Iowa Blues - Breed thread and discussion

[IowaBlueCurt]

I too have noticed this same pattern as you Kari. According to my book, ceratin breeds have genes that link the darker leg pigmentation with darker eye pigmentation, and other breeds do not. This only adds to the whole, leg, eye, toe pigmentation confusion. However, since it seems very consistant in your flock and the offspring from your flock, I would be quite confident in saying that I believe we do have a leg and eye pigmentation link in our birds. At least the birds that have come from Ideal. Further breeding and study of the Sandhill line would need to be done before we could feel as confident such a link existed in that line.

I will see if I can find information on eye coloration in my book. I'm sure it's in there.......it's just that 600 pages is a lot of reading and searching! At least there is a very comprehensive index in the back! hahahaha

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Here's something interesting. They are pheasant chicken crosses. They look nearly identical to some of the same interspecie crosses that I saw at a neighbor's who lived in the timber behind out home while I was younger. Upon talking to him as of late, he said that the one hen laid eggs and he was able to hatch out a few when she was bred to a chicken cockbird. So it seems, there could be a possibility this could be a piece of our breed's past. We'd have to do a genetic test to confirm.

I'm going to try to contact Texas A&M as they do genetic testing and see what I can come up with as far as getting them to aid us in this project.........

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Here are some more pics of some pheasant chicken hybrids. These are from Feathersite and are all pheasant x bantam mixes....

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Look at that tail posture.......interesting.

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

Here are some pics off of a website of a pheasant chicken cross that has markings that are quite similar to my pheasant colored pullet from Sandhill, except imagine it in grey and white instead of the yellow color of this specie hybrid.... Especially the breast and side markings......so strange that they are so very similar

 

[ottbjumper06]

So much new stuff! But I guess that's what happens when I disappear off the face of the earth... Lol. I started detasseling almost immediately after the meeting and haven't even had the energy after to go on the Internet... but that's money earned for a bigger incubator . I'm letting mom try her hand at incubating your eggs, Kari. The plan is to candle tonight, I am excited!!!
Update from my IB's from Denny: they are 6 weeks and 2 days today, I am seeing that at least one of my 3/4 IB 1/4 Dark Brahma is a cockerel, I think the other is a pullet. If the others would hold still long enough, I could tell them too! I'm sure it's too early to tell yet, but to me it looks like my crosses are going to have much better substance than the "pures," and at least one should have ok coloring, the other has way too much white on it's breast. If the weather holds out tomorrow I will get some good pics of them after work.

 

[WVDan44]

A-Freakin-Mazing!

 

[IowaBlueCurt]

detassling......yuck........you're quite the trooper! Good for you....and a bigger incubator. It always helps to have the end goal in sight!

 

[karimw]

Yeah, I tried detassling one year, HATED it! Good for you though. That's how all my lesson kids earned horse show money so I know it's a good opportunity to earn good cash. Can't wait to see pictures and hear how your hatch is going! Eric and Jim have a few cooking from theirs

 

[karimw]

Here's something interesting. They are pheasant chicken crosses. They look nearly identical to some of the same interspecie crosses that I saw at a neighbor's who lived in the timber behind out home while I was younger. Upon talking to him as of late, he said that the one hen laid eggs and he was able to hatch out a few when she was bred to a chicken cockbird. So it seems, there could be a possibility this could be a piece of our breed's past. We'd have to do a genetic test to confirm.

I'm going to try to contact Texas A&M as they do genetic testing and see what I can come up with as far as getting them to aid us in this project.........

I know it can happen, I'm just not sure why someone would do it on purpose? I suppose it would certainly build in the natural survival behavior we see in our birds. It would be interesting to see about the genetic markers.