Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[pickledchicken]

Hello everyone ! This will be a pic heavy post and is open to comments and suggestions. I like the flock overall and with only 4 hens and 1 blue cockerel my heavy culling may have to come later. I can't wait for these gals to pop an egg out I continually check on them. I could have swore I heard one hen whisper to the other ( I think he is OCD ). I would love for all of us to come together one day and maybe do an egg swap in order for all to gain some desired traits. You'll notice Momma B has some bandages on her feet we are fighting off a case of bumble foot, I have handled this hen so frequently I can stuff her in my coat and she goes to sleep

 

[tls_ranch]

Hello everyone ! This will be a pic heavy post and is open to comments and suggestions. I like the flock overall and with only 4 hens and 1 blue cockerel my heavy culling may have to come later. I can't wait for these gals to pop an egg out I continually check on them. I could have swore I heard one hen whisper to the other ( I think he is OCD ). I would love for all of us to come together one day and maybe do an egg swap in order for all to gain some desired traits. You'll notice Momma B has some bandages on her feet we are fighting off a case of bumble foot, I have handled this hen so frequently I can stuff her in my coat and she goes to sleep

Looking good What line are the pullets/hens? They kind of look like Johan to me.

Trisha

 

[tls_ranch]

I tried to get a good pic of my favorite pure Barnie cockerel today. This guy is hard to photograph because he's so friendly. He is so in your face and I couldn't even get a good shot because he kept trying beg treats. I had to keep pushing him away from me so I could get a pic, LOL. Well, these aren't the best pics, but here goes.

Hatched middle of August 2012. He has the fullest tail I've ever had on a cockerel. Lower tail set than most of mine, but that should help to balance some of the more sweeping tail sets of the pullets. Not much tail fluff and what is there is dark gray. He is the biggest of all his brothers too and still growing of course since he's very young. His wings are still a bit low (he's 1/2 Johan) but not too bad. He is moulting out his wing feathers and I expect him to loose some of his beautiful tail feathers too for his last juvenile moult. Hopefully he'll keep growing out well.

Just for eye candy...my dark blue roo


A very blurry but more "normal" and relaxed pose showing his top line better.


And a pic of a "black" cockerel from the blue project hatched end of July 2012. He's one of a handful of 5th generation offspring from the blue project. I have a blue brother to this guy that is huge...at least an 1 -1/2 taller than my big blue roo and very wide too. I need to get a pic of of the big blue cockerel soon. This black roo's sister is an awesome looking black pullet with really nice body and excellent lacing. This guy maybe "dinner" soon though... I don't need any extra "black" roos.


Trisha

 

[pysankigirl]

noticing that your roo has a much better tailsweep than mine. also, my dude seems not to have as full neck featheerring...neck looks scrawnier. at what age does a cockerel become a rooster? (my dude is between 6-7 months old...is he officially a rooster yet???)

 

[tls_ranch]

noticing that your roo has a much better tailsweep than mine. also, my dude seems not to have as full neck featheerring...neck looks scrawnier. at what age does a cockerel become a rooster? (my dude is between 6-7 months old...is he officially a rooster yet???)

He will probably keep fillling in until he is at least a year-old or even more. I read that cockerel's tail sets may still rise a bit once they fully mature. So a lower tail set isn't too bad, but too high is a bit worse. Your roo has a nice full tail too and that helps to get full tails in pullets.

Trisha

 

[pysankigirl]

I am trying to figure out what I have. So do you think he is worth breeding? His tailset worries me after seeing the roosters in the links people were posting. if the girls have a decent tailset, will I be compromising their good genes with his unknown parentage?

there are no side sprigs on his comb and it is straight. that's about all I know for sure.

 

[pickledchicken]

Trish I have a combination of Johan and VB I am hoping the top line on my young roo will get better and seems to be heading in a good direction. I couldn't ask for a better comb no side spurs proper points and his blade is near perfect. I don't mind his lighter blue coloring and enjoy his darker ring at the base of the hackle. I really like the line on your roo in the blurred photo.

pysankigirl the hen has a very nice line and tail set, lacing looks good too. I still see a little white baby fluff in the roo but I'm thinking both of ours will improve considerably as they mature I wouldn't worry much yet just enjoy watching them grow.

 

[Tailfeathers]

so are the Barber lines considered decent lines?

There would be no such thing a a "Barber Line" today as Lowell has been dead for many years. For the information of anyone interested, you may wish to do a search on the word "strain" with me as the Author and Welsummer being the thread. It's been some time but I know I've written at least a couple times at length and in detail on the difference between a "line" and a "strain".

Trisha, as usual, your birds are all looking very nice. I noticed in that first boy there seemed to be a little lacing showing in his breast. The lacing in his back and wings is right there already.

God Bless,

 

[tls_ranch]

Quote: Yes, line and strain does get confusing. I've read that both words sometimes are used in a way that they have the same meaning. I think of "line or strain" as just a way of tracking which "bloodlines" the birds descended or originated from. I just use it as a reference in breeding. For example I have said that my barnevelders are a blend of vB, Johan, and KC. But, once you make a single decision on which bird to keep or cull...it's really now your line etc.

Thanks for the complements Royce. The cockerel does have more lacing on his breast and I think that is because he has more "Johan" in him. Most of his brothers have more lacing too. But, on the other hand several of the "sisters" have poorer lacing than my pullets usually have. I'll take it as a trade off for the vigor this cockerel seems to have. He's not perfect but overall I'm happy with the way he's growing out.

Trisha

 

[ElitePoultry]

Heres my boy from Trisha . Critique Please... Thanks Mike