Euskal Oiloa ( Basque Thread)

[Melabella]

Hello everyone,

I bought 5 EO basque chicks home at weeks old and they are now 9 weeks old. I am thinking I may have lucked out, and have 4 pullets and one cockerel. Three of the pullets have classic marraduna EO coloring, but one is quite different. It is dark, almost blue feathering. Very pretty and unusual. Has anyone seen a EO Marraduna Basque colored like this. The breeder I bought them from only has the EO M coloring of the basque chicken, and assured me this chick is purebred, and a Basque as he keeps his Basque flock completely away from other breeds he owns. What do you all think?


MB

 

[lauragutknecht]

Wow, I haven't seen one like that.

 

[Melabella]

Wow, I haven't seen one like that.

someone told me it is a rare blue? I am very uneducated about this breed, and am hoping to find out some information, and learn! Love all these pictures, and trying to read up on all the posts. Thanks for responding.

MB

 

[Maggiesdad]

Hi MB! Yes, I've seen them colored this way. One of my best laying original hens was (is) like that, with the smoky petticoats too. PMing you a link to help you out...

 

[Flat Rock farm]

Glad your on it MD

Yes MB have seen quite a few of them on this side of the border we have a term here for them and call them "Lady Grey's" not proper EO Marraduna colour but beautiful anyway. Plus she will be a great layer

 

[cutipatooti]

Hi, I'm going to take the plunge and get some chicks of the breed before it gets too cold. I have some questions. I really like the lighter color in these birds but I think the standard is more red. What is everyone here breeding towards. I'm going to get chicks from the old farm house and they have GFF origional breeders plus a nice roo from skyline. Does anyone have any comments to share on the basque from GFF. I would have tried skyline but they appear to be booked till spring.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Hi, I'm going to take the plunge and get some chicks of the breed before it gets too cold. I have some questions. I really like the lighter color in these birds but I think the standard is more red. What is everyone here breeding towards. I'm going to get chicks from the old farm house and they have GFF origional breeders plus a nice roo from skyline. Does anyone have any comments to share on the basque from GFF. I would have tried skyline but they appear to be booked till spring.

Hmmmm... my thoughts -

Skyline and GFF stock both came from Canada.
Like SFH, you will get lots of variation no matter how you pair them.
Hens (and cocks) get progressively lighter with each years molt.
I personally would choose my pairings from sources as genetically separated as possible, pressing for vigor and the barred red of the marraduna, while enjoying whatever pops out in the meantime.
Did you check with Sandhill? I believe they said they would offer them this fall.

 

[Maggiesdad]

They are in Sandhill's poultry catalog as Marraduna Basques.

 

[cutipatooti]

They are in Sandhill's poultry catalog as Marraduna Basques.

Thanks! I just looked into them and they will only ship 25 chicks. I really don't want that many until next spring. I'm looking to get a few now and see how I like them then get some from a different breeder in the spring. I'm going to try for skyline in the spring. It's good to know they lighten as they get older. I'll make sure not to judge mine to early.

 

[CackleJoy]

Hi, I'm going to take the plunge and get some chicks of the breed before it gets too cold. I have some questions. I really like the lighter color in these birds but I think the standard is more red. What is everyone here breeding towards. I'm going to get chicks from the old farm house and they have GFF origional breeders plus a nice roo from skyline. Does anyone have any comments to share on the basque from GFF. I would have tried skyline but they appear to be booked till spring.

Where are you located? I have some lovely sexable chicks.

I tried several lines before getting the cockerel I have now. Amazing difference in consistent quality.

First purchased 15 chicks of varying ages from a lady whose stock was several generations removed from the original GFF line. I specify the "several generations removed" because so often we hear where the original breeding stock comes from but don't know anything about breeder integrity. Also, that person may have just started hatching eggs and may not know how they will grow out. So knowing the original line of breeding stock is information to be taken with a grain of salt. Quality could be better - or worse - depending on efforts at improving. Anyway, of those 15 there were 6 Mille Fluer patterned birds. That means a lot of culling had to be done with every generation - perhaps the people before were not culling as they should have been. Personally, I find the MF very pretty and I would keep them in my egg layer flock.

Second, I found a (better coloration than GFF) cockerel from someone who had Skyline birds. She had also been faithful at improving the breed.

That cockerel died of heart failure while the pullets were young but I was able to hatch out a few chicks anyway.

Third, I was lucky enough to obtaine a cockerel from Megan's line (means he is a direct descendant of fresh imports from Spain). This means that my breeding stock is completely unrelated

The chicks off this guy make me so happy!

I've hatched and grown out (to 10 weeks+) over 50 chicks. Not a single MF pattern in the bunch. Almost cookie-cutter quality. Absolutely amazing! I can't believe the difference in the chicks. The new cockerel is obviously making a significant improvement to the gene pool. The only fault I'm finding is the occasional split chest. Combs are good, legs are good, color is good. Girls are about 2 shades darker than the light ginger color of the GFF line. I'm interested in how they grow out to see if the tail set is wider on the hens.

The GFFxSkyline line is also light ginger in color. The cockerel is very yellow still. I'm keeping him to watch.

My only disappointment is that there is no MF to ad to the breeding pen

There is a local show in January. I plan to take a pair for judging.