Wybar Thread!!!

[Makomd]

Figured I would add some updated pictures of the chicks we are hatching since we don't update here much. This is today's hatch. The double barred males are pretty easy to identify with their lighter down and we plan to breed toward even lighter.
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[Papas Chickens]

Do you offer free fertile eggs from your Wybars so people can get some new and better blood lines in there breeds? If so I would like some.

 

[Makomd]

LOL, we are not where we want to be at this point. Before releasing any birds from this project I want the type, combs, autosexing to be at an acceptable point.

I would say we have hatched over 500 chicks the past 2 years for this project alone and found maybe 10 keeper hens and 3 keeper roosters (single barred). We have not made our culls for this years double barred roosters yet as we are holding out to see what we can on the lacing and may even keep a few single barred cockerels if their lacing and type are good. The good thing is, we are seeing some of the lacing and barring coming through with hens and have added a couple a very nice quality SLW hens to improve type this summer. We are currently breeding these hens to our single barred male with the best lacing to hopefully start seeing some major improvements on type as some of these will be Wybar hens as long as they are barred and of good type.


I will try to grab some current adult pictures and grow out pictures during the week, its so much easier posting pictures in facebook, so that is where my most current pictures have been going.

I am just anxious to get to 100% autosexing as even in this years hatchings I can see the double barred males, but the single barred birds are still male and female.

 

[Papas Chickens]

Sounds good, im still waiting for my birds to get to breeding age there almost 13 weeks now so almost there lol.

 

[Makomd]

Okay finally had some time to grab a few pictures of some of the more promising growouts. Still have a few more hatching and several smaller ones growing out. The whitest one seems to be fairly incomplete laced and the wing carriage is not preferred. Had more pictures of the Gold one but somehow deleted them or misplaced will look around to see if I stuffed them somewhere else in picasa.

 

[cjwaldon]

Thanks for the update Makomd. Looking good to my untrained eye. Which cross are you at, how many generations in are you?

 

[Makomd]

Currently fourth crosses are hatching while also doing some backcrossing to some show quality Wyandottes to get some better type. The barred hens from the backcrossing should breed true to the fourth generation double barred males.

If all goes as planned, chicks should be hatching 100% autosexing with next breeding groups (probably spring). The current hatches (not from the backcross) are clearly identifying the double barred males, but the single barred males and the females are still looking alike.

My biggest needs of work will be getting the lacing better as some are growing out to be incomplete laced to the point its just a few ticks of lacing and as always type. The lacing should be an easy fix helped along with the backcross.

Probably looking at about 600 chicks hatched now over the last 2 years with one more set hatching in the week and then the incubator gets to rest for the winter. When I started this I never thought it would take so many chicks to pick just a few to move the project further.

Do you have any projects going on CJ? I know the last time we talked you had moved on from the Violet (Blue) laced Wyandottes Project. I had to start over on mine but got it started again and figured, we might as well work on the Violet Laced Wybar as well, lol.

 

[cjwaldon]

My flock got fowl pox last year and I opted to cull and start over. I wasn't able to save any offspring from my Wyandottes and haven't acquired any new one ones yet. It's awesome to see the progress you've made, but 600 chicks, wow!

 

[Makomd]

Some assorted updated pictures.

 

[cjwaldon]

Thanks for sharing!