Ongoing Brahma Projects Thread

[sherrya]

Thanks for the information. If I keep one of them what color brahma would be best to breed to? Not looking for any color specifically. I currently have buff, gl, light, dark and Blue/Gold Partridge. ALL pullet with the exception of the four splash roosters. ( only one other Brahma rooster SL).

 

[big medicine]

Thanks for the information. If I keep one of them what color brahma would be best to breed to? Not looking for any color specifically. I currently have buff, gl, light, dark and Blue/Gold Partridge. ALL pullet with the exception of the four splash roosters. ( only one other Brahma rooster SL).

If they are colored and patterned like the one in the photo, I would say pick the one with the best type and put him over buff females.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

To my way of thinking,the red of Red Splash indicates it is a gold based with some type of red enhancers, or possibly mahogany. Your bird is gold based, but looks to be more buff colored, different genetics involved.

The splash part tends to indicate that the bird carries two copies of blue. Blue is a diluter of black. One copy results in the feathering that is normally black being diluted to a shade of blue. Two copies dilutes these normally black parts even further to a very washed out light blue to white color. No copies of blue leaves black parts black.

The description Red Splash gives a person general idea of what basic color a bird might be, but no indication of what pattern these colors are arranged in, which cam be confusing. Some of the European breed club standards have adapted very descriptive terms for color names. For example your cockerel would likely be described as a black buff columbian, to differentiate from a blue buff columbian. Except apparently in England where backyard Brahma breeders lump anything gold based splash in a great pile and call them red pyle regaurdless of pattern. Which to my way of thinking is wrong about a dozen ways, as true red pyle is a black breasted red bird with the addition of dominant white turning the black parts white.

I know way more info than you were looking for, but kind of a pet peeve of mine.

But I so love your info.

 

[Trooper Man]

Very nice colors on some of those brahmas. I would like to see some more does anyone sell chicks?

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Where do you live?

 

[Trooper Man]

North East TN if I can locate some nice brahmas to let run with my Darks I am getting March 1 at the Unifour show. Any help from anyone is appreciated. I cannot buy eggs because it is too risky for me. Chicks-Adults is what I am looking for.

 

[bumpercarr]

Genetics question for Big Medicine again. I believe that I read somewhere that the hen is responsible for the gender of the offspring and that the hen also tends to throw her type (head size, body size and shape, foot feathering, etc...not color) more strongly onto the offspring. Has this shown to be the case in your experience? If so, then would it be smarter to keep a hen that tends to throw more pullets, assuming that you have a rooster that is very good as to type? Hope this makes sense.....this genetics stuff is fascinating!

I've read that it is advisable to breed the pullets back to their father, provided that they have the type that you are looking for. Do you have any experience with this? How deep into line breeding have you gone in your experimentation? I know the answer will probably be lengthy, that's okay, I like it that way!

 

[big medicine]

Genetics question for Big Medicine again. I believe that I read somewhere that the hen is responsible for the gender of the offspring and that the hen also tends to throw her type (head size, body size and shape, foot feathering, etc...not color) more strongly onto the offspring. Has this shown to be the case in your experience? If so, then would it be smarter to keep a hen that tends to throw more pullets, assuming that you have a rooster that is very good as to type? Hope this makes sense.....this genetics stuff is fascinating!

I've read that it is advisable to breed the pullets back to their father, provided that they have the type that you are looking for. Do you have any experience with this? How deep into line breeding have you gone in your experimentation? I know the answer will probably be lengthy, that's okay, I like it that way!

That's how I read it as well, the sex of the chick is determined by the hen. But I don't know that I have seen any theories of particular hens throwing a higher percentage of one or the other. I suppose if a particular hen possesses proper type and size, color, good vigor, and pleasant demeanor, I would use her in my breeding pen. If your records show her to produce a higher percentage of pullets that inherit her good qualities, bonus, and I would make her and her descendants very prominent in my breeding program.

As to female chick color being determined by the male, this is true, to a degree. Basically all chickens are silver or gold based, The base color of female chicks is determined by their father. Females carry a single base color gene. Males carry two, which can be both be gold, or both silver, or one gold and one silver(split). Female chicks inherit their single base color gene from their father, male chicks inherit one from each parent. Now that pertains to base color only. The pattern that these colors are arranged in is determined by various genetic combinations contributed equally by both parents.

Many old time breeders put a lot of stock in the theory that the hen strongly influences type, and I agree. But I don't know if I put any more emphasis on one side of the mating than the other. In almost all circumstances it is preferable to breed only from the very best stock you have available, relegating marginal hens to the eating egg flock. The possible exception here would be if your trying to bring in a new color or trait. Producing less chicks, but of better overall quality is always beneficial, more space per chick, less feed costs, and so forth.

Almost all improvement in livestock in general involved line breeding to some degree. There are several theories of rotational breeding programs to avoid problems incurred when breeding within a limited gene pool.

 

[bumpercarr]

That's how I read it as well, the sex of the chick is determined by the hen. But I don't know that I have seen any theories of particular hens throwing a higher percentage of one or the other. I suppose if a particular hen possesses proper type and size, color, good vigor, and pleasant demeanor, I would use her in my breeding pen. If your records show her to produce a higher percentage of pullets that inherit her good qualities, bonus, and I would make her and her descendants very prominent in my breeding program.

As to female chick color being determined by the male, this is true, to a degree. Basically all chickens are silver or gold based, The base color of female chicks is determined by their father. Females carry a single base color gene. Males carry two, which can be both be gold, or both silver, or one gold and one silver(split). Female chicks inherit their single base color gene from their father, male chicks inherit one from each parent. Now that pertains to base color only. The pattern that these colors are arranged in is determined by various genetic combinations contributed equally by both parents.

Many old time breeders put a lot of stock in the theory that the hen strongly influences type, and I agree. But I don't know if I put any more emphasis on one side of the mating than the other. In almost all circumstances it is preferable to breed only from the very best stock you have available, relegating marginal hens to the eating egg flock. The possible exception here would be if your trying to bring in a new color or trait. Producing less chicks, but of better overall quality is always beneficial, more space per chick, less feed costs, and so forth.

Almost all improvement in livestock in general involved line breeding to some degree. There are several theories of rotational breeding programs to avoid problems incurred when breeding within a limited gene pool.

I just love your posts! I had a hunting dog once that was 4th generation line bred. Not only could he not hunt, but he had a screw loose somewhere. After he bit one of the neighbor kids, we had to give him away after having $$$ in buying him, training him, etc. He went to a good farm home, where he'd stay in the kennel except when he was out to hunt. So usually, I'm thinking a big NO to line breeding. With that said, I don't think chickens would have the same kind of problems that he had, but I can see that you stand a good chance of deepening some bad characteristics. Now that my duo is about 6 months old, I can see what characteristics I really like and which I don't. My cockerel seems a little bit on the light side, but he's definitely still growing so I'm hesitant to cull him yet. I love his head and his feather texture and color are spectacular. No vulture hocks and a great personality. I'm not really sure about his tail, still trying to figure out what a good tail in a Brahma is supposed to look like. My pullet has a great body type, she's putting on weight nicely and already her breast bone is covered in meat. Her head is better than the cockerel. But she does have a cushion, which I'd rather she didn't. Her tail is also not the nice upside down U that I would like, but it is also not a V. Just a little narrower at the top than I think I'd like to see. Again, no vulture hocks. Overall, I would say that I like the looks of my pair and if they were the right color (they are partridge), they would do okay at a poultry show, but wouldn't be at the top of the feather footed. With that said, I think that mine are the best I've seen pictures posted of (partridge) with the exception of a farm in Texas that sold out their stock. They had beautiful birds and I really wanted a trio from them, but unfortunately, I was in Guatemala and couldn't make it there to pick them up before they sold.

So, I have some dark eggs coming soon (I hope) and think that I might be getting the hang of what to look for in my breeding stock. I'm right now trying to figure out how I want to document who I've bred to who and what I got. I'd like to write a program (I program as a hobby) to keep track of it all....it will be a long term project I think, probably starting breeding and hatching this fall if everything goes the way I've planned.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

North East TN if I can locate some nice brahmas to let run with my Darks I am getting March 1 at the Unifour show. Any help from anyone is appreciated. I cannot buy eggs because it is too risky for me. Chicks-Adults is what I am looking for.

Have we talked already? About Gold Laced Brahma's.