Barnevelder breeders lets work together and improve the breed

[Happy Chooks]

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Me too! LOVE blue chickens!

 

[()relics]

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check out my blcbs in the dutch thread...not to change the subject

 

[verlaj]

I'm looking for guidance from you that know a lot about Barnevelders! I too fell in love with the looks of them when I came upon the "Peace of Thyme" website. About a year and a half ago, I ordered several breeds of chickens from Ideal to get a better idea of what type of chicken I really wanted to keep. (Too bad- I like ALL of them for different reasons!) One of the breeds I ordered was Barnevelders - lost one shortly after shipping and another to a coyote a few months later, so I have 3 Barnevelder hens. They have nice coloring and lacing (I think) but they seem small to me and quite shy. Definitely are lowest in pecking order. At first, I was getting pretty dark eggs, too, as dark as the Welsummers.

What I don't like about them is their small size and timid nature. Is this normal for Barnevelders? I was expecting them to be as big as a Plymouth Rock, but they are not even close to that. If this is not representative of the breed, I would be willing to try again. Should I try to get chicks or hatching eggs from a breeder - like from Christina or Johan?

(Oh - I would LOVE to have some of those blue-laced Barnevelders like tls_ranch showed! tls_ranch - will you be selling eggs or chicks or how did you produce those?)

 

[vegaschick]

Barnies are definately on my wishlist...and those blue-laced...WOW!

 

[tls_ranch]

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Hi,
Christina has some really nice birds that's where mine came from. As far as I know there is four maybe five "lines" of Barnevelder's in the US, Christina Ledford's, Johan's, Kelly Cratty, Erhard and the hatchery lines. The hatchery lines most likely have some welsummer blood in them. Here is a quote from an original importer/breeder of Barnevelders:

"In an attempt to boost their resistance to Marek's, I crossed some
Welsummer hens with a (Dutch line) Barnevelder cock around 1988, and
the offspring were very vigorous and did not evidence any problems
with Marek's. I kept some of the pullets for several years, as they
were good layers of a very nice dark egg. I subsequently experimented
with another cross with a couple of these pullets to a (Canadian line)
Barnevelder cock, and some of the resulting pullets came out with
lacing almost acceptable to the Barnevelder standard, although the
cockerels had too much red in the hackles. Some of these birds were
sold to a breeder here in western Washington state, and I believe she
unloaded them to the Sandhill Preservation people."

Barnevelders are not really large birds. The breed standard calls for cocks 7lbs and hens 6lbs. Mine are shy and calm, but not flighty. They like their peace and quiet, but love treats and are very food motivated.

The "blue laced" barnevelders I am working on are just crosses at this time. F1's. It's going to take a few more generations till they start looking like more like Barnevelders. They are larger than my pure barnies. One pullet is huge even bigger than the wyandotte hens. I think size comes from some of the hybrid vigor of the outcross. They are not laying yet and I expect the egg color to be tan/brown at best. The wyandotte mothers laid almost pink tan eggs. So, I have a lot of work to do in the egg department.

As for project eggs... I'll have to see what the next generation looks like next year. I think in order to perfect the blue laced you will need to have a flock of pure Barnevelders with good type to keep crossing back too. Otherwise you will just end up with pale eggs and mutts.

Trisha

 

[verlaj]

tls_ranch -

Thanks for the reply. I think I will weigh my Barnevelder hens - I will be surprised if they are 6 lbs! Maybe if they were bigger, they wouldn't be so shy and retiring around the other chickens. Mine seem to avoid conflict at all costs!

 

[LaSombra]

I have a question for those who breed barnevelders...

The double-lacing... is it dominant/recessive and is it on the X chromosome like regular lacing? I'm thinking about crossing my barnevelder hens with blue ameraucana roos and seeing about olive eggs, but wonder how the lacing will come through... any thoughts are appreciated

 

[Tailfeathers]

You know, I have a couple of EE's that I'm sure are a result of my Ameraucana and Barnevelders crossing but they are a result of my Barnie roosters over my Ameraucana hens. And since I'm no genetics expert, I can't help you specifically with your question as to the lacing.

I can, however, tell you a couple of other things that might be helpful. First, I doubt you'll get an olive egg from crossing an Ameraucana and Barnie. The Barnie eggs just aren't dark enough. More likely you'll wind up with some shade of green.

Second, I crossed a Blue Wheaten cock over Welsummer hen that lays a very dark brown egg in an attempt to get an olive egg. I was amazed at the variety of results I got from that one mating. I don't have the time to go into detail but if you search on BYC for "Welsummers, EE, Easter Egger, Ameraucana" with me as the Author you should find a post where I went into the various details. Also, it was quite interesting to see how the blue gene diluted all the black from the Welsummer.

I can also tell you that I kept one of those EE chicks and she lays a brown egg with a somewhat rosey tint to it She has a sister though that I gave to a friend not far from me. That birds looks exactly like mine and lays an olive egg.

God Bless,

 

[LaSombra]

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hm. interesting. Thanks for the insight. A greenish egg would still be kinda cool. It wouldn't be a bad thing to experiment with when I need more chicks... I love the barnevelders' double lacing... so pretty

I wonder if it were crossed with a blue ameraucana, if it could make some blue double-lacing.

 

[ndemerly]

I bought 'Barnevelders' from a local guy, I know what to look for in hens - a few do look Welsummer crossed.
But, my question is about roosters, if you can help me It'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks!