The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[desertmarcy]

I need an expert opinion on this comb. Is this considered to be a split blade? I was about to put him in my last butcher run, but he was the only one of my older group of RIR cockerels that is up to standard weight. He was hatched sometime in April. All the rest are 7 lbs or less. Thanks, I will cull him if this is a DQ, good weight or no good weight.

 

[lualshannon]

Hi Jeff ,


I can attest to your comment of: " 2 weeks to 4 some rare instances proves the latter false also". I have 3 half-breed/mutts who were hatched from the eggs of a hen segregated in a very safe run with heavy gage wires for 30 days. The cockerel I decided not to keep turned out to be the sire of them all. Well, this was a clutch of chicks which I was happy to have a very poor hatch rate. It proved to me that I have to segregate the hens much longer of a period.


Since the sire of the chicks was only a cockerel, and the older roosters had access to her as well before I separated her, am wondering if the younger birds' sperm has better longevity than the older, mature roosters.


I did not want to keep him; he is gone to another place, but, left me his daughters to remember the lesson : )


Lual

  

Lual I don't know(probly a few vaiables here that could account for the potency of a males sperm more so than just age) but I do know there are a lot of cases showing that the sperm from other males from previous matings can and will pop up ever so often. I would think that the newer (not so much as a younger males) sperm would be more potent.  But too here's where one can throw most about the way we(I ) think of the life of a sperm cell. In mammals and humans the testes are located on the outside for temperature control reasons and too the female fluids are torture on them also once they are little free swimmers(there's a plan here for all that right) Well in the fowl world the males testes are located on the inside (for temperature control reasons also) this is because when the mating process occurs the sperm(most of them) are stored in the hens reproductive system so that one mating can cover a lot of territory(so to say) if the situation arises where the female is only mated the one time and can still be able to have a multiple offspring birth(lower food chain/and weaker survivors) here more so than a mammalia(large in size) groups. Ever notice all the big mammals have singular or few offspring the smaller have the multiple births all Mother Natures way of keeping everything in balance.I know I'm running on here. But the testicles inside the male lets the sperm live at that temperature for the sole reason of them to be able to survive the duration of time (however long that may be?IDK) inside the reproductive tract of the female. I would figure that a rooster and hens body temps are equal except during broodiness when the hens is a tad bit lower. This is my theory not one I've copied or have go to proof for a reference(s) I'm sure there is and I've probly read up on it on more than one occasion and I'm just putting some stuff together from my thinking here. I'll quit here, LOL

Jeff

Hi Jeff,


Thank you for the wonderful article, Jeff! It gives me better understanding of the differences in fertilization process, and possible reasons why I ended up with mixed breed chicks after 30 day segregation. Much appreciated, helpful information!!

Lual

 

[Aamanda]

We're in Texas near the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Thank you!

Lurking only takes you so far so thought I would jump on board.

Tried calling in September but there wasn't an answer. I left a message but didn't hear back. I tried again a couple of days ago with the same results. Figured he had gotten out or already had enough orders in. Perhaps he's working on his pens?

Thanks for the leads! We're excited to get our flock up and going.

I contacted him through email. It just took him some time to reply.

 

[fowlman01]

I don't see a split. Where should I look?

W

 

[desertmarcy]

I don't see a split. Where should I look?

W

On the comb's blade, it makes sort of a "Y" horizontally and I'm wondering if that qualifies as a split.

 

[Laingcroft]

On the comb's blade, it makes sort of a "Y" horizontally and I'm wondering if that qualifies as a split.

Hmm, I'm no expert by a long shot but when I look at the 2010 SOP (Fig. 31, pg. 19) and the description "tendency of the blade to split perpendicularly" your picture looks more like extra (poor) points or perhaps almost leaning toward sprigs, but not a split in the blade.

 

[desertmarcy]

Hmm, I'm no expert by a long shot but when I look at the 2010 SOP (Fig. 31, pg. 19) and the description "tendency of the blade to split perpendicularly" your picture looks more like extra (poor) points or perhaps almost leaning toward sprigs, but not a split in the blade.

Yes, that is the page in the SOP I was looking at that got me wondering. I have never actually seen a split blade. You are probably right, just poor points, not sprigs.

 

[docdandc]

I'm sure the mods can handle what's what Doc J/S and I would hope if they decide to eliminate my post(s) they'd put it somewhere appropriate it took a lot of caffeine and fixing a lot of typos for all that this morning I'm not trying to derail the thread, (filling in the gaps) breeding and hatching goes along with rearing up good Reds too LOL

Jeff

All good info. I was just hoping to see more RIR posts. Keep on posting! I have read every word of this thread. I look forward to reading more and check here every day. You all have great info but I like the Red stuff the best. I hope everyone is OK with the recent cold weather blast.

Dan

 

[catdaddyfro]

All good info. I was just hoping to see more RIR posts. Keep on posting! I have read every word of this thread. I look forward to reading more and check here every day. You all have great info but I like the Red stuff the best. I hope everyone is OK with the recent cold weather blast.

Dan

I agree with ya Doc I wished I had more Red stuff to say myself. I'm just getting my feet wet with some going into my sophomore year with them so I don't have much yet or know anywhere near too much. So yes any input on them is great. (I feel like that little robot Johnny 5 in Short Circuit from back in the day "need more input") LOL

Jeff

 

[cmom]

Doesn't seem to be as many posts since Bob passed away. I still go to his website which has a wealth of information. http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id29.html