Brabanters and Spitzhaubens--The Differences PIC HEAVY!

[EweSheep]

Finding a good Brabanter and Spitzhauben breeders are rarer than the hen's teeth. With any stock, as new as this breed is, you would have to cull and cull some more until you get the results for a few generation that is consisent. I've had better luck with Ideal Hatchery with my Spitzhaubens, however the Brabanters, which I never had, been hearing not so good.

We have alot of work to do to get it up to standard unless someone wants to import some newer and improved stock.

 

[chrisf]

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So true............................................................................................chrisf

 

[ccshambhala]

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.... sigh ....

 

[flitter]

I've been looking over my first batch of Spitz chicks and thinking about culling. I've been trying to prioritize characteristics that will make that determination. It seems as if body type, then forward crest might be first and second. Assuming I have lots that meet the first two, then V comb and feather patterning for three and four? Is egg productivity or weight considered in here? Where?

I'm probably going to lose most of them at the crest (this time) but would love to hear what those of you with more expertise and experience think of my list.

 

[chrisf]

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I wouldn't cull anything till they are at least a year old and had their first molt, unless they have very obvious defects like crooked toes, birth defects, etc.........they change alot as they grow and you need to let them develop before you can assess what you have to work with..............my opinion............................................................................chrisf

 

[EweSheep]

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I wouldn't cull anything till they are at least a year old and had their first molt, unless they have very obvious defects like crooked toes, birth defects, etc.........they change alot as they grow and you need to let them develop before you can assess what you have to work with..............my opinion............................................................................chrisf

I agree with Chris....I usually take on a bit more in conformation type and crest type as paramount and then work on the spangles. Some would be so small that they are nearly white in color. Egg productivity and fertility are important too.

 

[flitter]

Thank you... I'm a list maker it helps me to organize my thoughts and to concentrate on small parts instead of saying "oh, I like that bird"

I'll have to do some creative housing if I keep them all. I could make it work though. I have someone who would like 6 pullets for egg layers and was trying to get a handle on which would be the best choice, for me, to give her. Pullets of course. I have 9 more that are 1 week old, these are @ 2 months. I'm not doing anything for a month or two... which would give me time to be creative in my housing arrangements.

So:
Productivity/fertility
Conformation (body type)
Crest
Spangles (feathering)

Would feet color and poor V comb be a defect? instead of something to work with?

What about weight? My Spitz hen is smallish. With Redcaps weight is almost the top consideration. Is this not such a serious problem with Spitz? At this point my experience with Spitz has been 2 hens, and a beautiful rooster (lost to a predator last fall)... so I don't have much as a point of reference. Oh, and 15 chicks.

 

[EweSheep]

Feet color and good V combs are good to add on the list.

See what you can work with out of your original flock, and start culling HARD on their offsprings or any other chicks from other sources. If we do that, within ten generation, we should be able to see consisency in the breed and not have to cull as hard. Use the same theory on ALL birds you have. Some genetic traits you can work with if they are known not to be inherited. Wry tails, missing crests, cull them out even you know the BEST bird is there but inherited traits are very bad to pass down on. Others are workable.

My list for Spitz are: as in order

Crest
Conformation
Spangling
Disposition (all of them MUST be gentle, that includes roosters)
Size
Fertility and Egg production go hand in hand.

Honestly as time went on, fertility on Spitz has been better than ten years ago despite of what the hatcheries say. In some breeder's flock, shipped eggs, I get nearly 90 to 100 fertility rates on them.

 

[flitter]

Thanks, that helps clarify for me. I would plan (wish) to have a good, viable breeding flock in ten years and intend to cull towards that goal.


Yes, my Spitz have been very reliable layers... haven't hatched any... no roo anymore. Now I need several roos out of the second group.
My luck needs to change since it was 100% pullets from the first group.

Thanks again EweSheep and chrisf.

 

[hallerlake]

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I wouldn't cull anything till they are at least a year old and had their first molt, unless they have very obvious defects like crooked toes, birth defects, etc.........they change alot as they grow and you need to let them develop before you can assess what you have to work with..............my opinion............................................................................chrisf

Yes, but, I need to get rid of my extra cockerels. The city changed the rules. I'm grandfathered in (sort of). I'm pushing my luck keeping one. I know one has a too Polish crest, and he's crowing already, so he goes, but I still have to choose from one of my others.