Barred New Hampshires

[jaxjaps1]

Hi,
Have been breeding new hampshires for many, many years and decided to try to do an autosexing line with them. (I breed them to sell as egg laying hens) I found a "recipe"on line and bred to that. I have 2 perfect roosters and 3 hens that I think are right. Now how do I pick the difference? I am not quite there yet with the hens and am still getting every colour chicken imaginable. This breeding season will be the first one with the correctly coloured roosters and most of the hens are second and third cross back to the new hampshires.

 

[DraigAthar]

I'm not sure I understand - what was your 'recipe' that you used? And what breed did you cross with to introduce the barring?

 

[jaxjaps1]

I bought 2 plymouth rock hens and put my best newhampshire rooster with them. From that cross I got all sorts of coloured chickens. I kept for breeding any that were reddish in colour with light barring. so far after crossing back 3 times I have managed to get 2 correctly coloured roosters (crele type colouring) and 2 hens that I think are right although I am not sure if they should have any black in their neck feathers? I now have put the 2 roosters with all the hens I have kept for breeding, even those that are not the correct colouring (no barring) but they are all red in varying shades. I still get heaps of chickens that are red, black, brown and mottled. This will be the first time I have used the 2 roosters over these hens. The recipe came from Keith an American who uses our chook site here in Australia.
I am hoping to get them recognised as an autosexing breed eventually.
When I have these ones right I will purchase 2 plymouth rock bantams and do the same with bantam sized offspring.

 

[ve]

The color you are looking is like Maraduna (Basque Hen). Your Barred New Hampshires should have same color. Barring on the hens is almost invisible.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Or Hampbars like these:


http://webpages.charter.net/poetmore/mrbig1.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/poetmore/mrbig.jpg


http://webpages.charter.net/poetmore/green21wks.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/poetmore/green21wks2.jpg

so pretty

Jeff

 

[DraigAthar]

What do the chicks look like when the autosexing works?

 

[catdaddyfro]

What do the chicks look like when the autosexing works?

Headspots just as most any other barred breed/variety the males have a predominant head spot the females nil to almost non recognizable.

Jeff

 

[rc50]

The chickens that i have produced the males do not have head spots.... the males are simply a light color.. the double barring should spread that head spot all over the body... " to me they are a white tinted yellow... the females will look just like normal looking New Hampshire female chicks... I can sex them every time....

Keith
SC
USA

 

[catdaddyfro]

These are Rhodebar chicks the one with head spots are the males the striped (wildtype) pattern ones are the female

This is a Bielefelder chick with a predominant headspot therefore it is a male.


I don't have a goto for Hampbar chicks right off but when I find one I will post it, I'm sure they too should/will have a head spot on the male chick its a petty dominant trait therefore why its used for immediate visual sexing. Cream Legbars also have this auto sexing trait.

Jeff

Not saying all do just was answering the question on the autosexing part.

 

[rc50]

My Hampbar chicks ... there are two males two females in this pic... the pic really doesn't show it well but the males are lighter in color....