Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Was thinking about this whilst driving this morning: I don't think it is the goal of the genetics folks to breed birds worthy of the showroom. The goal is to fiddle around with odd mixes and strange crosses to see how the genes combine and express themselves. So I don't necessarily expect to see them at the shows but rather working away behind the scenes to figure out tiny, little details that we might experiment with when attempting to finish and polish our birds. I would fully expect to see the geneticists to be producing all manner of odd balls and they do!

I completely agree that type has to come first and be the major priority. But if things are going horribly or even slightly wrong with your colour, then it behooves you to pay attention to that as well. Genetics can help us with that.

 

[Robert Blosl]

What would be the genetic make up be for Rhode Island Reds. I have never read or was told what it might be.

I have a idea what colors are in the make up but I dont know how a genetic expert can help me move the beattle green around or avoid it from screwing up my total package of feathers on a bird. Its nice to see on paper and read their articles but how does a average day breeder use this stuff. bob

 

[BarnGoddess01]

What would be the genetic make up be for Rhode Island Reds. I have never read or was told what it might be.

I have a idea what colors are in the make up but I dont know how a genetic expert can help me move the beattle green around or avoid it from screwing up my total package of feathers on a bird. Its nice to see on paper and read their articles but how does a average day breeder use this stuff. bob

From The Classroom @ The Coop (where all the genetics junkies hang out) ... Rhode Island Red is:

"eWh/eWh, s+/s+, Mh/Mh, Db/Db, and possible sundry melanisers"

It's those "sundry melanisers" that will effect your beetle green, and, I believe, the feather quality, which goes beyond just the colour genes. If you posted this question in a genetics forum like The Classroom @ The Coop, you would, I'm sure, get LOADS of opinions that would make FAR more sense to you as someone experienced with breeding the birds. You could then sift through and perhaps experiment with some of the possibilities that resonate to you based on your experience and what you already know about the background of your line.

From what I've heard, Rhode Island Red is a VERY tough colour to get right.

 

[CluckyCharms]

Someone asked about feed..... Just my 2 cents.... I use Tuckers feeds. They have several layer feeds I use the 22%, chick started and grower. I love that the main protein is PORK not animal byproducts or Soy....... My birds are doing well with it and are less wasteful with the pellets on the layer than other feeds I have tried. Has also cut the dust down around the farm from that powdery mash I was using.

They may be a regional seller so it may not be available all over, I feel sure you could find it all over the south and some north of here, like KY. You can call tucker milling and ask a rep if anyone around you sell tucker feeds.

http://tuckermilling.com/poultry.html

Thank you.

[Edited to add] It looks like it's not available where I live, but I could either a) get it shipped maybe...or b)find something very similar, so I'll look around. The stuff our TSC sells is that plant only crap and I don't want that. Sigh. I'll look around for something like this, thanks again!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

PS. There is a pretty good debate that has already taken place at The Classroom@The Coop concerning Rhode Island Reds. I'm sure it would mean FAR more to you than it does to me.

Sigrid Van Dort has this to say: I truly hope she doesn't mind me reposting it here --


"When crossing RIR x partridge Silkie there are happening a few things. All eb birds incl. hets will show grey in down. The hets on the back, tail base only, very difficult to see.

When there is Co on eb/eWh, down colour can become darker as if the buffish red down is mixed with grey, on eWh/eWh sometimes all black is pushed to down-side and/or feather tip, can be either or both, very weird (different in sibblings).
When Db is added this isn't happening. So my guess is on Db and not on Co or... both.
Not all females show a little black collar in lower hackle. I don't know where these black feather tips come from, either Co/co+ or Co/Co or Db or heterozygous?
It could also be that black from the partridge is messing everything up in the first generations.
Perhaps the so called 'recessive blacks' are blown away by 'normal' black, which explains the loss of black IN red feathers?
They always become lighter over time no matter what and you've to do the RIR cross again and again.
So there is something else in RIR which only 'glues' to a RIR chicken and not to e.g. a Silkie, Wyandotte, Orpington, even when their recipe SEEMS to be identical.

To me a RIR is just as magical as bird as a white Leghorn, full of surprizes when crossed to another breed.
In other words: I don't understand it."

 

[Chris09]

PS. There is a pretty good debate that has already taken place at The Classroom@The Coop concerning Rhode Island Reds. I'm sure it would mean FAR more to you than it does to me.

You have a link?

Thank's
Chris

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
This is the one that first popped up for me .... http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=91290

 

[Chris09]

This is the one that first popped up for me .... http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=91290

Thank you,

Chris

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
All credit to: "Genetics of Chicken Colours-The Basics" by Van Dort, Hancox and friends,
There are four different colours in this "family" of "Red".
The difference with the show RIR is rb (recessive black).
Page 170:
Black-Tailed Red ; All are based on eWh.

( Because of the Mh, not an overall orange tone as in Black Tailed Buff.
Instead, a Red Brown , as in a New Hampshire) : s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Di/Di Mh/Mh

(Similar to above but with black stripe in hackle ): s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Di/Di Mh/Mh Ml/Ml

(True red form, as in New Hampshire but darker, lacking Dilute gene) : s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Mh/Mh Db/Db

(Exhibition Rhode Island Red) ; s+/s+ Ar+/Ar+ Mh/Mh Db/Db 'rb/rb'

Best,
Karen