Genetic Hackle Fowl Chat

[JacinLarkwell]

Of the chicks I received, there was an even ratio of black and blonde birds for the majority with a few reds and one silvery grey.
Mostly yellowish legs but the big one I mentioned has darker legs I like.

There are some pictures on Dennis's website and FB group, I also "borrowed" this picture of another customers grown Blonde for your reference. I hope it's ok to share. The owner is Jordan Kerby and the birds name is Alfredo.
Personally, I really do love the Blonde color and I'm so happy to have many of them. In person the sun lights up those cape feathers with a golden sheen.

I had a pheonix very smart in color to him, apart from the barring. But that blonde and then the dark tail

 

[Dovemaiden]

Of the chicks I received, there was an even ratio of black and blonde birds for the majority with a few reds and one silvery grey.
Mostly yellowish legs but the big one I mentioned has darker legs I like.

There are some pictures on Dennis's website and FB group, I also "borrowed" this picture of another customers grown Blonde for your reference. I hope it's ok to share. The owner is Jordan Kerby and the birds name is Alfredo.
Personally, I really do love the Blonde color and I'm so happy to have many of them. In person the sun lights up those cape feathers with a golden sheen.

That is an outstanding bird! Thank you for sharing that!

 

[Dovemaiden]

I don't do Vaseline on them. It's moist and against their combs, which seems like it would just cause more trouble. It's horribly cold here in the winters though. -20F+ nights and some days too, hence the goal to have at least my more sensitive birds heated a smidge

That is a good idea. I like Udder Balm, cause you can use the lanolin on your hands, as well!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I was just thinking, what about hen saddles for the male's? Would that help protect their feathers? Or just cause issues?

 

[Dovemaiden]

I was just thinking, what about hen saddles for the male's? Would that help protect their feathers? Or just cause issues?

What an innovative idea! It never occurred to me! Maybe that would work. It would certainly be worth a try, and save on having those extra rooster pens. I don't mind having lots of pens, really, but I'd I go somewhere and someone else has to take care of them, its quite time consuming for them. Along those lines, now I am thinking maybe I wouldn't have to pluck off the saddle hackle during breeding season, if I made inner " pockets" on either side of the saddle. I might be able to tuck all the saddle feathers in on either side, and if they would stay in there and out of the way. . . WOW! Thank you for a most original way of dealing with two problems at the same time!!

 

[Dovemaiden]

Off topic a bit, but my mixed pheonix pen actually has all sorts of colors. Apparently I got the dun coloring in there somewhere back in their line

Would you be able to post some of the different Phoenix you have and the color variations as well? I would be very interested in seeing them, if it is not too much trouble.

 

[dheltzel]

I don't do Vaseline on them. It's moist and against their combs, which seems like it would just cause more trouble. It's horribly cold here in the winters though. -20F+ nights and some days too, hence the goal to have at least my more sensitive birds heated a smidge

I've read that "Mushers Secret" a waxy product made for the paws of dogs, works much better than vaseline. I bought some for my dog and have it if I want to treat any combs. My GH do not have excessively large combs and frostbite has not been an issue with them, but I have Legbar roos that get it quite bad.

 

[Dovemaiden]

I've read that "Mushers Secret" a waxy product made for the paws of dogs, works much better than vaseline. I bought some for my dog and have it if I want to treat any combs. My GH do not have excessively large combs and frostbite has not been an issue with them, but I have Legbar roos that get it quite bad.

Thank you for sharing this! I hadn't heard of it, but will search it out!

 

[Dovemaiden]

I've read that "Mushers Secret" a waxy product made for the paws of dogs, works much better than vaseline. I bought some for my dog and have it if I want to treat any combs. My GH do not have excessively large combs and frostbite has not been an issue with them, but I have Legbar roos that get it quite bad.

I really like your site, and the information on Marek's s disease and the link to the article you have provided. Thank you.

 

[dheltzel]

I have been very happy to find the Alsdorf line are quite cold hardy here is SE PA (winters milder than some of you, I realize). They have both single and rose comb in the genes, but the single combs are smaller, like a Welsummer, and not large like a Leghorn.
I have not had any problems with hens picking on males. I lose some birds that just fail to thrive and sort of waste away. I had assumed Marek's, but most of my birds are now vaccinated and I still see it some. I don't "coddle" my birds, they have to survive on a farm with minimal care beyond what a regular chicken would receive. I raise a lot of young ones every year to allow for me to lose up to half and still come into spring with a good sized flock.
I don't try to breed for a particular color pattern, but my personal favorites are the blonde (Crele, Cree, or whatever), so the males in my breeding pen are all that color. I believe that the grizzly colors are larger birds than the crele, but have not weighed them to check that, it just seems that the crele are a bit smaller and shorter. I would not mind if the crele birds trended to bantam size, they would certainly be fine pets even if small. But I am not actively striving for that, my main goal is maintaining a wide gene pool for a long time. If I had the space for 2 pens, I would separate them into 2 lines, but I would rather keep 1 larger pen and reserve the small pens for breeding experiments with other "laying type" breeds (currently working with sex-linked black/lavender Ameraucanas and Isabel Welbars/Welsummers/Olive Eggers).