The Wyandotte Thread

[Nigellas]

I pick up two chicks at TSC last night that were marked "Laced pullets" (lol) - I'm guessing wyandottes - but could use your help determining if they are golden or sliver laced (or one of each?)

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks DMRippy and Peaky. The fertility comment I read was just a random post by someone. It may have also mentioned the congenital/heart disorders as well. I've also read the random comment re: comb style and fertility. My long range plan is to put a number of RC and PC birds together, and breed a flock of hardy birds that will do well in my Zone 4 climate. But, the occasional fertility comment I'm reading gives me minor concerns. My starting breeds will be Dominique, RC brown Leghorn, and hopefuly SLW. My current flock has EE and RIR that I would also allow to play in the gene pool.

 

[bub374]

I have a question if I were to buy goldlace Wyandotte chicks from a feed store what should I look for

 

[Avlana]

Wow! I've learned soooo much already in the original Wyandotte Standard of Perfection. I have a nice pullet and cockerel I want to work with. The younger cockerel I'm culling out and a pullet I'll keep in my layer flock, which I'm building up too. I'd love to start showing later down the road. I have a lot to learn yet.

 

[TeaChick]

I will respectfully bow out of "The Wyandotte Thread", as I have no more Wyandottes (both my roosters are half, but I do not think that really counts).
They are beautiful birds and I hope to be able to rejoin the thread as the proud owner of at least a pair some day.
Thank you, all, for all the information, advice, and food for thought. =)
If anyone wishes to contact me, feel free to PM me.
Sincerely,
Tea Chick =)

 

[CashandTracy]

I have a question if I were to buy goldlace Wyandotte chicks from a feed store what should I look for

Bright eyed active chicks with clean butts, you'll have to take the stores word on what type they are. Sometimes they miss label them. Don't get any chicks that look slugish, overly tired, sickly, or their butts crusted over with poo, or covered with diarrhea, they will most likely die or even bring a disease into your flock. If the chicks have been cared for they shouldn't have pasty butts, if they have pasty butts the store hasn't cared for them properly or they just got the order in which may/may not be problematic.

I'm not saying don't get store chicks, I'm just saying buyer be ware.

 

[NYREDS]

Thanks DMRippy and Peaky. The fertility comment I read was just a random post by someone. It may have also mentioned the congenital/heart disorders as well. I've also read the random comment re: comb style and fertility. My long range plan is to put a number of RC and PC birds together, and breed a flock of hardy birds that will do well in my Zone 4 climate. But, the occasional fertility comment I'm reading gives me minor concerns. My starting breeds will be Dominique, RC brown Leghorn, and hopefuly SLW. My current flock has EE and RIR that I would also allow to play in the gene pool.

If I'm understanding you plan to allow the 4 or 5 breeds/varieties mentioned to interbreed. If so there's no reason to think feretility will be an issue. The notion that there's a directlink between rose comb & infertiity hasn'tbeen apparen in my 50+ years of breding rose combed birds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, you're understanding me correctly, and I don't expect it to be an issue unless my original rooster is a dud. I'm sure my plan borders on sacrilege to folks who are keeping pure stock! But, I'm in it just for the fun! Thanks for your feed back re: rose comb. It didn't make sense to me that comb would affect fertility, because if it did, I'd expect rose combs to breed themselves out of existence.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Great advise

 

[dracoe19]

If I'm understanding you plan to allow the 4 or 5 breeds/varieties mentioned to interbreed. If so there's no reason to think feretility will be an issue. The notion that there's a directlink between rose comb & infertiity hasn'tbeen apparen in my 50+ years of breding rose combed birds.

For some reason, at least from my understanding, there are "different" rose combs when it combs to fertility (seabright, hamburg, rose combed bantams, Wyandotte, etc). What many of the Wyandottes have are the rose combs that inhibit sperm production, motility, and courtship behaviors. RR means the bird has a double inhibitor, Rr means they only have one inhibitor but they are still a rose comb, and rr is no inhibitor or rose comb which results in a single comb. Rr birds have been shown to be the best for breeding but the only way to figure out if the bird is RR or Rr is by crossing with a single combed bird and seeing what shows up. I have done it with my silver laced wyandottes and know at least 2 of my roosters are Rr. The others I have not tested. There are quite a few study's on the rose comb and fertility. I have only heard of this problem in wyandottes so far so there must be other genes ontop of the "R" gene that could be having an affect on sperm and courtship.
I also think the reason the BLRW do not have this problem because they are fairly new and have been crossed many years back with other breeds (brahma and Rhode Island Red). This could have helped weed out what ever other gene inhibited the sperm production besides the "R" in the rose comb.