Euskal Oiloa ( Basque Thread)

[ChestnutRidge]

Some photos of my cockerel that I'm going to use for breeding. He is 27 weeks old.

He is awesome, NP! W-I-D-E and I like the shape of his chest. He has much less black in the hackles than any of my guys and really pretty colors in his saddle and hackles. I like his comb, smooth and straight, and he has very dignified looking wattles.

Yes, NP has pullets, too.

 

[ChestnutRidge]

+100 - You should enter this guy in the BYC calendar photo contest, CR !!! I love those awesome yellow feet!


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ed-for-the-byc-2013-calendar/550#post_9608500

I went ahead and put him on that thread. Maybe people will see it on that thread and find their way over here.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Breeds that go broody often have the unfortunate tendency to not lay a whole lot of eggs. I would rather have great egg-layers and brood their offspring in other ways, as is true of many heritage breeds. I mean, there must be Some reason that silkies exist!

That's understandable... I wanted silkies for the same reason, 'til the raccoons decided they wanted the silkies more!

Then when my hatchery Black Australorps started going broody and I started reading up on them, I realized that the BA runs a nice second to the silkie for broodiness - and those big girls can cover a LOT more eggs!

My BAs are great layers, too, and they went right back to laying at about 5wks. If 25% of my EO girls go broody to the tune of around 200epy instead of 220epy, I'll be cool with that.

 

[buckabucka]

I have a Buff Chantecler that has been sitting since May (still sitting). She's sitting on air, though.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have a Delaware doing the same thing for 2 months now, the only one I have ever had go broody, and she is unshakable.

 

[buckabucka]

At the risk of boring people with more photos of my small flock, here they are (again!):

Marroi, my brown girl that resulted in the moldy donut wager: See how big her comb is? She's the only girl with yellow legs.




Puntu, the speckled pullet. Her comb is medium size:




Iluna, my freak of nature pullet. She is rather small, and so is her comb: It looks like a straight comb here, but head-on, I think it looks like a pea comb.



Iluna comb shot:



The two roosters. Eddie, who is too dark but has yellow legs:



And Zuri, who has a bigger body shape, but is submissive to Eddie.



I don't think any of my flock has correct coloring, although I haven't really studied up on any of this. Right now, I'm just hoping to get some eggs!

 

[buckabucka]

I should mention that Zuri used to have a tail, but Eddie took care of that!

 

[naturespace]

Thanks for sharing. I love photos of EOs!
Iluna looks like a Marraduna. I like your dark boy his pretty but not the Marraduna standard color.
My deer colored girl had a really small comb and it is still not very big, but she is laying eggs. Seems like it took forever for her to grow any kind of comb.
I love Marroi. She is beautiful.

 

[Maggiesdad]

More moldy donuts! I predict Marroi's going to be your best layer... with all that junk in her trunk, she can't go wrong. And they'll be whoppin' ex larges too!

Have you ever had a cup of coffee, and went to dump in one of those little creamer cups and then all of a sudden you notice weird chunky things swirling around in your coffee?


I'll have one of those with my donuts if she doesn't put out!

Is it cold up there in Fairfield, already? what is going on with Zuris bloomers?!

Okay - I'll be quiet, now.

Great pics, Buckabucka!

 

[SusanC]

At the risk of boring people with more photos of my small flock, here they are (again!):

Marroi, my brown girl that resulted in the moldy donut wager:  See how big her comb is?  She's the only girl with yellow legs.




Puntu, the speckled pullet.  Her comb is medium size:




Iluna, my freak of nature pullet.  She is rather small, and so is her comb: It looks like a straight comb here, but head-on, I think it looks like a pea comb.



Iluna comb shot:



The two roosters.  Eddie, who is too dark but has yellow legs:



And Zuri, who has a bigger body shape, but is submissive to Eddie.



I don't think any of my flock has correct coloring, although I haven't really studied up on any of this.  Right now, I'm just hoping to get some eggs!

Very nice birds! You have a good start. If it were me, I'd pair up Marroi, and your Milles pullet (speckled) with your second roo, Eddie. Marroi is a nice Marraduna. Her comb is large and possibly missing one point, there should have between five and seven). It's not horrible though. She is a little mousy on her back, but also nothing serious. She seems to have nice size and has lovely yellow legs. Puntu will get more "Milles Fleurs" colored as she ages, but I find these girls to have the best size- nice and chunky, something we need to keep in the EOs. She looks as though she has a sizable side sprig though, so you will have to keep an eye on the offspring. Eddie has good size and looks much bigger than Zuri (is he older?). Although he has too much grey on his chest, my lead roo for two years did as well and I have gotten some lovely offspring from him, with a temperament that can't be beat. Again, with him having a side sprig, you will have to watch the offspring. You are going to want to select for a clean, single comb with 5-7 points. Zuri's comb, however, is much more obvious. I also think with the "look" he has (expression), he could be quite aggressive if made dominant roo. Just a hunch, but having dealt with hundreds of these boys, you get a feel for that look.
Eddie and Morroi will throw homozygous yellow legged babies with good size and possibly too much grey, but defiantly a good start.
Eddie and Puntu will throw heterozygous yellow legged babies with great size and probably good temperament.
I would probably not use Ituna. Although she has pretty llodiana colour, her shape and comb make me think of a brahma. Wonder if is she is mixed. I have never seen a shape like that in an Euskal Oiloa.
These are just my opinions, on a group of lovely birds. Regardless, they are such a pleasure to own! Enjoy