Isbar thread

[Ihilani Coffee]

I'm missing something here. What is the reason for crossing the Isbars with Marans?

Olive Eggers. Some people want a rainbow of colors in their egg basket. Also, I keep a backup cockerel and this gives him a job.

 

[gootziecat]

Thank you.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Thank you.

Most people breeding olive eggers use Ameraucana. I can't sex them for weeks on end (months?) and while the puffy cheeks are cute, I like the single comb on my choice of olive eggers. Plus I don't have Ams, so using what I do have works for me.

 

[lawatt]

and for the record, i actually didn't "make" my isbar/marans crosses, i got them from someone else as chicks. was definitely curious to see what the egg color was like! it's a very true OLIVE -- I actually prefer the lighter, more minty or pastel greens.

AND, i currently have one pullet getting closer to point-of-lay who's the offspring of one of the isbar/marans crosses, mated with a blue isbar rooster -- she's blue, and is 1/4 marans, 3/4 isbar -- looking forward to seeing what HER eggs look like! hoping for a richer green, maybe somewhere in between the shades...

i will report back once she lays an egg!

 

[PoultryArk]

I'm missing something here. What is the reason for crossing the Isbars with Marans?

Mega Awesome Olive Egger? Plus, I do better with a variety of projects at one time. My brain is bent like that. I do not want to kill or sell my extra Isbar roos for meat, so I have been thinking of eventually adding some Marans hens in to keep them happy, and turn the resulting hatches into a side OE project. I really like variety of colored eggs in my cartons. (...unless I have in demand stock, and no excess gentlemen. Wouldn't that be great?) I am just in the ideas phase but it seems I am not the first to think of it. Right now I am happy to watch them grow.

 

[gootziecat]

Cool. Great idea for extra roosters. I'd like to see the eggs produced by DCchicken. She is crossing with a Legbar for several reasons, not the least to get autosexing.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

and for the record, i actually didn't "make" my isbar/marans crosses, i got them from someone else as chicks. was definitely curious to see what the egg color was like! it's a very true OLIVE -- I actually prefer the lighter, more minty or pastel greens.

AND, i currently have one pullet getting closer to point-of-lay who's the offspring of one of the isbar/marans crosses, mated with a blue isbar rooster -- she's blue, and is 1/4 marans, 3/4 isbar -- looking forward to seeing what HER eggs look like! hoping for a richer green, maybe somewhere in between the shades...

i will report back once she lays an egg!

They might be more toward the avocado green, that would be cool! Looking forward to the photos.

 

[HugHess]

Wish me luck gang...I started off with 14 Isbar eggs and it looks like only two (if I am lucky) will make it to lock down Tuesday. They said Isbars can be hard to hatch, but...this is by far my worst hatching effort, ever. Hope I see two happy healthy chicks next week!? Best wishes to anybody else out there with Isbars in the 'bator.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Wish me luck gang...I started off with 14 Isbar eggs and it looks like only two (if I am lucky) will make it to lock down Tuesday. They said Isbars can be hard to hatch, but...this is by far my worst hatching effort, ever. Hope I see two happy healthy chicks next week!? Best wishes to anybody else out there with Isbars in the 'bator.

I have good luck with my own eggs but dismal results from shipped eggs. Good luck!

 

[KYTinpusher]

Quote: I agree. I have had excellent hatches from my own eggs, but those I have shipped out have not fared as well.

One thing I have noticed is that my Isbars usually take an extra day or two to hatch and some that I thought were very iffy at lockdown did hatch, much to my surprise, so don't give up on them too soon.