Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[Rujzin]

I've read (most of) the 300+ pages in this thread and had some questions for Cubalaya breeders based on what you've seen in your own lines.

The ALBC page on Cubas says that they were originally bred without spurs, but I don't think I've seen a single person mention that they breed for a lack of spurs - everyone breeds for multiple spurs. And the pictures of multiple spurs I've seen don't look like little buds - they are genuine spurs. Does anyone know how this preference began? Is there a reason multiple spurs are preferred over none? In your opinion (not based on breed standard).

My Cubas have been laying well, but I've read that for the first year they lay poorly then, unlike a lot of other breeds, egg production improves over time, with hens laying a respectable (efficient/worth keeping for laying) number of eggs until they are five or six years old. Has anyone noticed this? On average how well do your girls lay? Do they seem seasonal?

I've noticed a lot of different unrecognized colors people are playing with. Because of Easter Eggers, some Ameraucana breeders tend to get a bit ruffled about non-pure or project color lines. Is that the same with Cubas? Since they are so uncommon, I've been wanting to run various colors together, and I'm really tempted to run a bunch of Sandhill's whites with some BBs just to see if they are hiding any color sports. Are people worrying more about type and size than pure color strains?

When do you usually process your culls and what do you look for when culling out cockrels to avoid culling out someone with a nice tail? Are there any tricks at 12 weeks old? 20 weeks? And just for the fun of it, what size are yours at your preferred dress out age?

What do you look for when keeping back a nice hen?

Has anyone felt the need to trim some of the tails over the winter (along the length of the bottom - not chopping half of it off : ) to keep them from dragging through the snow? Does anyone have any issues with frozen tails? We haven't yet, but we also haven't had a foot or more of snow on the ground.

Anything is helpful - even extra stuff not mentioned.

Thanks

 

[cubalaya]

problem with webpage

 

[cubalaya]

cant post

 

[NeoFlightRN]

I'm a bit too new to the game myself (only a year) to answer any of your breeding questions, but I can share my recent experience about laying and the meat.

My Cubas have been laying well, but I've read that for the first year they lay poorly then, unlike a lot of other breeds, egg production improves over time, with hens laying a respectable (efficient/worth keeping for laying) number of eggs until they are five or six years old. Has anyone noticed this? On average how well do your girls lay? Do they seem seasonal?

Mine have not seemed to start laying until 8 months old or more, but once they start, they are extremely consistent. Nearly every day. That being said, I allowed those that wanted to go broody and hatch a clutch this year to do so (I needed more birds), so I feel that afforded them a rest from laying, and gave them time to molt in the process. Once the chicks were weaned, it was back to that consistent production.


When do you usually process your culls and what do you look for when culling out cockrels to avoid culling out someone with a nice tail? Are there any tricks at 12 weeks old? 20 weeks? And just for the fun of it, what size are yours at your preferred dress out age?

I recently culled 5 roosters from this summer's chicks. I was stupid for letting them get as old as they did-not sure I will let that happen again. They were born mid-July and I butchered them on New Year's Eve. They had gotten big enough to be problematic-fighting with each other, raping some bantams I have free-ranging with them, challenging my big rooster. Just mayhem in the chicken yard. That being said, after skinning them out (cooked for shredded meat and bones, not roasting/frying), they finished at 3 pounds

.

 

[dmanhefner]

That's a good looking carcass

 

[Rujzin]

Thank you, Neo, that is exactly the sort of information I am looking for. Out of curiosity, how long have you had your birds? Do you know what line they are out of?

 

[NeoFlightRN]

I started with my original trio in March 2015.

I will defer to @wood&feathers to answer the lineage question. She started me with a trio, and I will foster broodies for her, and we've swapped out some birds.
I think some of her birds came from @cubalaya ?

Thank you, Neo, that is exactly the sort of information I am looking for. Out of curiosity, how long have you had your birds? Do you know what line they are out of?

 

[cubalaya]

mine were sandhill(Russell, courson), gallorojo(zook,bender,schmudde), Everett(finch, castagnatti,). now I call them my line. I tried answering ruzjin post 3 times but problems with site

 

[NeoFlightRN]

Oh good. I'm glad I didn't get that wrong. I checked with her. I was right about your line and she also has Wicked from Christopher Wallen of PA. So mine are therefore your line and her mix.

mine were sandhill(Russell, courson), gallorojo(zook,bender,schmudde), Everett(finch, castagnatti,). now I call them my line. I tried answering ruzjin post 3 times but problems with site

 

[Rujzin]

High Hopes, Crazy Hopes, and Your Help Needed
Yes, you.

A year ago, the owner of the Cubalaya Club of America site offered to pass it on to someone else to help promote and preserve the breed. I noticed that the site was still down and that no one approached him (publicly) about taking it over so I wrote him, myself. He still had it and after chatting it over, I offered to pick it up and see what could be done with it.

This is where your help is needed: I am paying for the hosting myself, I will be renewing the domain name when that is needed. There is a basic site, but I'd like to do a few revisions and add quite a bit to it to make it a genuine resource for anyone who is interested in keeping, raising, or preserving Cubalayas. This is an amazing breed and it has stiff competition from a hundred other amazing breeds. It would be a shame to see Cubalayas vanish or be reduced to being in the hands of a few breeders without more people being able to have and appreciate these wonderful birds. The docile temperament and exotic look should make them popular in 4H and with beginners.

What is needed from you is advice, information, suggestions, and interest. Many of you are clearly passionate about your breeding lines and have a wealth of information that could be shared with others. I know that you would have a lot of great ideas and knowledge that could be incorporated into a site that everyone has access to.

Right now I am not asking for money to run the site, or for dues, or member fees. Eventually - hopefully - we will get to the point where the site is large enough and benefits are there to justify membership dues. For now, I'm willing to handle the start up out of pocket just to get it back on its feet.

Please write me here or contact me privately and let me know what you feel would make a site useful. A breeder directory? A gallery that shows down color, starter color, and adult color? Articles on the history of the breed? Advice on the best ways to breed up the best birds (the benefits of using Shamo over Asil, Yokohamas over Sumatras, etc).

Breeders who preserve rare breeds become rightfully proud of the amazing things they have done with their own strains, and I am confident that if ten of you are asked what direction is the best to take to building the best birds, ten different answers will be given. I would love to give new people access to all of those ideas, with your own pros and cons, so new breeders are less intimidated and more confident in handling their own lines.

In addition, any articles you not only feel would be beneficial, but that you would be willing to write up, are things we can try to incorporate. Photographs of your birds, your preferred pens, etc, are also useful. Honestly, I'm even happy posting up a page that shows off Cubalaya-themed artwork, including paintings, drawings, egg art, and so forth to help give exposure to artists that love the breed.

This will be a work in progress project since hatching season is right around the corner (really, the worst time of the year to be doing this , but if you are patient I'll try to build something we can all be proud of. ​