Genetic Hackle Fowl Chat

[Dovemaiden]

@Dovemaiden I'm thankful we have you here to share such great information.

I found, from the beginning of looking into GHF, I can't watch Dr. Whiting's youtube channel myself. In one, he was standing next to the chick sexer over the bin of female chicks and stated they would be thrown away, without even a hint of regret.
For a week that moment played over and over in my head!
Imagine all the breeders out there who would LOVE to keep those females!
If you have to cull, a big operation can afford to cull in a humane way.
Personally, I'm looking into setting up a gas chamber with nitrogen or helium (for adults) because that would be the least frightening and least painful way to go.
To just throw away little baby chicks? Surely such people have lost something more important than money in their chicken journey.

Thank you for the nice compliment, I hope some of the data I provide is useful. There is so much yet to be learned about raising and breeding birds, their biology & genetics, and it is constantly changing and being added to the older information.

 

[dheltzel]

I absolutely agree! Good grief, so these are useless to him? Half the genetics are those of the hen, how would you know what you are carelessly throwing away(but in this case actually throwing away? I watched just a couple of his videos, but did not see that one, but I am certainly glad you told me about it. Yes, I absolutely agree that people who do something like that “have lost something more in their chicken journey.” How many people would love to have just hen chicks and would take them?! But, because this is about having monopolies( as a money- making corporation) hoarding genetics has become more important.
I have heard many times that these places would rather kill the chickens then sell them or rehome them, because of the genetic-hoarding.

That is exactly what is going on. Those females are useless to their operations and of little value to 99% of the people keeping backyard chickens for eggs, as their eggs are small and few. A GH female without a male is not even worth much for breeding (except for people like us with our own line), but they do not want their genetics to "escape" their facilities. I bet they have some serious security around their barns and their employees are carefully vetted and warned about the penalties for stealing any live birds (or even usable pelts).
I hatch for the local backyard chicken market. About half the chicks I hatch are males and completely unsalable, I can't even give them away. They bring about 5 cents each at the livestock auction - not worth the trip unless I am going for other reasons. Whatever I do with them, constitutes "throwing them away".
The difference being if you offered to rescue his pullet chicks you would get refused, but I would be delighted to find my male chicks a good rescue home, but alas no one has stepped forward yet.

 

[SourRoses]

I hatch for the local backyard chicken market. About half the chicks I hatch are males and completely unsalable, I can't even give them away. They bring about 5 cents each at the livestock auction - not worth the trip unless I am going for other reasons. Whatever I do with them, constitutes "throwing them away".

Not really though. There are better ways to cull a chick than being suffocated / roasted in a trash bag.
I take issue with the waste, but the cruelty is the real problem. Like hatcheries that send live male chicks through the shredder. How do people become so desensitized?

 

[Dovemaiden]

Not really though. There are better ways to cull a chick than being suffocated / roasted in a trash bag.
I take issue with the waste, but the cruelty is the real problem. Like hatcheries that send live male chicks through the shredder. How do people become so desensitized?

No ideaPretty heinous way to go if you ask me.

 

[Dovemaiden]

There are different lines of the Genetic Hackle Fowl with different attributes. Here is an old article from Conrad describing what a fly tier likes about that line( Conranch) https://globalflyfisher.com/reviews/conranch-hackles

 

[Dovemaiden]

That is exactly what is going on. Those females are useless to their operations and of little value to 99% of the people keeping backyard chickens for eggs, as their eggs are small and few. A GH female without a male is not even worth much for breeding (except for people like us with our own line), but they do not want their genetics to "escape" their facilities. I bet they have some serious security around their barns and their employees are carefully vetted and warned about the penalties for stealing any live birds (or even usable pelts).
I hatch for the local backyard chicken market. About half the chicks I hatch are males and completely unsalable, I can't even give them away. They bring about 5 cents each at the livestock auction - not worth the trip unless I am going for other reasons. Whatever I do with them, constitutes "throwing them away".
The difference being if you offered to rescue his pullet chicks you would get refused, but I would be delighted to find my male chicks a good rescue home, but alas no one has stepped forward yet.

I am sure you are correct about that, Dennis. It IS about hoarding genetics.

 

[Dovemaiden]

There are different lines of the Genetic Hackle Fowl with different attributes. Here is an old article from Conrad describing what a fly tier likes about that line( Conranch) https://globalflyfisher.com/reviews/conranch-hackles

And here another interesting post from a guy raising Genetic Hackle Fowl. He has some pretty photos of Phoenix & Onadagori as well.

https://ainawgsd.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F156597109847

 

[Dovemaiden]

The 7th photo down of the Cree color rooster is outstanding. Beautiful bird.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I personally love the solid blue one

 

[Dovemaiden]

I personally love the solid blue one

Yes, that is a lovely color. I have a bunch of chicks that color, they all look to be hens so far, it is that Andalusian -type tint.