Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Rachel'sFlock]

Myth Buster
​

"The Red Sex Link is a cross between a Rhode Island Red rooster over a Rhode Island White hen"


This mythology is very, very entrenched and mainly caused by hatcheries using this bogus statements on their website. Remember folks, these same hatcheries often use photos from poultry shows of award winning birds, shown in their show cages, suggesting that this is their parent stock for the chicks you can order!!!

Geesh! Could anything BE more inaccurate? OK, now the myth stated above. This is absurd, of course, as the RIW is likely either rare as hen's teeth or extinct with a few breeders perhaps "rebuilding" them along the lines of Kathy's Delaware project. The hatcheries aren't using RIWs. First, folks, please remember the RIW has a rose comb, yet we never see any rose combed RSL birds sold. Sorry. The average RSL is more likely a commercial bird, sold through the retail hatcheries with nice, cute, retail type names for the consumer. Meanwhile, the brown egg industry buys them by the millions, around the world, as a Bovan, Hubbard, ISA, Hi-Sex, etc, etc, etc.

The ISA Brown was one of the first. It has been bred for now over 35 years, the product of poultry genetics. 4 separate lines are involved. Two lines for the red side and two lines for the white side. These are of European origin and the lines are secret and proprietary. The two white lines likely include lots of European white sussex type blood as well as white Leghorn blood. The red side includes Rhode Island Red, but also likely has Brown Leghorn as well. In any case, NONE of the grandparent birds would be "pure" anything, in that they are no longer "breeds" but hyper specialize strains of grandparent stock. The commercial broiler, commonly called a CX is produced for the meat industry in a very similar way.

This is great information.
I chose my hatchery BAs because of their reputation, and that they were a breed. Somehow I knew I could breed some BAs together and make some more BAs, which was my only consideration. 2 of these will make more of these.
Whereas, the uber-hybridized "breeds" cannot be guaranteed to replicate the same thing if you breed 2 of them together.
That is the extent of my breeding knowledge and of my knowledge of genetics.
But so far, my BAs do seem to create more BAs, so it's working.
Now I would like to know a lot more about breeding and its intricacies, and I have been part of the Australorp group for ages. They speak a foreign language there, and are concerned about a lot of stuff that is way above my head. But I keep reading, so I can learn more.
Thanks for being a teacher. I promise to pay you back by being a good student.

 

[Fred's Hens]

From the minute I saw your name, I knewwww what the story was. We have some Rachel (NOT Phil's!) Hens at my house, too.

Of course.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

I've talked myself out of replying to the quiz a dozen times today because I just don't know enough. Like Rachel I chose my Australorps because of their laying reputation, right of wrong. But I've been listening along the way to the OT. I think that Hen #1 has a pinched tail and a lighter colored comb and wattles. Might not be a problem for this breed and since these chickens were chosen for eggs, eggs, eggs, I would think that is the final consideration. I like the alertness of Hen #2, as with my birds when their curiosity is piqued, up goes their necks. Not sure how #2's tail is or how wide the legs are apart. Those would be the two things I think affect egg laying. I also thought I heard something about pinched tails make it harder to get fertilized??? Being brand new to chickening, I can't see myself culling for any other reason than non or slow egg production. See, like I said, I'm new and it's not a business. However I wouldn't want to throw good money after bad.

Thanks, Fred, for the quiz. I think we'll all learn something now, fer shure.

 

[TexasLisa]

I know really !!!!............ they are skeeer'd Walt, if they had it there way we gentleman would all be mutes, that way they won't have to listen to us tell them how silly they sound. IMHO the divorce rate would decline by 99% with the use of duct tape carefully placed in the center of their pretty little faces under their nose

for like at least the first 30yrs, now that's marital bliss.

Al, I am a newbie but have been reading for a while. My DH

and I have been married 30 years. When we got married, an older gentleman gave my husband a cast iron skillet with directions: Place by the bedside and hit her on the fanny every morning.

She will learn to get up and fix your breakfast very quick. We still have the skillet!!

Lisa

 

[Fred's Hens]

Last Call on the Quiz, if you are interested. Here it is, one last time. One more hour, and then, you can grade yourself, OK?

Pop Quiz

Ok, here is the promised Pop Quiz. But here are the rules and background info.

There are two birds focused on here. I will try to identify them simply as Bird #1 and Bird #2. They are both ISA Browns, the quintessential layer. Think the CX of the layer birds. These are not dual purpose fowl. They are dedicated purpose fowl. Eggs, eggs and more eggs. They are both 8 months old, all the birds came in a box of 25, hatched on the same day, brooded together and raised together. Always been fed the same feed, in the same environment.

Apologize for my crappy photography and camera quality. It is what it is. While it doesn't come through on the camera well, I can give you this hint. Their feathering quality is vastly different in real life. You'll have to decide which is which and why.

Rules for the Quiz.

1. Only those who've kept backyard birds for less than 3 years are allowed to take the quiz.
2. No one can reply right now. Anyone who replies today, will be DQ'd. No ifs, ands or butts.
3. The window of turning in your Quiz responses will NOT be until this time tomorrow. There will be an open window of 8 hours in which to turn in your Quiz. Anytime tomorrow(NOW TODAY, DEC. 9) is just fine, after 1 pm EST. Noon CST, 11 am MST and 10 am PST. Sure, this is a gimmick, but hey. I want to think about this quiz and not give instant, knee jerk responses. OK?
4. Tell me what you see in comparing these two birds.
5. Tell me if you would cull one, both, neither, and why you think so.

OK, there it is. Is everyone ready for the photos to judge?




Bird # 1



Bird # 1 Bird # 2



Bird #1 Bird # 2



Bird # 2



Bird # 2

 

[IvyMaeWilliams]

My take on the quiz: I would probably take egg-laying into big consideration before doing anything, but if we're going just on the visual...if I had to pick one to keep it would be #1. I like her body shape better. It's really hard to tell because of not knowing how they look when they're moving around, though. I guess maybe #2's neck looked too long to me. But I have almost zero idea of what I'm talking about!
Can't wait to see the answer!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Old Timers get to join in the fun!!!! Let's really stir the pot a bit, to make the last hour interesting, shall we?


OK, you wise, older keepers. Don't you dare give away all the answers to the Quiz yet.

A couple months back, one of my boys brought the young cockerel, of his choice, up for me to use in breeding this winter/early spring. I put in with the ISA layers pen for three or four weeks. I keep 12 ISA layers in each pen. I observed his behaviors with these ISA laying pullets. Within 3 weeks, he would mount all the layers? What would a rooster's behavior in a harem like that tell you about your layers, if anything? Ok, you experienced folks, here's your chance to chime in. LOL

 

[champer]

Last Call on the Quiz, if you are interested. Here it is, one last time. One more hour, and then, you can grade yourself, OK?

Pop Quiz

Ok, here is the promised Pop Quiz. But here are the rules and background info.

There are two birds focused on here. I will try to identify them simply as Bird #1 and Bird #2. They are both ISA Browns, the quintessential layer. Think the CX of the layer birds. These are not dual purpose fowl. They are dedicated purpose fowl. Eggs, eggs and more eggs. They are both 8 months old, all the birds came in a box of 25, hatched on the same day, brooded together and raised together. Always been fed the same feed, in the same environment.

Apologize for my crappy photography and camera quality. It is what it is. While it doesn't come through on the camera well, I can give you this hint. Their feathering quality is vastly different in real life. You'll have to decide which is which and why.

Rules for the Quiz.

1. Only those who've kept backyard birds for less than 3 years are allowed to take the quiz.
2. No one can reply right now. Anyone who replies today, will be DQ'd. No ifs, ands or butts.
3. The window of turning in your Quiz responses will NOT be until this time tomorrow. There will be an open window of 8 hours in which to turn in your Quiz. Anytime tomorrow(NOW TODAY, DEC. 9) is just fine, after 1 pm EST. Noon CST, 11 am MST and 10 am PST. Sure, this is a gimmick, but hey. I want to think about this quiz and not give instant, knee jerk responses. OK?
4. Tell me what you see in comparing these two birds.
5. Tell me if you would cull one, both, neither, and why you think so.

OK, there it is. Is everyone ready for the photos to judge?




Bird # 1



Bird # 1 Bird # 2



Bird #1 Bird # 2



Bird # 2



Bird # 2

Long time lurker here. Boy, I went back and forth on this, but my choice is to keep #2 and cull #1. I really couldn't spot the difference in feathering, which apparently is the clue. I chose on the basis of #2 appears like a thrifty bird who matured quicker and to my eye appears to be a no nonsense layer. But, what do I know?

 

[al6517]

I am seeing some odd interpretations in the quiz......................... as a casual observer since I don't qualify to take the test..

Keep it up folks, keep rolling, keep going and working on the quiz, you folks are doin good and having some fun at that. Keep em going Fred !!.

 

[TexasLisa]

Lisa