I can’t be sure but it’s my best guess. It could be an Icelandic x Deathlayer right? The rose wouldn’t have to come from the Icelandic, they will still pass some genetics that affect the shape of a rose comb. Most of the rose combs with one copy of duplex that I’ve seen are split towards the...
They made it into the standard because they were significant at the time, and had numbers. If they still had purpose why would their numbers be so low?
The current assortment in the standard represents only a fraction of the potential phenotypical diversity that is possible. Chickens have an...
Yeah, if they are worth saving I'm sure the Germans will take care of it. Something a lot of people don't realize is that many of these endangered breeds are only recreations of the former landraces that went extinct during the world wars. Others went extinct during the post World War II...
I've made many crosses of black varieties to wildtype, which were always followed by successive backcrosses to wildtype. In every case, many of the second generation e+ chicks are melanized to various degrees. I have also isolated one gene that is recessive and strong enough to darken the...
Are you in the US? There were some Lavender Sebrights made years ago by Dan Powell in Wisconsin. It might be worth checking if they are still around. If not a Porcelain d'Uccle would be a good choice. There won't be much color variation in the first generation cross, so you won't have to hatch...
This is not correct. The Dv allele is highly variable depending on it's regulation and what modifiers it is paired with. The expression of homozygous Dv ranges from a complete lack of comb to large horns with the equivalent mass of a single comb. As such, when the allele is paired with either...
Cell division begins before the egg is laid. From then on cells continue to divide as long as the egg is above 32F — faster at higher temperatures and slower at lower temperatures. The eggs will be perfectly fine if left under hens for the first day, the only benefit to collecting sooner would...
Enjoying the warm weather! No run on this barn but the windows are wide open. Hope it lasts. First chicks hatching today, anyone else started hatching yet?
Traditionally chickens in northern Europe overwintered in barns together with the livestock. In Iceland, they were kept in turf houses connected to many other houses. They benefited from the body heat of humans, cattle, horses, sheep, etc. Many of the northern breeds don’t have the cold...