Answer to the Delaware Dilemma

[kathyinmo]

My plan is to wait until Spring to hatch chicks (for myself). I plan to use some kind of trap nesting and hatching carefully. I want to see how chicks from Oliver and 4 of my girls turn out. I am gonna use Jacob with 3 others, I think, and test that out, too. In the mean time, I gotta keep these boys alive......

Today, Oliver about got his butt kicked. If I hadn't been outside I am afraid it would have been worse. My big ol' Heritage Barred Rock had Oliver scared, for sure. I found him in the BR pen (where no one ever goes), with his head buried near the base of a tree. I picked him up and he was all bloody in the hackles. I cleaned him up, and am still not sure where all the blood came from. I know some was from his comb, and it now has a little "sprig," sticking out from the injury. Scared me to death. I am not gonna let those 2 pens out at the same time again. Usually they never go to the same areas. Not gonna take another chance like that!

 

[popcornpuppy]

Sorry to hear about your roo troubles Kathy. I did read about your rosecomb RIR recently. I hate it when the boys get injured.
I am very lucky that my boys get along great. My hens (hatchery stock that I hope to be selling this weekend) are the ones that tear up my roos. Now I know what Cynthia went through with Ike and his girls, cause my hatchery reds are doing the same thing to may heritage Red roo. We put so much into choosing the best boy and then the rest of the chickens protest and cause harm or trouble for our beloved roos.

 

[kathyinmo]

Of course, I only had the one rosecomb RIR! It HAD to happen to him!

What do you think of this girl?

 

[popcornpuppy]

Quote:
She looks like a nice size & shape. Is she a little smutty along the back? I can't tell too well from the angle of the pic. I do wish my girls had that color in their hackles and wings.


ETA: smutt can be a good thing if used properly in a breeding program

 

[kathyinmo]

Exactly! See the smut here ..... I like her size and shape, but how do ya get rid of the smut?

ETA: Here is a better picture, to show the smut ...

 

[popcornpuppy]

Now from what I have studied and read regarding smutt is that you need to breed a smutty female to a "clean" male. That is a male free of smut. This keeps the color strong without it being too much, resulting in cleaner smut free offspring. But if the male & female have smut the color of the offspring will be too heavy and smutty.
Now my disclaimer:
I am still learning and have read this. I have not tried this breeding technique as I do not have any hens with smut. That is why my second generation is so light.

 

[kathyinmo]

I am thinking I should have kept all of those light hackled girls that I culled.

 

[popcornpuppy]

Don't be so hard on yourself.
My opinion about what I have read is not the final word in genetics. Folks like Chris on the RIR thread have greater knowledge of how these things work and the experts could give you a better idea of how to best use your hen.

 

[kathyinmo]

Well...... I will just keep working on building the barn for now. Maybe work on the paint in the next generation! I still have no chicks from my 2 roosters. Others have them, and I am anxious to see how they turn out. I am waiting until spring for myself. I have some in the incubator right now .... but am not keeping any of them.

 

[popcornpuppy]

Kathy, here is a link to an old article that talks about the importance of smut in RIR's. I feel this information is relevent to any breed.
http://www.genetics.org/cgi/reprint/11/4/355.pdf