German line new hampshires ???

[gregory991]

Just take the hens that are closest to breed standard, and the rooster that is closest to breed standard, and breed them. This will involve a lot of time, setting and hatching a LOT of chicks, and space for grow outs. Keep the chicks till they are at least 8 weeks old, then make your first round of culls (rehome or grow out for slaughter, your choice). Birds with obvious faults, like too dark of coloring, or improperly marked will be the most obvious to remove from your potential breeding gene pool. Make another round of culls at 6 months of age, for conformation, this time, taking into account the overall build of the birds.  With careful selection and a few generations, you can develop a line of birds that very near breed standard. The New Hampshire breed is in pretty poor condition and could use more dedicated people working on them.

Very useful informations, but i have one problem i keep him in a mixed flock,
And i have no hen that is similar to him, dont know what to do, any advice?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

If you are serious about breeding for New Hampshires, the simplest thing to do is get a trio from a breeder to start your flock. Otherwise, it will take a lot of time and a lot of culling.

Having said that, you can start with reasonably good types from the hatchery, or at least the best you have, for hens, and then purchase a good rooster from a breeder. Usually roosters can be had for cheap as they are over abundant. If you have half way decent hens, that is not a bad way to go as you can line breed back to that rooster for several generations, culling those that do not meet standard. By the third and fourth generations, you need to breed siblings from different generations together, and then hopefully add another genetic line from a good breeder to prevent inbred problems.

The other option is to take your current rooster of choice and several of your current best hens for New Hampshire type then confine them to a breeding pen if you have more than one rooster running lose (which I think you do). If you only have the one preferred rooster, they all can run free, but you have to select hatching eggs from only the preferred hens. It is essential preferred hens have access only to the preferred rooster or your goals will never be successfully achieved.

It will be impossible if you have a completely mixed flock with multiple roosters running indiscriminately. You will continue to infuse the gene pool with too many divergent genes. You can breed for egg production or meat production, or a balance of both, and sustainability of the flock, eventually creating a mutt mixture that is hardy and prolific, but you won't advance a standard...at least not easily in your life time.

The concept of breed is the ability to breed forward like qualities in the offspring. When you have divergent birds, and breeds, running around together, you get a hodge podge result with exponential genetic possibilities.

Not necessarily bad if you simply want to breed a sustainable hybrid flock, strengthened by diversity, choosing the qualities you desire (meat or eggs), but not a good choice for breeding towards a particular type.

A fun read in breed development (and the problems associated along the way) is Nettie Metcalf and her development of the Buckeye breed. http://americanbuckeyeclub.blogspot.com/p/breed-history.html

Good luck in your endeavors. The New Hampshire is a wonderful bird, and it is sad that its breed has fallen into disrepair, being overtaken by the production hybrids. It would be great to see more dedicated New Hampshire breeders. (I actually have thought to do that myself finding the New Hampshire preferable to the Buckeye experiment I did awhile back,)

LofMc

 

[gregory991]

If you are serious about breeding for New Hampshires, the simplest thing to do is get a trio from a breeder to start your flock. Otherwise, it will take a lot of time and a lot of culling.

Having said that, you can start with reasonably good types from the hatchery, or at least the best you have, for hens, and then purchase a good rooster from a breeder. Usually roosters can be had for cheap as they are over abundant. If you have half way decent hens, that is not a bad way to go as you can line breed back to that rooster for several generations, culling those that do not meet standard. By the third and fourth generations,  you need to breed siblings from different generations together, and then hopefully add another genetic line from a good breeder to prevent inbred problems.

The other option is to take your current rooster of choice and several of your current best hens for New Hampshire type then confine them to a breeding pen if you have more than one rooster running lose (which I think you do). If you only have the one preferred rooster, they all can run free, but you have to select hatching eggs from only the preferred hens. It is essential preferred hens have access only to the preferred rooster or your goals will never be successfully achieved.

It will be impossible if you have a completely mixed flock with multiple roosters running indiscriminately. You will continue to infuse the gene pool with too many divergent genes. You can breed for egg production or meat production, or a balance of both, and sustainability of the flock, eventually creating a mutt mixture that is hardy and prolific, but you won't advance a standard...at least not easily in your life time.

The concept of breed is the ability to breed forward like qualities in the offspring. When you have divergent birds, and breeds, running around together, you get a hodge podge result with exponential genetic possibilities.

Not necessarily bad if you simply want to breed a sustainable hybrid flock, strengthened by diversity, choosing the qualities you desire (meat or eggs), but not a good choice for breeding towards a particular type.

A fun read in breed development (and the problems associated along the way) is Nettie Metcalf and her development of the Buckeye breed.  http://americanbuckeyeclub.blogspot.com/p/breed-history.html

Good luck in your endeavors. The New Hampshire is a wonderful bird, and it is sad that its breed has fallen into disrepair, being overtaken by the production hybrids. It would be great to see more dedicated New Hampshire breeders. (I actually have thought to do that myself finding the New Hampshire preferable to the Buckeye experiment I did awhile back,)

LofMc

Thanks a lot for those valuable informations, i will do my best.

 

[drumstick diva]

I wish you much luck in your pursuit of breeding better New Hamshires.

 

[gregory991]

I wish you much luck in your pursuit of breeding better New Hamshires.

thankyou very much!

 

[Chickenheadmate]

Is the breeder you know still breeding and selling?

other post has no photos, so I'll answer here.

Sorry, but they look more like production reds than New Hampshires.

Wrong coloring, no black ticking at neck, not properly ticked at tails.

Here is a breeder quality German New Hampshire from a local breeder I know.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I *think* this is the breeder...I've forgotten the name, but I know they were in the gorge area of my state, which The Dalles is:
http://www.whiskygulchnewhamps.com/about/

 

[Chickenheadmate]

Okay, thanks!

I *think* this is the breeder...I've forgotten the name, but I know they were in the gorge area of my state, which The Dalles is:
http://www.whiskygulchnewhamps.com/about/

 

[edgarmongold]

Just tell me how to do that and i will do it with pleasure. Ex. With what to mix etc...

Breeding up is a long expensive project.
If you want a meat strain I recommend Henry Noll’s New Hampshire.
They are bred for meat purposes and finish out a couple weeks longer which is common for slow growth meat strains.
Pictures are of Henry’s alive and dressed at 12.5 weeks old weight averaging 4.5 notice the length and shape of breast.
Compared to carcass of 16 to 20 week old broiler of dual purpose meat and eggs.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

Breeding up is a long expensive project.
If you want a meat strain I recommend Henry Noll’s New Hampshire.
They are bred for meat purposes and finish out a couple weeks longer which is common for slow growth meat strains.
Pictures are of Henry’s alive and dressed at 12.5 weeks old weight averaging 4.5 notice the length and shape of breast.
Compared to carcass of 16 to 20 week old broiler of dual purpose meat and eggs.

Do you know if he has a website?