This thread will be a chronicle of the next two years.
It's been a journey improving my small flock of Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. That trip slowed with inbreeding causing a lack of vitality/hatchability and came to an abrupt halt with the death of the breeding cock. First year I only had one cock and sure enough he was attacked. Murphy's got nothing on me.
For the past few years I've been scouring the country looking for decent birds to infuse blood into my flock. Multiple hatching of shipped eggs resulted in feather legs, undersized birds, pinched tails and comb sprigs. The photos presented did not show any of these issues prior to purchases. I needed another option, in contacting several prominent Wyandotte breeders to obtain a top quality silver or gold bird shipped discovered that route unfruitful. Luck and timing were not on my side this time and I'm running out of time. Two hens hatched in 2024 are all that's left from five plus years of effort, a few unfortunate coop door malfunctions and some daytime coyotes and mink in spring.
The time has come to use a different breed altogether to rebuild the flock. Rose Comb Rhode Island Red is the breed I've settled on. This will be a two year project just to get back to full lacing while working on type. Having hens less than two years old created a timeline. There is always a chance neither will be around for 2027 mating season so I've got to jump in with both feet or say goodbye to decent BLRW forever. They have not been maintained in the USA to any degree of quality from what I've seen.
Reasons for choosing the RC Red-
A breed that works and found them a 3 hour drive away from home.
Mahogany genes
Rose Comb
Bright Yellow legs; yellow washed out with my birds age.
Mother of cockerel I'm picking up Friday.
The knock knee cockerel was culled. Have two hens left and no cock.
It's been a journey improving my small flock of Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. That trip slowed with inbreeding causing a lack of vitality/hatchability and came to an abrupt halt with the death of the breeding cock. First year I only had one cock and sure enough he was attacked. Murphy's got nothing on me.
For the past few years I've been scouring the country looking for decent birds to infuse blood into my flock. Multiple hatching of shipped eggs resulted in feather legs, undersized birds, pinched tails and comb sprigs. The photos presented did not show any of these issues prior to purchases. I needed another option, in contacting several prominent Wyandotte breeders to obtain a top quality silver or gold bird shipped discovered that route unfruitful. Luck and timing were not on my side this time and I'm running out of time. Two hens hatched in 2024 are all that's left from five plus years of effort, a few unfortunate coop door malfunctions and some daytime coyotes and mink in spring.
The time has come to use a different breed altogether to rebuild the flock. Rose Comb Rhode Island Red is the breed I've settled on. This will be a two year project just to get back to full lacing while working on type. Having hens less than two years old created a timeline. There is always a chance neither will be around for 2027 mating season so I've got to jump in with both feet or say goodbye to decent BLRW forever. They have not been maintained in the USA to any degree of quality from what I've seen.
Reasons for choosing the RC Red-
A breed that works and found them a 3 hour drive away from home.
Mahogany genes
Rose Comb
Bright Yellow legs; yellow washed out with my birds age.
Mother of cockerel I'm picking up Friday.
The knock knee cockerel was culled. Have two hens left and no cock.
I have single comb RIR.
