Breda Fowl thread

[GaryDean26]

Nicol,

Good to see you are working with Breda. I wanted cuckoo for the sole purpose of being able to keep Cuckoo hens and a Black Rooster so that I could get sex-links that would be pure Breda. I got four Breda eggs from Greenfire Farms 14 months ago which resulted in an unrelated pair. We didn't really have room for another project so we sold our pair, but went ahead and saved some chicks so we could keep a few more white egg layers in our laying flock. We ended up with three cockerels and a pullet from the four we kept. We are now wondering if we should keep the best cockerel and and try to brother sister-mate to try to get more pullets or just be happy for the one we have and possible get an unrelated cockerel at a future point. The decision is largely hinging on two points that RhodeRunner touched.

1) Whether we should inbreed or cross breed and
2) The fact that the more breeds/varieties we work with the less progress they make.

When I get time will be very interested to read the article link on inbreeding vs. out breeding. I understand the method to some of the of Game Fowl that were breed for 30 years without any new blood. The first thing they would cull for in those lines was vigor and general health. I assume that has a lot to do with a line that is done right vs a line that is not but want to learn how else is involved in lines done right vs those that are not.

RhodeRunner...we have noticed that our Black Breda are bigger too. Interesting.

We haven't seen anything (even the you-tube videos from abroad of large breda flocks and show pens) that look anything close to as meaty as the Cuckoo Nicol found a photos of. Everything we have seen are tall and lean birds.

The breed standard shows mature weight that are the same a Leghorns, so I would call this a light weight breed.

 

[RhodeRunner]

I love the look of that cuckoo in the pic I found. He looks so masculine compared to most of the Breda pics I have seen.

I was actually considering a cross bird that I have at my uncle's. He is polish and lafleche and barred from the polish side. No shank feathers but the comb and nose are close. I figured a few chicks wouldn't hurt to see how it goes. No worries, I intend on keeping the true blue and black colors. I waited too long to get them to mess them up ;-)

There was a poultry article written by Hutt in 1949 that elaborates on the gentics of the breda and their unique comb. I only have one excerpt from it but my friend is searching for the rest. I will share if I find it.

My chicks arrived today. I am letting them settle in before photos. I am the happy new owner of 6 blue, 6 black and 3 splash Breda

Congratulations on the new arrivals! I like the idea of the crossed rooster. Barring and cuckoo are two different things. By crossing this rooster to the Breda you would get single dose barred cockerels, and black hens in the first generation. The feathered shanks are incompletely dominate, so that should be an easier thing to breed for.

 

[GaryDean26]

Can you provide more information the difference between barring and cuckoo? My understanding is that they are created with sex-linked barrings, but that in the case of barred varrieties you have slow feathering which creates a more distinct on-off sequence and that Cuckoo is fast feathers and there for wider white stripes and a less clear pattern. Is my distinction correct or is these something else that distingusses barring from Cuckoo. Both cuckoo and Barred breeds require double barred cockerels.

By the way - Nicol is a quite knowlegable breeder. I am sure that she can create a good quality Cuckoo Breda. What is "for fun" for her is the equivalent to an all-in breeding project for others.

 

[RhodeRunner]

Can you provide more information the difference between barring and cuckoo? My understanding is that they are created with sex-linked barrings, but that in the case of barred varrieties you have slow feathering which creates a more distinct on-off sequence and that Cuckoo is fast feathers and there for wider white stripes and a less clear pattern. Is my distinction correct or is these something else that distingusses barring from Cuckoo. Both cuckoo and Barred breeds require double barred cockerels.

By the way - Nicol is a quite knowlegable breeder. I am sure that she can create a good quality Cuckoo Breda. What is "for fun" for her is the equivalent to an all-in breeding project for others.

Yes, your understanding is correct. Here is a good post by Chris09, covering the differences with more clarity https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/580705/whats-the-difference-between-cuckoo-and-barred

 

[OHmamma]

I have been working with Cuckoo Marans Standard and bantam for 6 years. I have made several different varieties using them. Black, Blue, Birchen, Silver Blue,gold cuckoo, silver cuckoo,blue cuckoo, and Crele. I have also used them to "clean up" other varieties as well. I am pretty well versed in cuckoo and can pick out at hatch a single bar vs. double bar male and I know how to use either one. ;-)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, the biggest challenge I think I will have is the comb itself. The Breda have a "lack of anything else" gene going on which is pretty hard to perfect. That was why the Polish made sense, the first few should be interesting little birds.

I have had Lafleche before I was wondering yesterday if maybe they would be a good bird to use to cross in to get more size. The ones I had were surprisingly solid and meaty when picked up. It is very hard to find good lafleche though so it would be a project all on its own just to find one good sizeable hen to use.

In the meantime... mine are growing fast and all seem to be extremely healthy and full of vigor. I am very impressed with them, apparently the guy I bought them from is doing an excellent job breeding and maintaining his flock.

Nicol

 

[GaryDean26]

My resume is not as long as Nicols, but yes I can pick out a single barred and double barred male too and also know how to use them.

With my lesser experience (and few breeds to choose from) I was considering crossing barred Leghorns to Breda and then breeding back to pure breda after that untill the type plumage, comb, etc. from the barred line matched that of the pure line. I wasn't really concerned about the size since the weight standard of the Breda put it in the same weight class as Leghorn and other light laying breeds. My purpose for barred Breda was to sex the layer at day-old, so I also am ovioulsy more intrested in good layers than a meaty bird (although I do have Breda cockerels in the Freezer camp which I can't wait to try).

I am not sure what the pros and con are to using Polish vs Lehorns. I do know someone in California that is working on Crele Polish. Would it be worth hand carrying eggs from him back to Texas with me when I am out their in Septemeber? The Breda are just so different that I assumed that it would take about as long to get back to Breda from any type of out crossing that the Leghorns would work just as good as anything.

 

[motherhen71185]

I have a 5 week old blue Breda pullet. She is the SWEETEST chick i have!! Alsways come running to me and sits on my hand or shoulder to be petted. Are they all like this?

 

[GaryDean26]

I am down to just two Breda again. A splash pullet and her full brother who is a blue cockerelel. Mine are very gently and easy to hold, but they shy away from me and keep their distance. The temperment of these birds is dininite a plus for the breed though.

Mine are in mixed flock and I think they shy away because the other breeds to so pushy that they don't want to get in their way.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

I am down to just two Breda again.  A splash pullet and her full brother who is a blue cockerelel.  Mine are very gently and easy to hold, but they shy away from me and keep their distance.  The temperment of these birds is dininite a plus for the breed though. 

Mine are in mixed flock and I think they shy away because the other breeds to so pushy that they don't want to get in their way.

My first Bredas were raised in a mixed flock. They liked to perch in the highest part of the coop and especially the roosters did not mix with the other chickens.
A Marans rooster that hatched with them was the same temperament. Most of them never go outside even though the other chickens have access to pasture. Interesting though that the 2 roosters started to fight but only with each other.

The second group that hatched, I have housed separately from the main flock with their own pen and their own house. They have the same temperament. They stay in the house or hide under it most of the time. A mixed breed pullet in with them is braver but just as skittish. There is one cockerel who is more confident than the others. He ventures out for treats with the mixed breed pullet. When it came time to cull, he is the one that I kept.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

I have a 5 week old blue Breda pullet. She is the SWEETEST chick i have!! Alsways come running to me and sits on my hand or shoulder to be petted.  Are they all like this?

Only one of mine shows signs of being curious., Most of them just try to hide.