Breeding Buff Leghorns

[ArieBLB]

First, Gresh-
Personally, I think the whole white breeds get eaten first thing is nonsense. SLOW, STUPID, FAT, LAZY, CRESTED, SHORT LEGGED, FEATHER FOOTED breeds get eaten first. Leghorns are none of those things. I have had lots of white birds, actually lose less white than colored, neighbors and great grandparents had white leghorn flocks, seldom if ever are any taken. Stop and think-a bird of prey can see a mouse from something like thousands of feet up, and all birds can see into the ultraviolet spectrum to them black is not black, and white is not white, so, when dealing with birds of prey, I really can't see how color matters. I think this is a hold over from way back when white animals generally were considered weaklings and frail. At least, color matters way less than the other things I listed, plus, wariness, speed, flight ability, etc. A white leghorn will get eaten less quickly in my opinion than say a partridge rock, because of the other factors. So, if you want Buff or white Leghorns don't let anyone talk you out of them because of the color.

Second-On buffs free ranging-mine do well, they actually go out the farthest from the barn of all the breeds I have. I was just at a sustainable ag conference this weekend, and I met some people near me who raise, and free range through an orchard, a flock of Buffs, specifically for egg sales, and secondarily for orchard insect control. I was very excited to see their pictures, they live really close, so, I will go visit and report back on their flock. I think it's great somebody is actually using them for their intended purpose and having success with them.

As for my late laying pullet-I fed her the same as all my other pullets from 2011, she was the first group hatched, in april, some of the late group from august actually laid before she did, and they all were fed the same. Although the others birds were not buff leghorns. Actually, the crazy thing keeps trying to go broody on me!! She is an extremely beautiful well sized pullet, but she does display some "un-leghorn-ish" type behaviors....

Hi, this is a great change to ask ore you may take some pictures of possibly the largest flock Buff Leghorns.
Maybe you can tell them about us and that we want to know were all Buff Leghorns are.
Maybe there are good birds that after the production period can go further as a good animal for a breeding pen.

Please give them our e-mailaddress [email protected]

Greetings Arie

 

[danhonour]

I have had Buff Leghorns for many years and after a while you end up with your own line regardless of bloodlines.I maintain a male line of decent and that way the blood percentage of my main line is kept in high percentage.I do this intentionally when outcrossing.I try to use a new female and wait until 3/4 or more my breeding by not using males from the new line until 3/4 or 7/8.If I get a male for an outcross ,I back up a generation and use only his daughters for new blood,repeating the process.I find these methods work nicely and I can hold the quality without going backwords introducing new blood. Thought I would share this while on the topic. I did get eggs from Fred and that did increase broodiness for a generation or two,as well as tinted eggs ( both from Buff Rock blood I presume).It has been a few generations since and as Fred's blood percentage has decreased,so has the broodiness and cream colored eggs.Longer tails and sickles have return also.

 

[danhonour]

 

[ArieBLB]

What is the best colour to cross buff to?
When breeding to duckwing e+ would it be better to use a red enhanced?
What about splash duckwing?
I also have a few millefleur/columbian crosses with not a lot of black I assume these will be fine to make the cross to buff?
What about silver wheathen?
At the moment I have a buff bantam male in with my buff hens.
How long does it take to get the size back? What bantamising genes are involved in american leghorn bantams?
I am doing these outcrosses to get fertility and vigour back...
I did the cross to white leghorn but this wasn't even close to buff. the roos are white with a little buff leakage and the pullet is grey?????
Has anybody seen that?

Yes Piet I have seen that before with the outcross to white they gave in the F1 white with a little buff.
If you llok back in this forum I think I have placed some pictures of the F1 generation from a cross between White American type Leghorn Bantam x Buff Leghorn bantam. The F1 females from that cross I mated back to an Buff Leghorn bantam male with good yellow legs and good buff color to the skin. F2 females I mated back to their Buff sire.

F1

F1


F2

 

[ArieBLB]

Piet, now we know Tassilo Neubert from Germany I would sugest you try to get some eggs from his line Gelbe Italiener. He has very good typed animals with good color. You can improve your line by using his bloodline. This will costs you less more then when you go further with the project you started with the white.

 

[danhonour]

I am so often in agreement with Arie.It sometimes happens that we run into a stone wall with our breeding flock.If most of the birds have the same faults,selection will become less effective,it is at this point that an outcross can be beneficial to re-introduce good or missing traits.When mixing in new blood,it is wise to continue the project for 2 or 3 generations.The reason is genes need to recombine and some are recessive and may take time to re-appear..Backcrossing is sometimes done to help establish traits.Adding new blood can be risky,but if you stick with it a few years it generally works,and it is much nicer to work with strong,vigorous birds that lay and hatch well.

 

[ArieBLB]

New Article is online

http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/12E01A03.pdf

BUFF LEGHORNS
a rarity in many countries.

It is only seldom that we see Buff Leghorns.
Still they do exist, worldwide and in different breed types.
We thought it is high time to have an inventory to find out where they are and who is keeping them.

By : Arie van Bijsterveldt (NL)

 

[ArieBLB]

Hello Buff Leghorn Friends,

Is there anyone who has new chicks this season and how are they doing?
Any new pictures available?

Greetings Arie

 

[gallorojo]

Arie, I should have some chicks out soon. I will get some pictures when they hatch. Although she took a very long time to reach POL, my buff pullet is a great layer, about 6 large white perfect eggs a week. She has gone broody twice so far, and I've broken her up right away by moving her , but, she took a few weeks off each time---lol...which is why no chicks out as of yet.

 

[danhonour]

I have about 300 chicks out all totaled, for this year ,with Buff Leghorns being just shy of 200.Should give me plenty of culls and hopefully maybe a few good ones. Dan Honour..