The Wyandotte Thread

[delisha]

What exactly is a crow shaped head? Long beak, narrow head? (I'm a noob, sorry) Are there any example close up pictures that can show this and compared with what to breed for? I just started out with wyandottes who came from various breeders. I have a young cockerel who seems inferior to my other one with what I suspect to be a bad head shape. I want to breed for type and just ordered a SOP book. I'm hoping this will all be explained to me in there. I feel very clueless.

Congrats on your purchase..it has some great pages on head types..you will learn so much in those first 30 or so pages.

I just bought some golden lace Wyandotte chicks can someone please tell me how to tell the sex of the chicks

Males usually get wattles pretty early. So if you see tiny little wattles growing in a few week..those are boys. The boys also have color to the comb and wattles. Girls are usually neutral color until POL.

Quote:
I have SLW. They are pretty hardy. I do not think fertility has anything to do with being hardy.
A study was done on fertility and combs in chickens. It was discovered that comb types have a reflection to fertility and sexual activity in males.
Can I see the history you are speaking of the inbreeding that is different than all other breeds? I would be very interested. SLW is a new breed for me last year and i am learning all I can.

Tea Chick
You have predator problems. Chickens do not decapitate each other. I normally would let this go but i do not want new people thinking rooster can and do decapitate other birds..they do not.

 

[Farmer Viola]

The original Wyandotte Standard of Perfection, the outdated one you say is a wealth of information and history of the breed and is as relevant today as it was when it was written over a century ago. It is free because the copyright has run out on the book and it is in many university libraries that are being scanned so people can view them digitally.
The new Standard of Perfection is just fine with all of the glossy color photos but have learned more in many years from that old outdated book.

A crow head is what you mentioned. A narrow skull, elongated beak. Most of the crow head in Wyandottes stems from use of Rocks or Single Combed birds in breeding. Single combs by nature will narrow the skull causing more of a prevalence of crow head.

I didn't mean to discredit it in any way, I just wasn't sure if it was still accurate since the most recent SoP is from 2010. The APA SoP book is on my wish list but I do not actually own it yet,

so I can't make comparisons to it... I have poured over the Wyandotte SoP PDF e-book though, as you said the information is VERY good! I am relieved to know I can rely on it for accuracy, thanks!

 

[DMRippy]

LOL Decapitation is a predator not a chick for sure. I have NEVER seen a chicken kill another healthy chicken. week sick chickens yes but healthy chickens no. They will fight but not usually to the death. One will give in and hide from the other and game over they leave them alone in the corner bleeding till I have to dig them out.

This is just my OPINION and I know there are lots with different opinions but SOME lines of SLW are too inbreed and have fertility issues. My BLRW don't have any fertility issues ever! My SLW are so sketchy with fertility I am SERIOUSLY thinking of selling the lot or EATING THEM. I do have some new SLW roos I am going to try and see if things improve but if not by next spring they are OUT OF HERE! I can only grow out 2-3 pullets a year if I am LUCKY!

This is not a problem with hatchery SLW so I think it is line related.

 

[CashandTracy]

http://www.archive.org/stream/wyandottestandar00nour#page/n0/mode/2up

I think this is the same book, different link.

I just checked it out, looks great! I know what I'll be reading at work LOL!

 

[PeakyBeaky]

LOL Decapitation is a predator not a chick for sure. I have NEVER seen a chicken kill another healthy chicken. week sick chickens yes but healthy chickens no. They will fight but not usually to the death. One will give in and hide from the other and game over they leave them alone in the corner bleeding till I have to dig them out.

This is just my OPINION and I know there are lots with different opinions but SOME lines of SLW are too inbreed and have fertility issues. My BLRW don't have any fertility issues ever! My SLW are so sketchy with fertility I am SERIOUSLY thinking of selling the lot or EATING THEM. I do have some new SLW roos I am going to try and see if things improve but if not by next spring they are OUT OF HERE! I can only grow out 2-3 pullets a year if I am LUCKY!

This is not a problem with hatchery SLW so I think it is line related.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Mine are bringing me much pleasure.

And I've had no fertility problems.

 

[wyandodo]

This is my breeding pen for 2014.
A silver laced rooster, 7 blue laced silver hens and 1 splash laced silver hen.

 

[DMRippy]

This is my breeding pen for 2014.
A silver laced rooster, 7 blue laced silver hens and 1 splash laced silver hen.

I want those SOOOOOO BAD they are SOOOOO PRETTY! WHY will my Splash BLRW's not lay me an egg??????

 

[8isenuff]

This is my breeding pen for 2014.
A silver laced rooster, 7 blue laced silver hens and 1 splash laced silver hen.

Beautiful!!! Those Blue laced Silvers are gorgeous!! Is there a way to breed to end up with those? hmmmmm...if I take my BLRW Splas Roo and mate him with a SLW?....Splash and Black always breed to Blue, right???
Very Pretty!!!

 

[DMRippy]

you should do it the other way around. SLW roo x splash. silver is sexlinked so you would only end up with blue silver cockerel.