial combinations are making my head hurt!

 

[Chris09]

According to the above my birds are

eWh/eWh s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Mh/Mh Db/Db 'rb/rb' (exhibition Rhode Island Red , depth of color from interaction of Mh and rb on Wheaton base. Undercolour from light Mahogany to salmon colour.
All credit to Van Dort and Hancox book. ( available in softcover from author).
That is all I know
Charlie

Charlie,
I wouldn't go to much off them "codes" all of them are missing a key Gene.
Now I don't know where Van Dort and Handcock got there Reds they used for there "test" but U.S. Reds carry the Columbian Gene [Co]

Chris

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

"Get the best male you got then get three females and put them in three seperate coops. Rotate this super male with each female every three days. Give him a rest on the fourth day. Toe punch the chicks to the mating of the females. Then if pen two female produces the best chicks mate this female back to the old male again the next year. Keep this going year in and year out till you breed up your strain to your ideal look to the standard. He told me to learn how to breed for genes in my Reds and build the chicken one step at a time."

The above is a quote from Bob in a 2010 post on this thread. What would be the ideal, smallest size pens for the hens to use for this type of breeding plan? Some of the pens I read about that people use are quite small, not tall enough for a roost. Do you just let them sleep on the pen floor as they would at a show? Probably overthinking but wanting the hatching eggs to be as clean as possible I would not think it would be best to have them sleeping in their poop? My current breeding pens are 5, 8x10 chainlink dog kennels with a 3 sided pole building around them about 7 ft. tall and a separate 10x12 separate portable horse stall. I have been breeding trios but want to focus on single mating this year so need more pens. I can easily divide the ones I have or build cages or? to fit inside of them. Currently my roosters stay locked in the pens and the layer/breeder pullets/hens live in the main coop and free-range until breeding season when my selections go in with the roos. Working with Delawares, Welsummers and BCM (I know not heritage!).

Anyone have pics. of their single breeding set-ups they would be willing to post?

Ok....here are links to a few pix of mine. The coop area is a 4ftx2ft box, with one short 2ft section of roost inside. Outside area is an 8ft long section of 2x4, crossed with a 4ft section. The coop section "sits" on the back 2ft of the 8' length of 2x4, the remaining 6ft section, 4ft wide is then covered by hog wire in a hoop type fashion. Hope this makes some sense, if not lemme know




View from side



Also makes a great pen for broodies if you will line the bottom of the hog wire with small chicken wire so little ones can't get out

 

[desertmarcy]

Making quick and easy pastures is also a use for the deer netting. I just use the pole hole digger attachment on my tractor and can bore a dozen hole in less than 10 minutes. Stand up those inexpensive landscape poles and attach the deer netting with zip ties. You can cordon off a 50 x 50 temporary pasture in well under an hour.

Time comes to re-arrange, snip the ties and the netting falls right off. Pull out the posts and set up on a new patch of grass. The old patch will grow back quickly and grow back lush from the fertilizing.

Look in the distance of this photo and you'll see the deer netting, zip ties, etc.

Use your imagination is what I'm saying, I guess.

Do you know how easy you have it? Where I am, with all the rock, clay, and caliche (natural concrete!), a post hole takes me hours. First I have to soak the soil (such that it is) really deep so the pick axe and digging bar don't just bounce off the surface. The inexpensive landscape poles the termites will eat in no time. And zip ties last about 6 months in the sun here, if I'm lucky. The sun eats up anything that is not metal. Add to that all the bobcats, coyotes, Great Horned owls, and hawks and putting up a new pen here is a major undertaking, both time-wise and expense.