CREATE YOUR OWN BREED OF CHICKEN

[GaryDean26]

Sorry I couldn't get back to this thread sooner, life has a way of getting - in the way a lot.

GaryDean26,
OK! Now I have an idea of it. LOL! But after reading your description all I kind of see in my head is a picture which sort of looks like a Griffin! LOL! Take no offense please. I have never tried to develop a new breed and have absolutely no clue what would be involved. Or how long it would take. I have seen pics of Cream Legbars. I think they are very pretty. Never seen one in person though.

I do have a bird project though where I have tried to improve my flock for the things I like. Some of the items you have listed I also agree with and think are attractive. I have succeeded with some of my birds towards my goals. I also like;

Well... here is one of the project hens to get an idea. She was 1/8 Cochin, 1/8 Silkie, 1/4 White Leghorn, 1/2 Breda Guldre. This was where we were at 4 generations into the project. We were still a long way away from where we wanted to be. It would have taken us a minimum of 10 years to complete. Most breeds out there that were developed from a single line took 3-4 decades to create.

 

[thecuriouslynx]

GaryDean26,

She is pretty. Why did you stop? You say you are still a long ways out but look at what you have already accomplished! Granted she may be a "rough draft" however, she has an awful lot of what you listed. the black beak, almost smooth face, crest, wonderful blue color with darker lacing, feathered legs, general body type and tail. What color of egg does she lay? I would say that after only four generations you are really well on your way. Did the cockerels have this much also?

 

[GaryDean26]

Yes...we stopped. The more that we learned about chicken breeding and management the more we were convinced that if we wanted to have a flock that produced uniform highly productive chickens that we need to go to a single breed flock. We got rid of all of our breeding projects and all but one breed.

I wonder if we made the right decision though. We choose the Cream Legbars since we felt that is the breed that we could contribute to the most with out efforts. I however saw a friend post an add for a show quality Blue Silkie cockerel last week and saw another breeder in the same area offering Black Cochin pullets. I was really tempted to forget about the established breeds and work on this project for several years.

Ya..she was a rough draft. She doesn't have the blue ear lobes but some of her siblings were getting them. She also doesn't have the vulture hocks and feathered feet which really adds a lot to the look. Her lacing has some smudgy spots that could be improved but we were actually quite happy with her color. We like the really light ground color with the really dark lacing. She was a white egg layer. We though an all blue birds (plumage, feet, ear lobes) that laid a blue egg would be perfect. We were going to call then Texas Bluebonnets since they were a blue crested bird and were being developed in Marble Falls, Texas which is the Blue Bonnet capital of the world. We live in Oklahoma now, but if were were to work on them again I think I would still call them Texas Blue Bonnets. Yes...the cockerels were coming out about a good as the pullets.

Just for reference this is the Father of the hen above.



Here is the mother of the hen above.

 

[thecuriouslynx]

WOW!! Did they cross nice!! She is definitely not a result that I would expect! You did very, very well to get to that point. All blue type bird which would lay blue eggs too, VERY NICE.

There are times when we need to contribute our best efforts to others and other breeds. And there are times when we have to contribute and nurture to our own spirit of adventure. Not
necessarily what is the "right" thing but, that which makes us happiest and most content inside.

I do not know how old you are but, when I passed fifty years back I realized that very little in life "truly" matters or deserves ,all of the fuss we as humans make of things. What does matter
though, beyond all else, is that we are true to ourselves. Our own nature and life spirit which allows us to breathe and enjoy the world as only we can. To create and leave a life imprint behind for others which is indescribably and indelibly.. us. Life is too short. Make it what your heart would like it to be.

the decision you made back then, was made period. You had your reasons at the time for making it. It is past. Cannot be changed. However, you learned from it right? The crosses you made
taught you. Breeding the Cream Legbars have taught you. With all of this knowledge you are just as close as you were then. You would not have to really start over from block one.
Would it hurt to purchase the Blue Silkie cockerel and some of the Black Cochin pullets? Perhaps reduce the Legbar flock to be able to accommodate the new birds. There is nothing which says you cannot work on both breeds at the same time.. there is nothing which truly restricts you if, this is what your heart longs for and wonders about. Where there is desire, there is always a way. No matter how old we are or how much our bones creak!.

 

[thecuriouslynx]

Hi GaryDean, Well, Unlike you, I don't know what I am doing with all of the particulars with chicken breeding but, I have been having fun for the last three years doing it! LOL! I do all my hatching with my hens. Increases the challenge of choosing well and doing a good job. Also, I Love seeing my momma hens with their babies. I have EE Ameraucana's and a few Ameraucana crosses. Different colors and combos of colors. My two main project categrories are the haves (muff and beards) and the have nots. Along with working towards the head type, short tail and body I like. The first year a couple of these things showed up in some babies and peaked my interest in making the flock towards what attracts me. Which I am finding is a lot of different things!

Top pic is my current breeding Roo - Blue from my stock last year. I kept him because I thought he was the best quality and would throw more of what I was looking for. And a few pics of some of his smooth-faced babies from this summer. Working on as little comb as possible, no muff or beard and no wattles. Apparently the Roo - Blue, carries a very dominant smooth face gene and so do some of the hens. He is really throwing out the blue/greys and a few lavender types and blue wheatons. I would like to see more feathers around the eyes and mouth of the babies. Some take more after daddy than their moms but are all still young and will continue to change a bit. This year is my first truest batch of smooth face with no signs of muff or beard. Even though some are not as pretty as I would like them. I am anxious to see all of the little cockerels get older to see which are more quality to me.

 

[and-roo]

This thread is really interesting . There is one breeding project I would like to attempt in the future (but its not a cross breed) please check it out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...roject-questions-and-discussion#post_15709723

But one cross breed I would LOVE to see is the "ultimate" ornamental breed. It would have: crest (with vault), beard, feathered feet, vulture hocks, five toes, completely black skin/face, naked neck, lays blue eggs, phoenix-type tail feathers, bantam size, buttercup comb, and would possibly come in GL, SL BLR, black/blue/splash/white, and silver colors. That would be really cool

 

[thecuriouslynx]

ROFL!!! Andreooo... Cue Star Trek theme music.. To go where no man has gone before... I really like the originality!! Your crossbreed bird would be more than exotic to me, it would be

like taking a walk back in time to the dinosaurs, I think. You would really like this book Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson. Have you read it? It is extremely good.
The journey of the feather throughout time has been absolutely amazing. It has finally been determined that many of the flying dinosaurs were "naked" to start with and then developed feathers
to cover the leathery like skin. Took experts years for them to realize they had to have feathers. the reason there has never been any physical proof of this is because feathers are basically pure protein and quickly deteriorate to dust once the animal died. So they naturally would not be found with the skeletons of these reptiles. Now millions of years later many people are attracted once again to the bare genetics. And since chickens are related to the dinosaurs, there is work being done to see if they can extract from the DNA and develop a dinosaur type relative again. I know it
is very easy for me to see the dinosaur in my chickens. Especially in that oh, about two month or so age when they are developing and just really... look like heck!! All scraggly feathered, long neck, legs and feet too big and head & beak too big for their body. EEEEKK!!!

Read the book. You will like it!

 

[and-roo]

Lol, that sounds pretty interesting! I too think any breed like that would make anyone do a double-take, haha!

 

[copper2]

Jersey giant and white leghorn cross!

 

[thecuriouslynx]

This thread is really interesting

. There is one breeding project I would like to attempt in the future (but its not a cross breed) please check it out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...roject-questions-and-discussion#post_15709723

But one cross breed I would LOVE to see is the "ultimate" ornamental breed. It would have: crest (with vault), beard, feathered feet, vulture hocks, five toes, completely black skin/face, naked neck, lays blue eggs, phoenix-type tail feathers, bantam size, buttercup comb, and would possibly come in GL, SL BLR, black/blue/splash/white, and silver colors. That would be really cool

Hey there Andre, I was looking around the internet and Briarwood Farm in Canada has some blue laced red Wyandottes...