Quote:
Hi Cari
I've found it best to wait until about 20 weeks old on these before doing any culling. At this point look for the
females with no hackle ticking and the best tail color. Some of the younger chicks will show hackle color early that
will be clean after the juvie molt. I only have one breeder that has any hackle striping but am using her as she has
the best solid color tail. Here are some of her offspring, just turning 20 weeks. They have ended up with clean
hackles, but not as good tail color as mama:
My initial emphasis has been on selecting breeders with wide heads/bodies and full beards.
Now that I have that "locked in" I am working on getting solid color in the tails with no hackle
striping on either the males or females. My boys do not have much striping, but I'm aiming for
totally clean hackles.
I have a 20 week old cockerel that has no striping at all. He has light, but not totally white legs.
I have corresponded with Mike Gilbert re this as I am getting the occasional (less than 10%) chick
with light legs....always a male and usually with clean hackles. He indicated that something other
than the ID leg gene is likely going on...a "dilute" gene he suspects. I am wondering if this is
what I need to get clean hackeled cockerels as breeding to clean females is not totally eliminating
stripping. I will do some test matings, but am concerned about the leg color in the offspring.
I don't want to lose hackle striping and end up with chicks with light legs.
WELLLL..... I guess we would know at hatch time how many pure whites we actually got and not before huh? hahaha-what would the mix chicks look like at hatch? Certainly not pure white right-I mean we could tell what chicks were what at hatch time?
