Zanna.... what you say is actually very close to the experience I have had thus far. The birds I got initially, through dumb luck really, have been better than any I have found since. I just assume that over three years of breeding them it is necessary to get some new blood in there. Perhaps not. As others have said as well, it is unlikely, unless I am personal friends with the person, that someone is going to give me a rooster that is any better than the ones I have had. The white feather seems to keep passing on down through the generations but the hens look good and other than the feather, my roosters are pretty good looking. (The ones I keep).Some Halo. A white feather. Otherwise good type overall. Of course, there have been plenty that were not even close that wound up as soup. But I am learning that this is pretty much the standard experience of all the more serious individuals. I take it that inbreeding is not the problem I imagine it to be? I have been able to significantly increase the darkness of the eggs I get, while the roosters have remained about the same. I will press on with my line. They are a good looking flock, with good feather and feather leg. Thank you very much for your input. I will do what you and others have suggested and keep working with what I have. I culled a rooster that was good looking except for a major fault in the comb. There will be others to follow and I will continue to cull to the SOP and incubate the darkest eggs.
What is your opinion on trying to hatch some of the lighter eggs. I imagine sometimes the hen you raise might lay a darker egg. Might tell me more about the rooster?
I know that I find the lighter eggs easier to incubate and hatch. Thank you very much for the input Zanna. It gives me hope to work with what I have and not feel like I necessarily need an outcross, when so many times that is indeed a can of worms. HF>
