Creating New Breeds... (Near Chicago if U want to help hatch!)

[6th_Happiness]

Not sure if this is the best forum, but has anyone else tried to create their own new breed? I've been planning one for years and finally getting started on it. You can read more here: http://fithfath.com/farm/poultry/chickens/a-new-chicken-breed-for-the-city/

If you have tried, what did you aim to develop? did you feel you were successful or not, and why?

I am in Illinois near Chicago, so if anyone is interested, I can use help later with people helping to hatch eggs- like school class projects, or people who can only have chickens for X-months a year due to local laws that make an exception for 4_H projects etc. Others can help too- and keep some of the chicks if they like, I wont be able to use them all after all!

 

[Whittni]

That sounds cool, good luck!

 

[WynnFamilyFarms]

I have never attempted to create a new breed, but a local farm has! We recently purchased a few chicks from Gold Feather Farms who have created their own Mosaic birds. They are absolutely gorgeous- check them out any maybe they can offer some advice?

 

[6th_Happiness]

checked out their site..... :-( a mosaic, scientifically speaking, isnt something inheritable, you cant base a breed for it! At least, not in the sense anyone outside a modern lab could. http://www.biology-pages.info/M/Mosaics.html so either they don't know their biology, or they do know it, but are betting on a public that doesnt and will spend big bucks on what sounds impressive but they dont understand. (saw the auctions and sale prices) I can find no explaination of breeds used (and for what traits), genotype, autosexing ability, egg colour, etc... nothing as to what neglected 'niche' this breed is supposed to fill the needs of. Combined with the other breeds they sell, their 'niche' appears to be who ever will pay the most for something that is given the impression of being 'rare', so the buyers can brag to their neighbours, or try selling the expensive rare chicks and cash in on it too... after a while, what was once 'rare', no longer is, and the last buyer is left with the burst market bubble.

The only thing that appears consistant and halfway 'unique', is the dark skin and blue earlobes, but its only unique in that people don't tend to do the crosses to introduce and maintain the trait... but really, anyone can introduce that to a line and breed for by bringing in a common silkie chicken! Sure, they are 'pretty', but so are countless barnyard mixes/mutts, and given time, even those can become true-breeding, have a name stuck on them, called 'rare' and auctioned to the highest bidder.

I am not in this as a business but out of a love for genetics and an interest in applying that to urban agriculture to address class inequalities by fighting things like food deserts. I haven't thought what i'd charge for the chicks once the breed is established, because i've always pictured giving a few free to those who help hatch... giving them free to people who live in food deserts, etc. Its not that it isnt work intensive or that my time has no value... but that the point is for a better tommorrow, a gift for the future, and hyping them up into something 'rare' to spend hundreds on, would go smack against the whole point of creating the breed. The enjoyment of working on a breed project, or seeing it succeed (which would make it common, not rare) in the way i am working towards, is worth more to me than any amount I could get auctioning them as 'rare'. And being disabled, i certainly could use the money! But auctioning artificially rare chickens isn't a way i'd be comfortable doing it.

 

[tk10]

Not sure if this is the best forum, but has anyone else tried to create their own new breed? I've been planning one for years and finally getting started on it. You can read more here: http://fithfath.com/farm/poultry/chickens/a-new-chicken-breed-for-the-city/

If you have tried, what did you aim to develop? did you feel you were successful or not, and why?

I am in Illinois near Chicago, so if anyone is interested, I can use help later with people helping to hatch eggs- like school class projects, or people who can only have chickens for X-months a year due to local laws that make an exception for 4_H projects etc. Others can help too- and keep some of the chicks if they like, I wont be able to use them all after all!

I'm interested in helping hatch. I'm inexperienced but have goose eggs in right now. I'm a science teacher and will have some time this summer to meet up.

 

[big medicine]

http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=29277&page=1

 

[Mixedcat13298]

This sounds super Interesting and fun to do especially since I live around Chicago

 

[6th_Happiness]

thanks. I forgot about the coop forums, lots of good references and links there I need to go thru.

FOr those that would like to help hatch... I mentioned it now just for people to be aware of it in the future. At the earliest, I might have some eggs to hatch in the autum; otherwise, we'll start getting serious with the necissary crosses and egg hatching in the spring 0f '18- so end of next school year for teachers who'd be interested. I'm still working a lot out, but i am thinking about the best way to connect everyone who would be interested in the chicago area... a forum thread, a place to post on my person website, an email list... not sure. 'watch this space' as is said.

Thanks for the interest!