Breeding Wheaten

[adubsroit]

I am currently in the process of acquiring some BBR/Wheaten Cubalayas. In general, I cannot find any definitive information on how people select Wheatons for breeding. For example, when breeding Buffs breeders suggest pairing a clean male (w/ little to no peppering anywhere) with a slightly peppered female. So, any Cubalaya, Marans, Ameraucana and any other Wheaten breed breeders: how do you do it??

Thanks in advance

 

[smoothmule]

I can't help you but I did subscribe to your thread since I have Serama's and Araucana's, both with wheaten bases and I'd like to learn more too. It makes sense to know what wheaten should look like then cull chicks that mature with things you don't want but I know there's more to it than that.
The Serama's are always going to be a challenge with the multiple other genes they have but with my Araucana's, I'd like to work on improving my BBR variety.

There are other threads here in BYC that may be helpful that I haven't read through yet.

 

[Oldhound]

Saladin is one of the most respected and experienced Cubalaya breeders in the US. I for one pay very close attention to his advise . A visit to his website Tulip Grove Gamefowl will show just how georgeous his Cubalayas are. " The Proof is in the Pudding" as they say. By rhe way I do not know him personally.

 

[catwalk]

Quote:
It's always good to know why people advise these things. Is it because a clear buff is hard to come by, and the male is theoretically more important, as he can breed several females? I understand that wheaten and BBR are two different colors, so you'll want to keep them separate.

I'm in the same boat as Smoothmule, breeding Seramas. All I can do is keep referencing pictures of good wheaten color, and breed my best examples, type allowing. The ABA and APA websites are good resources for pictures. Good luck!

 

[smoothmule]

I'm was just wondering, the way Serama's carry so many genes, if they can be both wheaten and BBR and how you would go about getting the colors straightened out. I'm still working on learning to tell wheaten chick down from BBR chick down and I think I have that one figured out then I get a chick that seems to have down that's in the middle, lol.

 

[Illia]

Wheaten should be solid yellow, very little exceptions. A small dot on the head is okay. BBR should be light brown with bold, thick brown stripes down the body and down the head and eyes. Getting them mixed up is indeed an issue, but it can be solved. I think the number one thing someone should know in order to solve this is knowing what wheaten SHOULD look like, at least in a female. After that, they realize who's pushing the standard.

Take this female for example. . . She's half Wheaten, half BBR. She's a female with good example on what not to breed if you want true color.

Next up to avoid are Wheatens with too much darkness at the chest, which naturally isn't wanted but also can clue in on some Duckwing/BBR influence.

Males are a little more tricky, but from my experience. . . Stay away from males with straw or yellowish hackle if you want BBR, stay away from too dark of red or too uniform of red if you want Wheaten.


I'm not sure in helping you with Cubalayas, they are indeed a little tricky as other gamefowl can be. As with other breeds in comparison, there's a lot of methods. Me, I just try and balance things out. I keep out any females too dark of chest or too uniform of color, if my male has too much brown in the breast, I breed in a female with very light coloration. The less brown or black on her breast, the more I get rid of the issue in the male.

Oh and another thing - Get rid of any excess white at the base of the male's tail. Not something you want, despite what people often show in their chosen breeding males in some breeds.

 

[gallorojo]

Please remember that the Cubalaya wheaten is not quite the same as any other wheaten out there, and much of the breeding advice you will get from breeders of other types of wheaten, simply does not apply. In the Cubalayas, you WANT a female with a lot of black smudging-this produces males with good black breasts, without brown lacing. You WANT a male with white in the tail, wings, or base of tail-this helps give you a bright, light, fiery hackle. Yes, your breeder birds are not the same as your show birds, yes, I'm talking about double mating. A Cubalaya hen should be a much darker, cinnamon, redddish shade, and the cock should have a light, bright, hackle.

I want to give credit where credit is due, all I know about wheaten and Cubalayas comes from Saladin!!!

Pullet showing nice DARK color,

Hen with decent color.

Silver hen.

This cock is too dark in hackle, not bright enough, too much of a mahogany shade. The white in the tail would be a DQ for show, but not necessarily bad for breeding!!