ISA Browns Order Them Now

[jmc]

i don't want to order anything i can't reproduce here. don't wanna be enslaved to perpetual shipping fees, etc................

too bad for me. those sound like great birds

 

[ghulst]

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Isa Browns have the same temperment.

 

[ghulst]

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I know that you could breed them however you would lose the sex linked feature. You will get many colors plus I am sure that they will lay very good better then most DP breeds.

 

[ghulst]

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They are no different however I think that you will find that they are the top bred sex link avaibable today. Golden Comet was a old trade name.That copany is out of bussiness.

 

[woody1]

They do sound like dandy's to me however I've already submitted our order to a hatchery much closer to us. Thank you all for the info. Regards, Woody

 

[Fred's Hens]

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You can breed them just fine. They just won't color type accurately at hatch to tell the males from the females. The only lost feature is the sex linking coloring, like most other chickens. Their excellent lay will continue on. But no, they are not A breed. They are a cross of a red chicken and white chicken. Their offspring would be a mix of colors.

 

[HiddenHill Heretic]

How many eggs per year might I expect? Also, how do they do with heat. I live in coastal California. Rarely below 38 degrees, often foggy in the morning then 85 in the afternoon. Heavily feathered chooks are panting in the heat. Without a real danger of freeze, I have no cold concerns.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I.S.A. states that they will lay 320, give or take, their first full pullet year and following molt, 280-290 their second full laying year.
That is just about unmatched in the layer world.
They take as heat good as any other chicken. Mine started to lift their wings at 90 degrees and I make sure they have shade and water in hot weather. I would describe them as slightly on the harder feathered side. They are not big fluff balls.

 

[jmc]

i am glad for the two of you who took up my mention of breeding them.

i realize (or would argue) that one can most certainly breed any of the sexlinks and the like.

and i have really thought of doing just that.

it seems to me that the hybrid vigor would be lost in the F1 gen. and possibly drop in succeeding generations.

BUT BUT (and this is my argument for breeding them): One only need to select for the BEST layers (or whatever one is selecting for) in those F1, F2 etc. generations and one could be off to something very good--and very pretty.

I refuse to believe that the rate of lay would just PLUNGE to near zilch in succeeding generations, making the birds totally useless for breeding.

It seems to me rather that, since ISA and the like carry fine production genes--males and females--then in some measure, maybe in big measure, these possibilities could/can/will be passed down to the following generations.

THEN, it is up to intelligent selection to preserve that fine laying capacity.

I really think these could be bred quite successfully. AGAIN, I HAVE NO USE FOR THE SHOW BIRD..............but i understand those who do.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on my 'argument for breeding sex-link to sex-link' (funny, i have been toying with starting a thread on this very matter

)

 

[Fred's Hens]

Townline shows photos of the parent stock, right on their website, unlike many other hatcheries. Heterosis alone could not produce the ISA's egg laying prowess.

Through selection of offspring, you'd have a few possible directions to go with your program. Yes, the "jump" of hybrids (heterosis) would be lost, but not the underlying genetics of good laying stock from which the ISA comes. That would continue.