Campine Chicken thread?

[sharol]

They are entirely too young to evaluate beyond major DQs like deformities. IF I HAD to cull one of these now, it would be this one. That comb is likely going to be HUGE (not good) and you said he is the smallest. Beyond that, there is no determining the important points at his age. I vote you keep all three until they are about seven months old and then decide which one to use, which to keep for a reserve, and which to cull.

I somehow thought you would say that. LOL.

This afternoon I went out to the hoop to bring them in for the night. It is still too cool to leave them outside in the coop (it got down to 56 in the coop with the heater on last night), and had the cat carrier I use to transport them sitting in the corner of their run. One of the little cockerels (one of the first 2, not sure which) went over to the door of the carrier, chirped authoritatively and went in. 8 of the little pullets and 1 cockerel followed him in. They just waited patiently for me to catch the others and put them in. He is clearly a leader. I need to figure out which chick it is, though.

Nice little birds. I'm enjoying watching the develop their own personalities.

 

[lakones]

How can you tell?

See pics below. First is a boy, spotted, random pattern. Second is a girl, stripped pattern. That's how the guy I bought them from told me and it has worked for all of mine.
Is that not common across the breed?

 

[Wisher1000]

LORD, I hope not! LOL! The vast majority of my chicks (all my chicks, not just this season's) look like the first pic. I do get some with chipmunk stripes, and I haven't followed them for gender. I will watch a bit more closely, but I have not made that correlation. Interesting, it may be specific to that line.

 

[sharol]

See pics below. First is a boy, spotted, random pattern. Second is a girl, stripped pattern. That's how the guy I bought them from told me and it has worked for all of mine.
Is that not common across the breed?

All 13 of my hatchlings had the leopard spotty pattern.1 gold, 12 silver, 3 cockerels (at 4 weeks the combs make it obvious) and 10 pullets. It is an interesting phenom. Are they old enough now to be sure it held true?

 

[lakones]

All 13 of my hatchlings had the leopard spotty pattern.1 gold, 12 silver, 3 cockerels (at 4 weeks the combs make it obvious) and 10 pullets.  It is an interesting phenom.  Are they old enough now to be sure it held true?

Yes m'am. I have eggs to back it up. I just thought they were all like that. The breeder I bought from has had his for a few years now so he has proven it over and over.

 

[sharol]

Yes m'am. I have eggs to back it up. I just thought they were all like that. The breeder I bought from has had his for a few years now so he has proven it over and over.

That is fascinating. The Feathersite has a couple of pictures of chicks that are sexed at hatch, but none of mine fit the patterns exactly, so I decided it didn't really apply. Mine didn't show the chipmunk stripes either (I just went back and looked at their 4 day pictures to be sure). It must be a function of the breeder's line.

I wonder what would happen if you crossed the lines? Are the adults in line with the SOP?

I'm just getting into Campines (from @Wisher1000 's lines) so all of this is pretty new to me.

Can you post a picture or two of the adult birds?

 

[Wisher1000]

The breeder I bought from has had his for a few years now so he has proven it over and over.

Who did you get them from?

 

[lakones]

https://m.facebook.com/quackleberryfarms
That where I got mine. They are no where close to the quality whisher has, just backyard quality in my opinion.
I will take some pics of the ones I have. I think the ones I have hatched are slightly better than the trio I'm hatching from. Weird n

 

[lakones]

https://m.facebook.com/quackleberryfarms
That where I got mine. They are no where close to the quality whisher has, just backyard quality in my opinion.
I will take some pics of the ones I have. I think the ones I have hatched are slightly better than the trio I'm hatching from. Weird n

This is my trio 8/10/15

Some of the offspring.

There are many things that need improving on these, but at least the offspring have white earlobes instead of red like my breeding trio. I think the golds are nicer looking than the silvers in my case. Interesting that all of the golds they threw have been girls, no gold boys.
Nonetheless, I still love em.

 

[Wisher1000]

Here is a simplified explanation for that. Some of the terms are not exactly correct, but I use them to make it easier to understand.

Your rooster is "split to gold" meaning that he has a dominant silver gene ('S') and a "recessive" gold gene ('s'.) Campine hens only carry genes on one chromosome and are always "pure" because they can only receive either a silver or a gold gene from one parent, and it will be obvious which it was by the color she is (phenotype.)

On a Punnett Square, it looks like this...

Silver Rooster = (S/s) Silver Hen = (S/-)

Male > S s

Female > S S/S S/s

(-) S/- s/-

SO....

25% Pure Silver Males
25% Split Silver Males
25% Silver Females
25% Gold Females

Does that make sense? If not, don't hesitate to ask.