Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[wthchristi]

I bought my barnevelders and were hoping for feedback, they just turned 4 weeks old.

 

[pinkchick]

13 out of 15 shipped eggs from Georgia to Washington State are developing nicely and go into lockdown on Friday!!!!

With lotsa luck I should be posting baby pics soon.

Beautiful birds everyone......BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!

 

[bigredfeather]

I got some new pics. I just put 24 Barnie eggs in the bator Saturday.

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I am new to Barnies. Does my roo look like he is supposed to?

 

[bumpershoot]

Quote:
I am no expert and have not looked at lots and lots of chicks, but your babies look nice. I think the thing to do is take pics as they grow and compare to what they look like when they are mature.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Bigredfeather,
your roo looks nice. You want to breed for improvement so I generally look at what hens have what the roo doesn't. There are no perfect birds but hopefully we all breed for chicks that will be better than the parents.

 

[peachychick]

I hope some of you longtimer barnevelder breeders

are subscribed to this thread and will respond

.
Do barnevelders carry the slow-feathering-male gene that would let us sex them shortly after hatch based on the # of rows of feathers on the wing?
We are certainly planning to keep everything that hatches from our purchased eggs (BTW JamesA, a bunch of yours should be pipping tomorrow

), but for those we are hatching from our own eggs, we have to find a way to selectively raise. There is not enough grow-off space or extra feed to be found around our place.
Thanks.

 

[tnchickenut]

I'm new to breeding Barnies too (God they are soft!!!)... I have a extra roo that I need to find a good home for, but am having no luck. Is $10 (what I'm asking) too much? He is in my avatar... I'll try to edit in a moment with a bigger pic.


EDIT:

and

 

[Laurieks]

Quote:
I know your post was a while ago, but here's an idea... I'm going on an Alaska cruise, out of Seattle, June 6-13, with a stop in Victoria on the 12th (ugh, too bad no stop on the way up). I'd be happy to bring some and try to get them through. Ouch... I just looked up Markerville... Alberta, right down the road from the Royal Tyrrell BEST Dino Museum on earth, but kinda far from Victoria. But there it is... maybe you have family with an incubator in Victoria? The eggs will need to be collected May 29-June 4 so would need to start incubating soon.

My Girls are 2 Johan & 2 vB, & the boys are KC/vB. I pulled out the roo with the less than perfect comb, just in case. Our eggs are dark enough, with a light or speckled one now and then.

'Jack' at 3 weeks, from the 2 yr old Johan hen

 

[Laurieks]

my two roos.... I took Aristotle (on the right) out of the breeding pen to get the nicer comb of his brother Alexander to pass on to the chicks....IF it even does. What do you all think? (Ari has a damaged wattle, not worried about that)
These guys are identical except for the comb.
Thanks all!
Laurie

 

[()relics]

Here is an observation: It seems that certain breeders are pushing lower quality birds into the market. It happens with every breed when there is a demand but a limited supply. It seems, to me anyway, that the "true barnevelder" has been watered down by cross breeding to increase egg production. I have seen lots of "barnevelder" chicks/hens/rooster lately that actually look very little like barnevelders. My theory, and that of some of my other breeder friends, is that breeders are using both welsummers and penedesencas to generate more eggs which are to be sold. This happens all the time with almost every breed, outcrossing to improve stock or change a feature BUT it seems to have really taken off with the barnevelder breed. Hatching eggs breeding stock and chicks in the standard variety are easily found; not to mention bantams. Again many MANY of these are being sold to buyers as pure stock barnevelders when really they are not and the bantams are really nothing more than a project at this point but are being pushed as "pure".
Just curious to see if anyone else has come to a similar conclusion.