Dark Egg Breeds Thread

[berkeleysprings]

thanks pink ,,,, do u have a wheaten line of your own ? or are u mainly blue ? and thats blue copper right ? do u have blue wheaten? your blue laced birds are smokeing hot .....u should be bluechick

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[drom]

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You know, I like his comb. Yes, it has 6 points, but it is a very good overall size. I have a couple roosters who have combs that are really a little too big.

He has filled out really nicely since the last pic you posted-and I think he looks beautiful. It's hard to tell what the angle of his back is when he is roosting on a perch, but if it is like that when he is standing square with weight on both feet and balanced, then he is probably built a little bit down hill. But if you breed him to one of your girls who is more square and balanced I would think you would improve it.

On the pullet combs, I like 5 & 6 the best. I think 5 has a very pretty comb. If you want to reduce the number of points, would breed to # 2 and mark the eggs and see what you get. She looks like her comb got chewed a little bit, but she only has about 4 points. How many points does #3 have-I can't tell.
I think I mentioned this before; it seems like the hens have more influence on the number of points. At least it seems like that to me. I only have 3 generations, but all the offspring seem to have gotten the number of comb points from the hens.

For me, his fault would be the length of his tail. Just my quirky opinion. That certainly is not an unusual fault; so many roosters do have tails that are a wee bit too long for the standard.

Your girls are little hams. How did you get those close up shots? They look like a friendly and happy flock. It's probably because they are owned by a carpenter.

 

[drom]

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I tried straw and shavings (both small and regular sized) and they both left marks on my Marans eggs. I recently tried rice hulls in my nest boxes and they haven't left a mark yet.
I only have one hen laying at the moment, but so far it's working well.

You know, I have seen rice hulls in the feed store and I have never used them. I wonder if they work like Sand Clear or beet pulp for horses. They are bound to pick some of it and eat it with their hay. I wonder if it is good for them. Rice bran is.
I might give them a try. Of course there are a couple of really big shavings companies that are local here. Mallard Creek is the big one up here. Shavings are plentiful and cheap.

 

[drom]

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They are looking sort of shabby right now.


http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/sandspoultry/chickens/Oct10BCMroo.jpg


http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/sandspoultry/chickens/Oct10BCMhen.jpg

Steve

Steve are those Backwoods Poultry line birds? Very nice.

 

[berkeleysprings]

thanks for all the thoughts , and info
this is a more normal standing ,his back seems to steep ,and tail angle as well to steep

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks Berk!
No, no Wheatens here only Blue Copper, Black Copper and Splash Copper. I have and do work with Wheatens through my best friend who breeds them, I help her with breeding and cull decisions and since she has inhibitions about incubating Marans eggs I often get to do it for her. This gives me a chance to watch them grow for a time before I give them back to her. They are beautiful birds and I can see very clearly why they are so well liked.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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They are looking sort of shabby right now.


http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/sandspoultry/chickens/Oct10BCMroo.jpg


http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/sandspoultry/chickens/Oct10BCMhen.jpg

Steve

Steve are those Backwoods Poultry line birds? Very nice.

Yes they are from Buddy/Ron. We also have some from Bayhorse Bayone. One of the "plans" next spring is to try and take that super dark shell color from Bay and move it to the other line. I need one more pen built to do that.....always one more pen. LOL

Steve

 

[geebs]

Steve... what are the merits of the Presley birds??? I also have the BHB birds...LOVE EM.. Let us know what becomes of the cross.

 

[pinkchick]

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Steve are those Backwoods Poultry line birds? Very nice.

Yes they are from Buddy/Ron. We also have some from Bayhorse Bayone. One of the "plans" next spring is to try and take that super dark shell color from Bay and move it to the other line. I need one more pen built to do that.....always one more pen. LOL

Steve

Ain't that the truth!!!!!

 

[Harris5]

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I tried straw and shavings (both small and regular sized) and they both left marks on my Marans eggs. I recently tried rice hulls in my nest boxes and they haven't left a mark yet.
I only have one hen laying at the moment, but so far it's working well.

You know, I have seen rice hulls in the feed store and I have never used them. I wonder if they work like Sand Clear or beet pulp for horses. They are bound to pick some of it and eat it with their hay. I wonder if it is good for them. Rice bran is.
I might give them a try. Of course there are a couple of really big shavings companies that are local here. Mallard Creek is the big one up here. Shavings are plentiful and cheap.

I wondered the same thing because my chickens do eat some of them. But, I feed my birds Bar Ale brand and noticed on the label one of the ingredients is ground rice hulls. Can't be that bad for them!