Breeding Buff Leghorns

[DaveK]

Dan, the mixing together of different lines of a breed in bad shape or where there hasn't been enough attention to even basics, much less details, is something that Craig Russell has always said the Dorkings respond to. That somehow some element of good is still in there waiting to be stirred up and out and segregated from the trash. I never did understand the idea that you have to outcross existing gene pools out of existence (at least on your own place) and create a hodge podge in order to have your own line. The hodge podge of ancestry pretty well negates the idea of that collection of birds and traits being a true family line anyways. Not everyone thinks in terms of families but if you want your fowl to have a certain look and to be reasonably consistent in their characteristics I know of no other way to do this except by working up a family of birds. Doesn't mean that there'd never be a strain cross but as Dan has said it needs to be done carefully. One breeder said with an eye dropper. There was an article by Vance Hammond in one of the APA Yearbooks, 1978 I think, (lost my own copy) where he outlined what he did with "blood" of different breeding and sort of created sub families within the broader context of the base strain. If I remember correctly they were female based.

 

[DaveK]

I just realized that we are seeing Mr. Henry Ahlf from back in the days when shirts and ties were not unusual showroom garb. Kind of neat.

 

[danhonour]

After Henry died E.Lea Marsh would come up and go over all my big Buff Leghorns in the fall each year ,late 1980's and early 1990's.Something we both loved and looked forward to doing,anyway Lea (pronounced Lee) always wore a suit and tie,maybe not his best suit and sometimes we would work up a sweat and he would have to take his suit jacket back to the car.He dressed the same at shows.I learned so much from him doing this,helped me cull and select the right ones.

Thanks Gary,I like that German Breed,I believe it was made in the 1920's crossing Buff Orpingtons and Buff Leghorns. Colorwise they are similar to Buff Minorcas,I also had at one time made some good Buff Phoenix with the same colors (buff plumage,white earlobes and white shanks).I think they are a nice rich buff color and over the years that is becoming my favorite shade,it goes with rich under color and rich quill color,light shades are weaker shades and more prone towards shafting,light under color and white.

 

[danhonour]

Dave,I remember the Vance Hammond article.Did I mention I had gone down to Lea Marshes home in Ct. and he showed me Vance Hammonds scrapbook,plus a few things Lea saved himself in a folder.Lots of pictures.You could see Vances RC White large from the early years,they were never as good as the SC Whites,until in 1940 Vance got a good trio from Dan Young.Immediately after that his RC were great,I think he admitted it too. Lea had some nice pictures of Dr.Dennisons birds and I asked how he got them.Dr Dennison (Oakdale farm) had sent him a whole box of pictures before he died. What a treat. Lea also gave me the typed up paper Vance wrote on the White Leghorn History in the US.I included it in my book "Thoughts on Breeding White Leghorns"

I guess this is not about Buff Leghorns,so I had better mention something.Lea said he always like the Buff Leghorns but did not know how to breed buff color.He said at one time Marcus Davidson had nice ones at shows he attended.I said my stock was Davidson and I had visited Marcus.He said well good you show me things about buff and I will point out Leghorn type,and we did.

 

[jake mashburn]

Nice color I have birds that are that nice golden buff, but the birds pictured that I have seen ,I see Plymouth Rock breeding in there type
if they work hard they can breed it out in time ,but that was the first thing I noticed Roch type short tails on the males and a lot of fluff in the feathers . but they have a very nice start. Keith Bjelland

 

[ArieBLB]

Quote:
Hi Dan, in the beginning they have used original German chickens from the area Saxony (Sachsen) and North Bavaria (Nordbayern) and they have used Black Minorca and Black Langschan and Black Sumatra. One time they used Black Leghorn and these brought again Eleganz.
Cuckoo and white resulted from the mating of Reichshühnern,Leghorn und Rheinlandern in 1923.
With the use of Buff Leghorn and Buff Orpington in 1960, they have made the Buff Sachsenhuhn.

The breed shows a lively temper and quite a good egg production. Light rearing, early maturity and naturintelligendes behavior.
This info I have received from Claudia Göbner from Germany, breeder of Buff Sachsenhuhn.

I hope I have used the right words. Arie

 

[danhonour]

Thanks Arie,after reading the post you made,I remembered the information.You had sent it to me in 2009 and I included that exact information in my BUFF COLORATION book.I knew there are other colors but had forgot the Buffs were a more recently made variety.They are very nice and I admire them. Dan Honour

 

[Birch Run Farm]

I brought my roosters inside for the next few days due to bitter cold weather. They are all crowing up a storm in my basement making the dog deaf. It was -20 F when I left for work at 0515 this morning. Dan, you must be feeling some of this cold? How are your birds doing?

 

[danhonour]

Hi Ann,If you are working then you must be feeling better? It is bitter cold here and I would like to spend more time with the birds but it is too cold to do more than the minimum.It is very hard on the birds,my birds have to rough it or die.So far some frost bite comb tips on a few males,no lights or heat,so very few eggs to freeze.It has been well below zero for days.It is hard on man and bird when this cold and miserable,and it looks like we might be in for more.Lets hope for some relief in any form.I do not think we are alone for what it is worth.

 

[chrisf]

Hi Dan, just wanted to comment that I am a few miles down the road from you and it is -11 degrees out. Fortunately, all my longtails, Ohiki, Japanese Bantams and others are in a heated barn.....................................................................Chrisf