One Chick Two
Songster
- Jun 13, 2013
- 1,067
- 249
- 206
Yep... dinner at our place, too. Four BCM cockerels. Just breaks the heart.
We're currently in F1, but, these four BCM cockerels were seeming promising. Sweet, friendly boys- ate apples gently from the hand. Crawled on your lap and liked to be held. They were 3 months, and starting to color in. Type good, eyes good, shanks/ feet/ tail angle and size good, and getting big/ some beginning to round out in chests. No halos, nor mahogany (is copper-red on saddle, just dark photo), so they were going in a positive direction....Then, one day, a dreaded sprig shows up. End of story.
.
Those of you who are removing sprigs from your flock, make sure to really look over combs carefully (see the very tiny sprig upper right?) There should be no folds, lumps, double prongs, or thumbprints- that next gen needs clean combs only. Another important thing... make sure that the back blade does not have points, but is a smooth blade. Defined points indicates that the bird probably carries a gene for sprigs (even if it does not show a sprig.). Check hens and pullets carefully too. They are smaller, but if they are there they can be seen, but, at least sprigged pullets can be put in a layers only flock.
Both Dad and mom have nice, sprig free combs with smooth blade blacks, but carried the single opposite (hidden recessed) genes, so recessed genes like this can happen when crossing over to another strain. This has been the worst fault we've dealt with (so far), so, have been feeling lucky, otherwise. We have been pretty unlucky trying out other lines this past summer.
There's 4 more boys we have a serious eye on now, so hopefully, they will all make it to 6 months...
We're currently in F1, but, these four BCM cockerels were seeming promising. Sweet, friendly boys- ate apples gently from the hand. Crawled on your lap and liked to be held. They were 3 months, and starting to color in. Type good, eyes good, shanks/ feet/ tail angle and size good, and getting big/ some beginning to round out in chests. No halos, nor mahogany (is copper-red on saddle, just dark photo), so they were going in a positive direction....Then, one day, a dreaded sprig shows up. End of story.
.
Those of you who are removing sprigs from your flock, make sure to really look over combs carefully (see the very tiny sprig upper right?) There should be no folds, lumps, double prongs, or thumbprints- that next gen needs clean combs only. Another important thing... make sure that the back blade does not have points, but is a smooth blade. Defined points indicates that the bird probably carries a gene for sprigs (even if it does not show a sprig.). Check hens and pullets carefully too. They are smaller, but if they are there they can be seen, but, at least sprigged pullets can be put in a layers only flock.
Both Dad and mom have nice, sprig free combs with smooth blade blacks, but carried the single opposite (hidden recessed) genes, so recessed genes like this can happen when crossing over to another strain. This has been the worst fault we've dealt with (so far), so, have been feeling lucky, otherwise. We have been pretty unlucky trying out other lines this past summer.
There's 4 more boys we have a serious eye on now, so hopefully, they will all make it to 6 months...
