Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

What do you expect your ratio of keepers will be the following season? Maybe a better question to ask is; How many seasons should it take until they are so close to the SOP that you get all super show quality birds? Starting with the best stock available is the best way to shorten the wait thru multiple small step breeding seasons, surely.

With raising 140 chicks, I am sure you have been able to make huge steps towards your SOP goals.

Well....seems even with the master breeders you never "arrive" at the ultimate show bird. There is always room for improvement. I have smaller breeding pens this year, pen one has my best 3 females for type and "light" back color (should be the pen I get the best females from) and pen 2 has my best 3 females for type and "smutty" color leaking through the back (should be the pen I get the best males from). I will be breeding each pen to one of two cockerels I've kept. Plans are to hatch roughly 8 dozen or apprx 96 chicks. My expectation is that I will still keep approx 1 in 10, or about 10 birds total. The only difference is that the 10 I keep from this hatching season should be better than the ones I kept from last yr....and this will continue yr after yr I expect. Hopefully as time goes, I will be able to hatch a few fewer birds though

 

[3riverschick]

Well....seems even with the master breeders you never "arrive" at the ultimate show bird. There is always room for improvement. I have smaller breeding pens this year, pen one has my best 3 females for type and "light" back color (should be the pen I get the best females from) and pen 2 has my best 3 females for type and "smutty" color leaking through the back (should be the pen I get the best males from). I will be breeding each pen to one of two cockerels I've kept. Plans are to hatch roughly 8 dozen or apprx 96 chicks. My expectation is that I will still keep approx 1 in 10, or about 10 birds total. The only difference is that the 10 I keep from this hatching season should be better than the ones I kept from last yr....and this will continue yr after yr I expect. Hopefully as time goes, I will be able to hatch a few fewer birds though

Hi YFOR,
This is a columbian breed? Black and white?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

5 days till my birds get here!

Best,
Karen

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Hi YFOR,
This is a columbian breed? Black and white?
Thanks,
Karen

Yes ma'am, I breed Columbian Rocks. Lt Brahma breeders (also Columbian pattern) have advised me that for proper show birds, you must double mate (establish breeding pens specifically for male and female offspring)

Hope that answers you question

Thanks

Scott

 

[thedragonlady]

Yes ma'am, I breed Columbian Rocks. Lt Brahma breeders (also Columbian pattern) have advised me that for proper show birds, you must double mate (establish breeding pens specifically for male and female offspring)

Hope that answers you question

Thanks

Scott

I never had to double mate with my Columbian Wy. Bantams.I kept selecting for clean tops and chests in the males. I showed 8 at Columbus one year. BV, RV,1 -2C, H, K, and P.

 

[3riverschick]

Yes ma'am, I breed Columbian Rocks. Lt Brahma breeders (also Columbian pattern) have advised me that for proper show birds, you must double mate (establish breeding pens specifically for male and female offspring)

Hope that answers you question

Thanks

Scott

Hi Scot,
Yup, answers for all. I will be breeding Light Sussex, same as Light Brahma. Have been studying up on color balancing. So nice to see it so easily explained. They say Light Sussex don't need double-mated. Frankly, I think they can go easily either way. I don't have room for a double-mating program so will be single mating my birds.
I think I will take daughters back to original roo for 3 generations. Then cross bro to sis. Then take best pullet back to son or grandson of original roo. Not sure what I will do with the cockerels of that generation.
I did the percentage of line inheritance pedigree on the final generation and even then, the original roo is less than 1/2 of that generation.
Best,
Karen

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Hi Scot,
Yup, answers for all. I will be breeding Light Sussex, same as Light Brahma. Have been studying up on color balancing. So nice to see it so easily explained. They say Light Sussex don't need double-mated. Frankly, I think they can go easily either way. I don't have room for a double-mating program so will be single mating my birds.
I think I will take daughters back to original roo for 3 generations. Then cross bro to sis. Then take best pullet back to son or grandson of original roo. Not sure what I will do with the cockerels of that generation.
Best,
Karen

Karen

You may not have the same issues with your Sussex that I have with Columbian. Undercolor in Columbian is slate/light bluish slate. When the undercolor in Columbian becomes too strong, it leaks through, especially in the back, causing "black" to be expressed along the back (which should be white). Light Sussex has a similar color pattern to Columbian, however, undercolor is "white", skin color is "white" and leg color is "white/pinkish white". There must also be some other genetic differences (I am NOT a genetics expert). If you look at the SOP for Columbian Rocks, Wyandottes, Leghorns, Lt Brahma....plumage is referred to the section explaining the Columbian pattern (page 36 in my edition). Lt Sussex on the other hand has a complete explanation of color for both the male and female ....when you compare the two there are some subtle differences.

Maybe some of the genetics experts can chime it

 

[jovy1097]

I'm planning on getting some Barred Plymouth Rocks early next year (Here's looking to you, Chris H!) I'm storing up all the information from this and other threads where Bob,Walt, and others contribute wisdom so I'll know what to do with them. That gravy bowl shape sure captures my eye...

 

[charter]

I am planning on getting Plymouth Rocks this year. I am really looking forward to them. This is a breed I have never had before.
Chuck

 

[mrheinz77]

I've wanted Halbach White Rocks but I'm not sure if I'm going to get any or not. Mr. Halbach lives 10 minutes from my parents.