Isbar thread

[gootziecat]

A few of the kids. They definitely have my attention.

 

[chambe94]

OK, NOW I'm getting annoyed. One (maybe two) of my new pullets started laying ...BROWN eggs!

I found a secret nest, so I don't know if the one has laid 3 eggs, or if I have 2 laying. There were two very speckled brown eggs in the nest, which I picked up this AM and then I saw one of my isbars climb out and there was another unspeckled brown egg in there.

They can certainly go Into my regular layer flock, but this is getting to be a LOT of culls for MAJOR defects. My pretty blue girl better lay green or I'll be seeing red!!

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

OK, NOW I'm getting annoyed. One (maybe two) of my new pullets started laying ...BROWN eggs!

I found a secret nest, so I don't know if the one has laid 3 eggs, or if I have 2 laying. There were two very speckled brown eggs in the nest, which I picked up this AM and then I saw one of my isbars climb out and there was another unspeckled brown egg in there.

They can certainly go Into my regular layer flock, but this is getting to be a LOT of culls for MAJOR defects. My pretty blue girl better lay green or I'll be seeing red!!

Is the dark blue in this photo the one you're talking about? Looks like she is maybe a BCM cross olive egger from the color of her hackles?

 

[chambe94]

No it's actually the black in the left that is laying brown for sure. The blue is my favorite, but she's not laying yet. These are from GFFs newest line, so they "shouldn't" be crossed with anything.

 

[gootziecat]

Pretty pullets, chambe94.

The silvers with no red or bleeding are a very pretty but I have to remind myself of the background breeds involved to make the Isbars. If the Isbars are as rare in Europe/Sweden as they are here, there is a chance they were crossed back to one of the breeds used to make them, or (shudder) another breed entirely. Getting rare breeds has its problems and we can't change what has happened in the past. All we can do is breed them the best we can with an eye on the big picture. Yes, it can be discouraging but we can't expect this breed to be any more "perfect" than other new breeds that have been imported.

The above paragraph is not directed towards anyone in particular. I'm just stating my stance on this subject.

 

[ChickCrazed]

OK, NOW I'm getting annoyed. One (maybe two) of my new pullets started laying ...BROWN eggs!

I found a secret nest, so I don't know if the one has laid 3 eggs, or if I have 2 laying. There were two very speckled brown eggs in the nest, which I picked up this AM and then I saw one of my isbars climb out and there was another unspeckled brown egg in there.

They can certainly go Into my regular layer flock, but this is getting to be a LOT of culls for MAJOR defects. My pretty blue girl better lay green or I'll be seeing red!!

I'm not too far away in Indiana and want to reduce my flocks for the winter, I have a quad of blue Isbars that I am looking to re-home. Just at POL and the two girls that are laying are producing green eggs. If you are interested!

 

[chambe94]

Hmm, let me see how the others start laying. I might be interested. I think you have some Hedemoras too, right?

 

[ChickCrazed]

Hmm, let me see how the others start laying. I might be interested. I think you have some Hedemoras too, right?

Yes, I have a pair of Hedemoras available too, nearing POL. I will split the Isbars if necessary and wouldn't mind keeping a pair if you don't want the roo. He is so handsome and a nice boy.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

How about everyone posting some of your Isbar egg photos since egg color is the subject recently? This is what we are getting and what we select for in our breeding pen. So far we have not had to cull to the layer yard for egg color, but we culled any chick that hatched out of brown/tannish or olive colored eggs when we started. We are getting only minty green or light sage green with light speckles.

 

[gootziecat]

The minty green eggs are very pretty. I have only chicks, so no egg pictures. But I can tell you, sadly, most of the eggs were dark green/olives or coppery. I won't know until the chicks mature and lay whether any of the lighter green eggs hatched. I suspect very few since there weren't many to begin with. Having said that, I'm not daunted. Should I buy more eggs next year, the egg color will be high priority.