Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[RachaelS]

Anyone got any silver laced barnie projects going?

 

[CedarCluck]

I have my first set of Barnevelder eggs set to hatch on the 15th! Got them from Trisha here on BYC and I am super excited. This will be both my first hatch ever and my first set of Barnevelders. Yay!

 

[mountainvieworchards]

Hi Rachel

I am in my third year of a silver project. I have had trouble with red leakage but eventually should be able to breed it out. It is a long project.

The Uk Barnevelders would have had to have been crossed with other breeds along the way to get the blue gene. The imports are nice looking birds and so are the US made Blue double laced birds I have seen on this thread. The out crosses made to get the blue gene into the USA projects from Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks has added several new still developing lines to the Barnevelder breed in the states. The limited out crosses needed for these projects are then followed by long work multiple breeding backs to standard Barnevelders from the few bloodlines we had here, to fix type and lacing, leg color and egg color etc. A high quality import also brings in needed new genes to our Barnevelder population, a welcome addition for all of us working on the breed.

If we all work together we can improve the breed as well as the blue double laced variety.

Andy

 

[RachaelS]

Hi Rachel

I am in my third year of a silver project. I have had trouble with red leakage but eventually should be able to breed it out. It is a long project.


Andy

Thanks Andy, I can't wait to see pictures!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hi Rachel

I am in my third year of a silver project. I have had trouble with red leakage but eventually should be able to breed it out. It is a long project.

The Uk Barnevelders would have had to have been crossed with other breeds along the way to get the blue gene. The imports are nice looking birds and so are the US made Blue double laced birds I have seen on this thread. The out crosses made to get the blue gene into the USA projects from Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks has added several new still developing lines to the Barnevelder breed in the states. The limited out crosses needed for these projects are then followed by long work multiple breeding backs to standard Barnevelders from the few bloodlines we had here, to fix type and lacing, leg color and egg color etc. A high quality import also brings in needed new genes to our Barnevelder population, a welcome addition for all of us working on the breed.

If we all work together we can improve the breed as well as the blue double laced variety.

Andy

Well said Andy - couldn't agree more.

 

[pickledchicken]

Hi Rachel

I am in my third year of a silver project. I have had trouble with red leakage but eventually should be able to breed it out. It is a long project.

The Uk Barnevelders would have had to have been crossed with other breeds along the way to get the blue gene. The imports are nice looking birds and so are the US made Blue double laced birds I have seen on this thread. The out crosses made to get the blue gene into the USA projects from Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks has added several new still developing lines to the Barnevelder breed in the states. The limited out crosses needed for these projects are then followed by long work multiple breeding backs to standard Barnevelders from the few bloodlines we had here, to fix type and lacing, leg color and egg color etc. A high quality import also brings in needed new genes to our Barnevelder population, a welcome addition for all of us working on the breed.

If we all work together we can improve the breed as well as the blue double laced variety.

Andy

Any addition of new blood naturally would help i'm in full agreement. I also understand that every chicken at some point was a project, you have to out cross to obtain new color genes. When we speak of out crossing over here everybody starts freaking out. But if it's imported it must be the real thing and all the work people do here just kinda falls by the wayside. Now everybody wants the ( REAL ) blue Barnevelder. Good luck trying to get in touch with the breeder on the other side of the big lake. I like to know the history of my birds this is very handy information when i'm breeding. It's no secret I got my birds from Doug Austin in LaVernge Tn I can only tell you what he told me. I was told that the blue came from an import at Blue Hen Hatchery. I followed up on this and Joel at Blue Hen Hatchery confirmed what I had been told by Doug. I have also heard it rumored that Joel used blue EO's. I have imported blue EO's and during off season they run right along side my Barnevelders in a free range yard. Regardless of what was used the flock I have is of several generations, first with Joel and then at Doug's and I see no presence of EO in my flock. I culled down from 5 roosters to this one select blue roo I have and will bring in new hens this year to help with egg color. I do my Barnevelders the same way I do my Marans I hatch from darker eggs, but I also house each hen individually I can compare size, type, egg color and lacing that way all things in my breeding program are considered and leg banded accordingly. I would rather be smacked with the truth than kissed with a lie. I will admit my PR skills are not the greatest at times and we all love our birds but we need to be honest with each other. We keep talking about the improvement of the breed this can't be accomplished with feelings and ego's involved. I am not impressed with the leg color on the new imported roo or the chest from what I can see. The lacing on the hen to the left behind the rooster is nothing I would ad to my flock. If anyone feels the same as I do please stay in touch i'm not jumping on that wagon folks. If the only thing that we can talk about is watering, feeding and gathering eggs and scooping chicken poo then whats the point.

 

[tls_ranch]

Quote: Regardless of what line or the original outcross all the blues need work. The double laced pattern is hard to perfect and the blues make it even harder. From what I've read from his own posts.. Bluehenhatchery said in the past that he used Blue/Gold laced Orpingtons as an outcross to get his Blue double laced Barnevelders . Bluehenhatchery did claim he imported both Blue/Gold Laced orpingtons illegally (from what he himself has admitted) and imported blue barnevelders. Both said to be imported sometime around 2007. I can't verify any of this information. But he did post about and mention some of this on open forums and to other breeders. I don't want to step on anyones toes, but still there's a bit of mystery about all of that.

I remember being very excited with Bluehenhatchery posting about his "first ever" blue barnevelder pullet in Oct of 2009 (at the time he said it had Blue/gold laced orpington blood in it). This pic was posted on another forum.

Here is a pic of Bluehenhatchery's "first ever blue pullet" from October 2009.


Obviously there has been a lot of work and improvement to the Bluehenhatchery line since this pullet. Even with pure Barnevelders and "proven" lines (imported or not) there is ALWAYS the need to select and breed for improvement. I will probably hatch well over a 100 chicks this year in order to keep improving my lines. I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating my flock from everything from egg quality (size, gloss, color,shell quality), rate of lay, size, color, lacing, leg color, lacing, vigor, meat, type, personality and every ting else I can think of LOL.

Trisha

edited to add: LOL, I listed lacing twice in that last rambling sentence....well it is very important

 

[bonnylass79]

Not to get off topic, but since we're talking about breeding and improving the breed, how do you all keep records? Do you use a computer program, is it all written down or do you (heaven forbid) go from memory? I'll be getting into Barnevelders soon and I want to make sure I get this right. What have you found to work best for record keeping?

 

[Totalcolour]

I don't know what others do, but I use leg-bands. One on each leg. The aluminum band is numbered so I know which bird, and what lines. I also use coloured bands so I can tell individuals from a distance. I keep all the records in a spreadsheet. I use PowerPoint for charts of breeding lines and progeny. But then I only have a few birds so it's not hard to track.

 

[pickledchicken]

Not to get off topic, but since we're talking about breeding and improving the breed, how do you all keep records? Do you use a computer program, is it all written down or do you (heaven forbid) go from memory? I'll be getting into Barnevelders soon and I want to make sure I get this right. What have you found to work best for record keeping?

I like to use leg bands myself. In my Marans project I also leg band for pelvic width and pelvic to keel measurements I am looking to obtain SQ and utility in my ER based silver cuckoo Marans. I can't go from memory as my mental note pad has long been out of paper. Left leg for this and right leg for that kinda thing I think they look rather sexy with the anklets.