Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[cubalaya]

lentz?

 

[saladin]

Craig might have also had Vic Courson birds too.

I'll have to call and ask him: maybe he can tell me if Finch birds were the base for these others as well: unless Dave knows.?

 

[DaveK]

Bruce Lentz. Craig mentions him as well as Corson and Rice. The only thing I know from conversations some time ago with both John and Craig is that Craig Russell's involvement with Cubalayas goes back a lot farther than his involvement with John Castagnetti's strain. Exactly who supplied the originals or what strain they were I don't know. But Saladin is right about the breeding and size. The only time I was at Craig's there were Cubalayas but they seemed very much to have been bred in way too small numbers to allow for real selection and forward advancement. Not that John's were a large, hefty gamey strain either. They were smaller, more compact than some, lots of feather and wonderful heads with short, stout "finchy" beaks. John was trying to beef them up at the end but didn't live long enough to be able to finish what he started. Pyles. It's a color I love. When first mentioned in connection with Cubalays I thought possibly they were, in reality, the splash form of blue reds. Have known of gamefowl being that color and very much resembling pyles. But Saladin has the real thing as to color. Just beautiful.

 

[saladin]

I talked with Craig last night:

The birds he originally sent to Glenn Drowns were all Vic Courson birds. At the time he didn't have any of Castigenetti (am I spelling that right Dave?).

Courson and Dale Rice had related birds. Craig doesn't think they were Finch birds.

Schmudde originally had Finch birds but bought a lot of Courson hens (Craig was with him). He added these to the Finch birds and then added the Shamo.

I hope this helps.

 

[cubalaya]

ok thanks, are your whites and red pyles from courson or castagnetti?

 

[saladin]

Both. I've been working to build up weight and height in them. I need to breed lots more of them than I do, but I just don't have the room.

25 and 30 chicks is just not going to do it with a breed or a variety. Those kinds of numbers are a sure key to degeneration. I need to do more as I said. But I concentrate on the Standard Colors first (300 to 400 chicks) then if time and space remain I get the rest.

 

[gallorojo]

I know for sure I am not hatching enough chicks each year ( yet!), but, what is a good ballpark figure for how many to hatch to not see degeneration? 50? 100? I guess you could always answer " as many as possible " , and, of course, you would be right, but, is there some sort of minimum number that will get you some improvement?

I have appreciated so much talk of strains and the history of them, I have learned a few new things.


While you guys were talking about them, I got to thinking about my birds and their beaks. I think the standard says something like " short, stout, and well curved". I took some pics , so anyone can comment on them, or hopefully learn something of value. Such as- Which beak is most correct? Is my interpretation correct? Can someone tell the strain of my birds based on the beaks, etc..? Sorry the pics are probably bigger than needed..

My oldest wheaten hen, I always thought she had the "best" beak..

My one old silver wheaten hen, I know her eyes are the wrong color. I thought she had a good beak as well?

One of this year's pullets. They seem to have ok beaks, but none have been as short as the 2 older hens.

Now, for comparison, this pullet is 50% cubalaya. Note how long the beak is!! It seems this short beak thing is recessive? Would her beak /head be what I have read called "Crow-headed? "

This pullet is 75% cubalaya, note the beak is still pretty long!! It makes me think this is indeed a recessive trait!!

Golden cockerel, I was thinking his beak was good?

Older cock ,I don't think his beak is any good.

Finally, for something different, anyone ever see a chicken with multi-colored legs? This guy hatched this season, was like this from day one, his right leg is half blue, half white!!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I like the short beak on the gold stag, best of all.

This is a head shot of the cock I got from Sam a year or so ago.

On the multi-colored legs, never seen that happen. Maybe doc or Dave has some input. Is he a gold?

 

[gallorojo]

I like that beak WAY better than the one my old cock has!! Wow!! The beak on my gold boy does seem nice, thanks! The bird with the multi-colored legs is a golden, his mom is the silver, she has blue legs, which, I know is wrong. White should be dominate over blue or yellow, and, always has been for me in the past, but, then, that strange bird showed up this year. Is he possibly a genetic chimera?

 

[Cuban Longtails]

YW!

Also... watch the hens, 'cause I've seen they do have a tendency to get long in the beak.


I have a silver cubalaya hen with blue legs, mated her with a yellow legged stag (not a cubalaya) and got white legged (all stags) offspring and blue legged offspring (mostly pullets), but not the combination of both! Interesting!