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All of that is pretty much the consensus amongst most Barnevelder Breeders in the USA. Both of the orginal founders/breeders I'm getting birds from lost their original flocks of Barnevelders. One's original flock was wiped out by a disease (don't remember which one) and the other lost his to a coon if I remember right. At least I know he lost his Welsummers to the coon. Anyways, I know the one breeder (who I've yet to get birds from) told me that his Barnevelders were at one time darker than a Marans but aren't now. My breeder's Barnies are lighter than a Welsummers but he is working on it as will I.
I was supposed to pick up my Barnevelders from my breeder today but he wasn't sure that they'd all be hatched out and since it's a 3-hour drive one way, I'm gonna pick them up next Saturday. Plus I am also getting some hatching eggs from Christina Cole in OR and she's working hard on her Barnies too.
The cool thing is that I will have single-laced from my breeder, double-laced from Christina, and then a third line (don't remember which lacing) from the third breeder. So I should be able to do some quick work on improving the breed to SOP and the egg color as well. I know myself, Christina, and the other two breeders are really wanting to see some new blood in the breed that comes from serious breeders and not hatcheries.
God Bless,