Black To White Experiment

[MysteryChicken]

The light partridge girl, #5 laid her first egg today. It's plum in color, also looks decent sized. Larger then the typical pullet egg. She's 5 months old today, I was afraid she was going to start laying early last month.

 

[MysteryChicken]

The only thing I hate about her is her big floppy comb. I have no idea where that came from. First pullet I've ever hatched with a comb that size.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The only thing I hate about her is her big floppy comb. I have no idea where that came from. First pullet I've ever hatched with a comb that size.

I have some phoenix hens that developed floppy combs too last year

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have some phoenix hens that developed floppy combs too last year

Yeah. Is that something you don't want? Or don't mind?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yeah. Is that something you don't want? Or don't mind?

I don't really care one way or another. They just are likely to lose some during winter out here. It's just never popped up before and now 3 of my hens that hatched last year have leghorn-esque combs

 

[MysteryChicken]

I don't really care one way or another. They just are likely to lose some during winter out here. It's just never popped up before and now 3 of my hens that hatched last year have leghorn-esque combs

I may cull her next year, due to that. The Chameleons are basically gonna be a hardy Landrace breed, but extra large comb/wattles is one thing I don't want within their lineage.

Gonna add some Malay, & maybe some CrackerFowl into their genetics. My CrackerFowl are Red JungleFowl X Blue Face. They could possibly be pure Blue Face, but not sure.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Will get updated pictures of Sassy Pants tomorrow. She's now a Black, White, & Blue chicken with red leakage in her hackles.

Her mother Smarty Pants is now molting, so update pictures are pending for her.

 

[NanaK]

The only thing I hate about her is her big floppy comb. I have no idea where that came from. First pullet I've ever hatched with a comb that size.

I don't really care one way or another. They just are likely to lose some during winter out here. It's just never popped up before and now 3 of my hens that hatched last year have leghorn-esque combs

Have you both had excessly hot summer?

There has been some discussion in another thread about the possibility of chickens raised during excessive heat causing larger combs. It's been noticed that Marans raised further North seem to have smaller combs than ones raised further south. (Of members of that thread)

Nothing scientific but an interesting observation none the less.

 

[fluffycrow]

Have you both had excessly hot summer?

There has been some discussion in another thread about the possibility of chickens raised during excessive heat causing larger combs. It's been noticed that Marans raised further North seem to have smaller combs than ones raised further south. (Of members of that thread)

Nothing scientific but an interesting observation none the less.

It gets really hot here and I've never found the comb size on my birds to exceed the "normal" comb size of any breed

 

[NatJ]

Have you both had excessly hot summer?

There has been some discussion in another thread about the possibility of chickens raised during excessive heat causing larger combs. It's been noticed that Marans raised further North seem to have smaller combs than ones raised further south. (Of members of that thread)

Nothing scientific but an interesting observation none the less.

For the Marans: were they from the same line of Marans?

If they all came from the same hatchery in the same year, then were raised in different parts of the country, that would be stronger evidence that environment has an effect.

But if they were from different breeding lines, it could just show that breeders in different parts of the country have selected in different directions-- maybe even inadvertently, by breeding from the brids that thrive in their climate.