Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[Idahomestead]

Am getting a Barnevelder roo chick this May to eventually breed with my Barnevelder hens. My hens lay medium to dark brown eggs, although they are not as dark as the Marans or Welsummers eggs that I've seen pictured. Hope to improve that through breeding. Will see.

The girls seemed to handle this past winter well, although we only had about a month of days in the 20s and a few nights when it hovered around 9 degrees or so. As we live in high desert, it is relatively dry here year 'round and there didn't seem to be a problem with combs freezing, which I have read is the result of too much moisture in the coop. If you keep your henhouse adequately ventilated, you shouldn't have a problem. And I did not heat or light the coop this winter. One thing I noticed, and have never seen mentioned anywhere, is that the combs of all my hens seemed to shrink and get pale during cold weather. At first I thought that was a health issue, but since the weather has warmed up, their combs (and wattles) have colored up and are big and full again.

 

[mountainvieworchards]

The hens combs and wattles fade when they are not laying and get bright red when they start laying again.

 

[Happy Chooks]

The hens combs and wattles fade when they are not laying and get bright red when they start laying again.

x2

 

[bumpershoot]

Hi Everyone!

I have been gone a long while, so probably no one knows me. My Barnie flock was Johan and Christina. After a short amount of reading I find that both of these folks are not going to be available as resources this year, which is sad as they were both so wonderful. I am hoping to restart my flock this year and am searching for resources. In the best of all worlds I would buy an roo with a couple of hens and build from there. I live at 6800 ft above sea level so hatching is challenging and expensive. Suggestions anyone? TIA.

 

[BlueCamas]

I have 7 cockerels to choose from and I don't know which one to pick! I want some opinions. These are 10 week old bantam barnevelder cockerels. Even though they are bantam, maybe you LF breeders could chime in. If you had to pick one of these cockerels for breeding, which would you choose?

Cockerel #1: Out of the whole batch, he is the most black with little lacing. His comb is a little off.





Cockerel #2: He has some chest lacing going on that is different from all the other cockerels (not sure if it's good or bad thing). His back is very colorful with a variety of patterns. As far as I can tell, his comb is good.



Cockerel #3: This guy is also pretty dark in color, but has some lacing on his shoulder (sorry the last pic is blurry)




These are just some of the cockerels that I managed to get good pics of. They kind of represent the variety in this batch.
So help me out guys. Who would you choose and Why? What do you look for in a future breeding rooster?

 

[Happy Chooks]

#1 looks the best to me. He's young, but so far it looks like he's got a good tail angle, nice wing set, and nice coloring.

#2 Has poor coloring. #3 I don't like his wing set in the last picture.

 

[Kenshan1]

Isn't #2 a pullet? I thought coloring in the chest was a pullet.

Shannon

I have 7 cockerels to choose from and I don't know which one to pick! I want some opinions. These are 10 week old bantam barnevelder cockerels. Even though they are bantam, maybe you LF breeders could chime in. If you had to pick one of these cockerels for breeding, which would you choose?

Cockerel #1: Out of the whole batch, he is the most black with little lacing. His comb is a little off.





Cockerel #2: He has some chest lacing going on that is different from all the other cockerels (not sure if it's good or bad thing). His back is very colorful with a variety of patterns. As far as I can tell, his comb is good.



Cockerel #3: This guy is also pretty dark in color, but has some lacing on his shoulder (sorry the last pic is blurry)




These are just some of the cockerels that I managed to get good pics of. They kind of represent the variety in this batch.
So help me out guys. Who would you choose and Why? What do you look for in a future breeding rooster?

 

[BlueCamas]

Nope #2 is 100% cockerel. It isn't double lacing either, just regular lacing.

 

[mountainvieworchards]

I would wait on all of these cockerels they are too young to cull in my opinion. Of course which ones you select for breeding depends heavily on what your goals are and what your hens look like. When I breed I select partly based on what the opposite sex brings to the pairing, balancing weakness in one with the strength in another.

I find Number 2 with the hen feathering very interesting and this is one I would grow out and if he looks nice at breeding age I would try him out. I saw a photo in a British Poultry magazine of a Barnevelder Cock with hen feathering on the full breast and all over, and the author's comment was that this was one that was valuable for producing good lacing in his daughters. I read similar comments about a silver penciled Wyandotte Cock that was hen feathered in an old poultry breeding book by Slocum, valuable as a breeder for good penciling in offspring. I have not seen such a cock in USA Barnevelder large fowl. But if I hatch one I{ am certainly going to give him a try.

Andy

 

[Tailfeathers]

I would wait on all of these cockerels they are too young to cull in my opinion. Of course which ones you select for breeding depends heavily on what your goals are and what your hens look like. When I breed I select partly based on what the opposite sex brings to the pairing, balancing weakness in one with the strength in another.

I find Number 2 with the hen feathering very interesting and this is one I would grow out and if he looks nice at breeding age I would try him out. I saw a photo in a British Poultry magazine of a Barnevelder Cock with hen feathering on the full breast and all over, and the author's comment was that this was one that was valuable for producing good lacing in his daughters. I read similar comments about a silver penciled Wyandotte Cock that was hen feathered in an old poultry breeding book by Slocum, valuable as a breeder for good penciling in offspring. I have not seen such a cock in USA Barnevelder large fowl. But if I hatch one I{ am certainly going to give him a try.

Andy

I agree 100%. Way too early to be making a decision. There is some good indications but not enough to make a final decision on yet.

Andy, that's interesting comments about the "hen feathering". Thus far I've been trying to pick the Barnie male with the best "lacing" and yet not be too brown. But my #1 priority right now is leg coloring over even that.

God Bless,