Campine Chicken thread?

[lawatt]

such a cutie! i've got three silver campine eggs in my incubator (along with some CLs and crosses) that are on day 21 today, and two have pipped already! will post photos once i have them!

 

[Drieslag]

Succes, keep us posted!

But you don't think my chick is too white? It hasn't got a brown patch on its head.
It's my fourth campine chick in total, so not sure what they should look like...

 

[Wisher1000]

Drieslag, granted, the chick looks whiter than usual, but it is not important what they look like as chicks, it is how they are put together and how they feather out. Try to be patient and wait to judge until at least the feathers come in! That can even change some after the first molt.

I have a 1/2 Campine, 1/2 white EE that I am using in my program to try to improve type. She is white from her comb to mid shoulder and down her breast to her legs, Her barring from there back is like you see on most SCs breast, with too much white and looking more like lacing. Not ideal, but she has a nice size and a back that you could set a dinner plate on! I mark her light tan eggs with "3/4" and will watch her offspring (by my SC cock) closely. It is easier to correct color once you get the body right. If her daughters carry her good traits, I will select the best ones to breed back to their sire. Those chicks will be 7/8 Campine and should have the better color.

Even if your chicks are "too white" they may have beautiful type and be the cornerstone of the next generation!

 

[lawatt]

hooray, all three silver campine eggs that were originally set have hatched!!

here are the first two, the other one only hatched about 15 minutes ago, so is still fluffing up in the incubator...

yay!

 

[Wisher1000]

Congratulations!!!! I'm officially jealous, my first two are in the bator now and slated to hatch on the 14th. For now, I will have to enjoy the pics of yours.

I was very excited to get two pure SC eggs yesterday in addition to my 3/4 SC egg! That means that two of the hens have started. Funny, though, I have seen no reddening of their combs to tell me which it was.....

 

[lawatt]

Congratulations!!!! I'm officially jealous, my first two are in the bator now and slated to hatch on the 14th. For now, I will have to enjoy the pics of yours.

I was very excited to get two pure SC eggs yesterday in addition to my 3/4 SC egg! That means that two of the hens have started. Funny, though, I have seen no reddening of their combs to tell me which it was.....

I've got five additional campine eggs in the incubator that should hatch in two weeks, roughly the 18th, so i'll be right behind you -- and might be tempted to even add a few more!

and its interesting: my two SC pullets are the same age, and i got them from the same breeder, but only one is laying. the other has a larger comb (that doesn't "flop" properly) and has reddish eyes, and as far as i can tell, has never laid a single egg. very strange.

 

[Drieslag]

Even if your chicks are "too white" they may have beautiful type and be the cornerstone of the next generation!

Many thanks for the advice Wisher1000 and congrats Iawatt, they look great!

Regarding the white chick, I was afraid it might be from a mixed blood line with 'Groninger Gull' in it. This is a chicken breed from the north of the Netherlands and another one of the large pencilled family. Below a pic of a mother Groninger and her chick. Also see http://www.groningermeeuwenclub.nl/nieuw leven.htm.

 

[Wisher1000]

If they are half Groninger and half Campine, and you put them back to a SC cock, the chicks will be 3/4. Then take those back to a SC cock for a 7/8 chick. That's three generations and they have very little of that blood left. The fourth generation would be 15/16 SC! I'd use them as long as they didn't throw any DQs.

 

[Drieslag]

As its hard for me to get the best material over here in Europe I sort of have to make do with what I can anyway

Good news is I just got word from the president of the Danish Campine Club. In april he will send me some eggs of his lines!
From the pictures I've seen they look pretty good. See below.
Apparently the Danish Campines have been isolated for about 50 years, so some inbreeding I presume, but also other influences have been kept out.

 

[Wisher1000]

Hey Drieslag, remember those white Campine chicks you showed us? Well, I have gotten some in my batch as well!


The two with green on them are the pure Silver Campines, the rest are 3/4 Campine, and one quarter EE.