Lamona Chicken Fanciers Thread

[TrostPoultry]

Peach Laced Lamona's, this color pattern never wanted to breed true, but every one that I produced was just as good as the previous. Just that if I hatched 20 chicks, I would only get one peach laced. If you look close at the males sickle feathers you can see the nice lacing. I hope when you click the image the picture you see is large, I did that so that you could easily see the lacing. The hen does have a dark feather on her wing, cause I am sure someone will notice that. )

 

[TrostPoultry]

Here are some of my whites. The one stamped with feather site IS my bird, and I HAVE permission to use the photo from Barry with feathersite. The middle picture is a young trio. My males were always long in the legs until they were about a year old, that is about the time they seemed to "settle in" to the proper shape. These birds were the last that I was able to breed from before the fire. They were among those lost in the fire (I lost about 15 to 18 breeding birds, and a few culls that I kept around "just in case").

 

[danhonour]

Thanks Jeremy for the pictures and it is great having you here.Did you use Silver Dorking bantams or White Dorkings?Where do you think the gold gene came from in the peach?When you bred the peach together,what did they produce (percentages)?Was your egg shell color white? Dan

 

[TrostPoultry]

Quote:
Thanks Dan, I am glad I found the group and I am happy to share my knowledge.

My original breeding was a trio of White Leghorn bantams, a White Rock bantam rooster, and a quad of Silver Dorking bantams. I mated Dorking hens to the Rock and Leghorn males. I mated the Dorking rooster to the Leghorn hens. I had amazing hatches from this cross, one setting of 96 eggs hatched 89 chicks all within hours of each other. I was amazed because I have never had that kind of hatch, that close together. However, overall my hatches were around 75% of fertile eggs. I believe that came from the "hybrid vigor" effect of crossing breeds.

If/when I do it again, I will not use Silver Dorkings. The salmon breast was a royal pain to deal with. That salmon would eventually start showing through the white. In the end the hens would be a few years old before it showed up, but it always did. If I had to do it over I would certainly use White Dorkings if at all possible. However, I guess I wouldn't rule out that if I didn't use the Dorking hens originally, I may not have had a problem with the breast.

Here is a little history on my original birds.
1. The Leghorns were from a Ideal Hatchery. I feel this did help their production since the other birds were from exhibition flocks. They certainly were not the type Leghorns.
2. The Dorkings came from Duane Urch. They were nice birds with great type. The color was pretty decent with the hens much stronger in color than the males.
3. The White Rock was a throw back white that was produced from a Buff Columbian Rock mating. He was the only white bird that was ever produced from that White Rock mating.

Based on this I believe the Peach Laced gene came from the Buff Columbian history and possibly showed up due to the mixing with the salmon breast of the Dorking. The variety was extremely rare. I produced 4 of the variety (from white breeding) in 10 years of breeding. I would guess that the variety showed up around 1 time in every 200 chicks. When they hatched they stood out from the other white chicks. They had the same color chick fluff, just much more intense or bright. It is hard to explain; all I can say is when the first one was hatched I knew immediately that there was something different about that chicks color. When you bred two Peach Laced together they produced lots of white chicks, and I only hatched 2 or 3 chicks of the variety from setting the eggs of the parents.

As a side note, I also produced plenty of the red pyle's that also showed up during the original creation. I was going to work with them until the peach showed up, then I had to decide what to pursue as I didn't have lots of room at the time for breeding birds. Which I guess I need to back up and note that the majority of this breeding program took place in my current home which is in the downtown of the city I live in. So what I am getting at is the space was extremely limited.

A final thought on the breeding. I focused first on getting the Lamona type and the plan was to pursue the color later. To my surprise, when I did this, the color came naturally as the type developed. Along with this, as I selected for type the white egg shell color and ear lobe colors also came naturally. Of course with the exception of that blasted salmon breast that always reared it's ugly head. The one place I neglected to focus on, which I would watch much closer the next time, is egg laying ability. My theory on that was that I was breeding for exhibition and didn't care that they wouldn't lay 200 eggs a year. I strongly encourage anyone working on the breed to closely monitor the laying ability. It is the laying and meat production abilities that made them valuable, that should not change or be sacrificed because they are being re-created or rescued.

 

[TrostPoultry]

One thing to note. The Peach Laced is the only way I could think to describe them. If there is a more correct color name, please let me know. I have been told that they were Gold Necks, however I don't know so much about that. However I am not familiar with what the gold neck looks like. (I may just go research that now).

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Post office just called! Lamona eggs have arrived in Monticello, Arkansas! Will update when I get them home and try to add photos.

Jeremy, thanks for the info. I am definetly going to steer clear of the Salmon Breast. I think the rose comb (white) would be easier to breed out than the salmon breast. High egg production is most important. There are some that think the Lamona should just die off. We will ignore those who are doubtful and move forward.

 

[TomNY]

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[TrostPoultry]

You know.... I think Sandhill Preservation Center has Single Comb White Dorkings. Might be worth checking out so you don't have to mess with the rose comb. Just a thought, and something I just thought of.

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/chickens.html#dorkings

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Well, the eggs arrived. At least 37 arrived. My fault. I asked them to be shipped in the same box as the foam shipping inserts were shipped in, thinking that the foam shippers had been properly shipped, as I had requested. Seems the foam shippers had been shipped in a slightly undersized box. Foam or not, when a heavy box is slammed down on top, something has to give. It was precious eggs. Not angry at anyone but myself, the foam shippers seller and the USPS.

Anyway, we have 37 good eggs that will go in the incubator today, along with some Buff Orpingtons and other assorted eggs from our own flock. This will allow us to better judge if the Lamonas are developing correctly. Or so we hope.

Note that one is a very light cream color. Hoping it hatches. At some point we will start culling for egg color. But first we must get numbers on the ground. The first season we will hatch everything that is laid and viable. When our incubator is full we will offer eggs. But for now we are just praying for a great hatch of these 37 eggs!

 

[welasharon]

Best of luck with them!