BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[dfr1973]

Luanne is a very nice woman, and does very well with her birds.

Agreed. I found my visit with her enjoyable, inspiring, and encouraging. It's a shame we aren't next door neighbors!

 

[dfr1973]

Don't you just love the mahogany-red of the blue/black/splash-laced red Wyandottes? I do! I bought 2pair of the blue version at the Bluebonnet Classic, earlier this month. I think the Reds are so much prettier than the golds.

(I gave up on my Dorkings after I couldn't get any fertile eggs.)

Looking at building bigger chicken houses
Best wishes,
Angela

I thought the splash red was the prettiest - I guess I just like the contrast. I am committed to the golds though.

Sorry to hear about your Dorkings. I gave that breed a lot of serious thought (along with probably a dozen more!) when trying to decide what I wanted to raise out here.

I hear ya about building more infrastructure for chickens! Of course, once hubby gets caught up with the current number, I will likely get more.

 

[gjensen]

Don't you just love the mahogany-red of the blue/black/splash-laced red Wyandottes? I do! I bought 2pair of the blue version at the Bluebonnet Classic, earlier this month. I think the Reds are so much prettier than the golds.

(I gave up on my Dorkings after I couldn't get any fertile eggs.)

Looking at building bigger chicken houses
Best wishes,
Angela

I am sorry to hear about your Dorkings. I guess you cannot hatch if you can't get fertile eggs. It is a shame really, but maybe you will enjoy the Wyandottes more. That is a very attractive variety.

I enjoy all of the Laced varieties. Blue probably the most.

I had toyed with the idea of black Wyandottes. I have only seen one flock that I liked, and they had too much feather for my taste.

It would be nice to see a good line of utility whites or blacks.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

 I am sorry to hear about your Dorkings. I guess you cannot hatch if you can't get fertile eggs. It is a shame really, but maybe you will enjoy the Wyandottes more. That is a very attractive variety.

 I enjoy all of the Laced varieties. Blue probably the most.

 I had toyed with the idea of black Wyandottes. I have only seen one flock that I liked, and they had too much feather for my taste.

 It would be nice to see a good line of utility whites or blacks.

Thank you for your kind words.
The Wyandottes I purchased have better tails than most of the ones I saw at Columbus. Their breeder said they reach adult frame size and come into lay ~6 months of age. I want to have a good all-around flock with lovely, happy chickens in the yard, >225 large eggs per pullet year, pol at 5 months and good fryers by 3 months. This may be as far fetched as my Dorking daydreams, but ya "miss 100% of the shots" you don't take.
Best wishes,
Angela

 

[gjensen]

Thank you for your kind words.
The Wyandottes I purchased have better tails than most of the ones I saw at Columbus. Their breeder said they reach adult frame size and come into lay ~6 months of age. I want to have a good all-around flock with lovely, happy chickens in the yard, >225 large eggs per pullet year, pol at 5 months and good fryers by 3 months. This may be as far fetched as my Dorking daydreams, but ya "miss 100% of the shots" you don't take.
Best wishes,
Angela

If you could get 160-180 large eggs, 6 month layers, and 16 wk fryers in a blue laced variety that has good type . . . you will have something worth talking about. That is a challenging, but beautiful color. A variety like that does not have to set records to be worth something. I would be proud of a flock like that. Not to mention varieties like this are often good broody mothers, which is useful in the right setting.

The Wyandotte is somehow overlooked overall and particularly among those interested in utility. There is already a lack of interest in the practical merits of keeping poultry.

A Wyandotte's carcass should be more like what we have become accustomed to than the other American breeds. There should be a good dual purpose meat strain of White Wyandottes.

The exhibition Wyandottes that I am familiar with have good size, but are excessively feathered. That kills a bird's practicality. A lot of protein and energy goes into all that feather. Both during growth, and in maintenance. If I had the ability and resources, I would be interested in creating a line of blacks and whites. Birds that were tight feathered, had good type, and had good fleshing. Birds that could lay 200 eggs per year. Maybe not win a beauty contest, but would be respected by those that knew Wyandotte.

This goes for all of the American dual purpose breeds. The Rocks, Reds, NHs, Dels, etc. It would be interesting to see more take on projects like this, and commit to them. Many like the idea of it. Some pay it lip service. Some are sincere, but do not know how. The good breeders are breeding for other reasons all together. There is nothing wrong with that. It would just be nice to see some old fashioned utility lines available.

I would take a flock of good typed Reds that were productive that may not have the color etc. over a non performing show winner any day.

I hate to offend, but the hatchery Barred Rocks are awful. They are not Rocks. They are junk. The exhibition strains are useless. That is just the truth. They have size, even too much size. They are poor Jersey Giants. The hatchery NHs are not NHs. They are small red birds. The production reds are good layers, but they are as much like a Rhode Island Red as my Catalanas are.

We need some that will roll up their sleeves and develop good bids with good type, that are worth having around. They may not win shows, but that are respectable for their breed. We need some good old fashioned utility lines of these breeds.

 

[chickkrzi]

sounds good to me!

 

[DesertChic]

.....

I hate to offend, but the hatchery Barred Rocks are awful. They are not Rocks. They are junk. The exhibition strains are useless. That is just the truth. They have size, even too much size. They are poor Jersey Giants. The hatchery NHs are not NHs. They are small red birds. The production reds are good layers, but they are as much like a Rhode Island Red as my Catalanas are.

We need some that will roll up their sleeves and develop good bids with good type, that are worth having around. They may not win shows, but that are respectable for their breed. We need some good old fashioned utility lines of these breeds.

I am fortunate enough to be loosely acquainted with precisely this type of breeder. Here's her website if anyone is interested: http://featheredreptilesfarm.weebly.com/

My husband and I know a poultry judge who introduced me to these birds so I could see firsthand the difference between hatchery stock and quality breeder stock. Her birds are beautiful, but they're also production stock. As he explained to us, "What good is a pretty chicken if it doesn't keep you fed?"

 

[weavers rocks]

this is a pullet in the breeding pen I have a full sister to her . But this pullet has laid well 15 eggs this month with out artificial lighting her sister won't bred bcause she has laid five eggs this month . These are not hatchery birds . Not puttin down hatcheries just sayin

 

[dfr1973]

The Wyandotte is somehow overlooked overall and particularly among those interested in utility. There is already a lack of interest in the practical merits of keeping poultry.

A Wyandotte's carcass should be more like what we have become accustomed to than the other American breeds. There should be a good dual purpose meat strain of White Wyandottes.

The exhibition Wyandottes that I am familiar with have good size, but are excessively feathered. That kills a bird's practicality. A lot of protein and energy goes into all that feather. Both during growth, and in maintenance. If I had the ability and resources, I would be interested in creating a line of blacks and whites. Birds that were tight feathered, had good type, and had good fleshing. Birds that could lay 200 eggs per year. Maybe not win a beauty contest, but would be respected by those that knew Wyandotte.

We need some that will roll up their sleeves and develop good bids with good type, that are worth having around. They may not win shows, but that are respectable for their breed. We need some good old fashioned utility lines of these breeds.

Noted.

 

[weavers rocks]

this is the cockerel that is single mated to the pullet Above . His pen sister began laying at seven and a half months she has laid sixteen eggs this month without lights . He has another pen sister same hatch date that has laid only three eggs this month so she will not b in the breeding pen