breeding black or white cubans

[fowlsessed]

If I were to breed black or white cubalayas, could I use a bb red bird, or would I need to purchase a black or white bird. all your answers are appreciated.

 

[tadkerson]

Quote:
What varieties do you have?

Tim

 

[fowlsessed]

I don't have any now. I'm going to order some come spring, but all they(ideal-poultry)has are bb reds and blue reds. So I was wondering if I could breed blacks or whites from them.

 

[Gresh]

Occasionally, a BBR will throw a recessive white, and you can begin a little project in that way, but recessive white is harder to work with than pure white. Blotches can show up, or other little errors may occur. However, if you work enough with it for a few generations, from what I've heard you can bring the lines to the point where white becomes dominant, not recessive, and then you are working with pure whites. Not sure about blue reds, though. Never heard of whites coming from them.

Unless you are just wanting pet stock, I would not advise you to buy from IDEAL Poultry. Their birds may be doped with other breeds, or their birds may be so inbred that they no longer have the basic standards for the Cubalaya. There is a slight possibility--and I mean slight--that they may be carrying breeder-quality Cubas (i.e. not as perfect as show quality but good enough to be used for maintaining the breed). However, you probably will not get anything very good from their stock unless you buy lots of chicks (say, 25+) so that you can cull down to the best. Yet even then you may only wind up with a couple or few birds that are breeder stock. It will save you a lot of money (in the long run) to buy from a breeder like Gallorojo or Saladin than to go the hatchery route.

Still, I may be wrong, and you might possibly order 25 and get ten good birds out of it. It all depends upon what breeding strategies they use, and if they really care about maintaining the breed.

Whatever option you choose, I wish you the best

 

[tadkerson]

No you can not breed whites or blacks from the birds you mentioned.

You will have to outcross to eventually have black or white.

Tim

 

[cubakid]

What i have heard is that White and Blacks are Sports from the BB Reds. You can gat anything you want out of hatchery birds they are 99% of the time impure of origional stock, and are not bred for show colors. The first whites came from the BB Reds, but it is uncommon. You would be best off Buying birds from breeders to begin with. Others will cross something oriental(Asil, Shamo...etc) into them to introduce the color.

Zach

 

[farmdude]

I used to raise bbr cubalayas. I made whites by crossing them with white pheonix. I would cross back to cubalayas for type. After a couple of years I had some nice ones. Black is easier. I made black cubalayas by crossing with black sumatras. Cubalayas have sumatra in them to begin with. There are breeders of these colors now. I would suggest going the easy route and just buy some. Your not going to get quality cubas from a hatchery anyway. Good luck.

 

[cubakid]

no offense but, there are multiple reasons i would not cross to either of your ways. White Phoenix have large white earlobes, single spurs, single comb, blue legs, and lack the right feathering and tailangle. Sumatras have sharp spurs, mulberry faces, tails above horizontal, dark eye color, black legs, yellow skin... the list goes on.I do not belive Sumatra blood was ever added, but Saladin can confirm that. There are closer related breeds such as shamo or asil. I strongly discourage using the Sumatra or Phoenix. I would hardly consider them even in the toughest situation.

Zach

 

[Oldhound]

I would suggest you google Tulip Grove Gamefowl , ( Saladin) and check out his Cubalayas. Shamomansfowl farm , and Orchard poultry Farm are two others that have outstanding Cubalayas and webpages. Also I believe BYC member Gallorojo has Cubalayas and has birds for sale , not sure what colors. Cubakid! don't you breed whites ?

 

[cubakid]

If you consider hatching five, losing four. Then hatching like 12 and losing half of those, and ending up with 1 male and four females... Yes I breed whites. I also have a trio of Black/Blues that I am mixing with the whites.They are kinda hard to come by, but my patients paid off when Saladin gave me the blacks.