Isbar thread

[PDPercherons]

My little dude and his buddy today. Watch it turn out to be a girl. 4 days away from hopefully new friends more his size. He'll upgrade his digs too.

 

[KYTinpusher]

Quote:

Welcome to BYC and the Isbar page!

I think that is a reflection of the face color or perhaps just the angle of the picture. If the eyes are not dark brown or near black, they tend to lighten to the bay/orange color. The darker eyes are preferred, but are not seen as often in their 2nd import line.

I'm wondering if others in this page has had troubles. We've bought several rounds of Isbars from a breeder. At about 1.5 weeks they get sick and slowly die. We give them vitamins and they have heat lamp, and this last time we started them on a round of corrid in case the previous had ones from the parents. They start to gasp for air, sometimes get a dirty eye, and then slowly quit eating and drinking. We started then on a dose of Tylan. One died this morning. So we have two left. Does this normally happen? We baby them so much.

Some lines of Isbars are very inbred and extrememly fragile. Try mixing some good, organic plain yogurt into their chick feed - one with 4 or more active cultures. Even better, if you have access to it, is homemade kefir (not store bought). Make sure the heated area of the brooder is not too hot and that they have an unheated area to go to so they can regulate their body temp. Once you get them to adulthood, make sure you get another line to breed them to.

My little dude and his buddy today. Watch it turn out to be a girl. 4 days away from hopefully new friends more his size. He'll upgrade his digs too.

Awww... so cute! I am glad they are getting along so well. I hope your next hatch goes better.

 

[PhxChickens]

Thanks for the info KYTinpusher, and for responding. They're in a brooder where they can get away from the light. I bought some Tylan and have been getting them to drink some for a couple days. My blue died, but my black and splash are pulling through. I think they made it! Knocks on wood.

 

[robgray]

Thanks for the info KYTinpusher, and for responding.  They're in a brooder where they can get away from the light.  I bought some Tylan and have been getting them to drink some for a couple days.  My blue died, but my black and splash are pulling through.  I think they made it!  Knocks on wood.

Have they been vaccinated for mareks?

 

[PhxChickens]

Have they been vaccinated for mareks?

I don't believe so. They come from a NPIP breeder and they say they don't vaccinate. I'll look into Mareks.

 

[alchemist farm]

I'm wondering if others in this page has had troubles. We've bought several rounds of Isbars from a breeder. At about 1.5 weeks they get sick and slowly die. We give them vitamins and they have heat lamp, and this last time we started them on a round of corrid in case the previous had ones from the parents. They start to gasp for air, sometimes get a dirty eye, and then slowly quit eating and drinking. We started then on a dose of Tylan. One died this morning. So we have two left. Does this normally happen? We baby them so much.

When I first started working with Isbar I was running into these kinds of problems left and right, I even had rounds of hatches from shipped eggs where all the chicks were swimming on their backs or had neurological problems and shook until they passed away - it was REALLY discouraging.

After digging around I ended up purchasing a flock from a breeder and got to the bottom of the problem, it all stemmed from inbreeding. Nowadays I take great care to bring in genetic diversity, I traded roosters with a local gal and now I have healthy, robust chicks. They always make it and I have had none of the problems I did before. The Breed is so docile and sweet, even at 6 weeks they will come running for me to say hello from across their field tractor. Their egg production is impressive, even in this cold weather and they are beautiful to look at - what else could you want!

 

[PhxChickens]

Thanks for your input Alchemist Farm. I believe you are right. We have been able to save two from the breeder from our buys. I've been watching different groups and noticed they have been buying more Isbar chickens from several other breeders from the USA. So I am wondering if they realized they had a problem. I am excited to get some eggs in a few months!

 

[lawatt]

When I first started working with Isbar I was running into these kinds of problems left and right, I even had rounds of hatches from shipped eggs where all the chicks were swimming on their backs or had neurological problems and shook until they passed away - it was REALLY discouraging.

After digging around I ended up purchasing a flock from a breeder and got to the bottom of the problem, it all stemmed from inbreeding. Nowadays I take great care to bring in genetic diversity, I traded roosters with a local gal and now I have healthy, robust chicks. They always make it and I have had none of the problems I did before. The Breed is so docile and sweet, even at 6 weeks they will come running for me to say hello from across their field tractor. Their egg production is impressive, even in this cold weather and they are beautiful to look at - what else could you want!

yay, glad to know our rooster swap has helped your hatching troubles! i haven't tried to hatch anything since our swap, but will probably be doing so soon enough this spring...

 

[rachelsflock]

Hi out there! So I'd been looking to get a new rooster for my flock and I happened upon a local breeder that had taken a shine to a an Isbar cockerel that had wound up bantam sized and they didn't want to cull so she's trying to find him a home for free. What can you guys tell me about the average temperament of Isbar roosters? I can't find too much. He needs to be respectful of my (little) kids and their interactions with the hens and not a crow-a-holic to live here. What are the roosters that you guys have like?

 

[ChicKat]

Hi out there! So I'd been looking to get a new rooster for my flock and I happened upon a local breeder that had taken a shine to a an Isbar cockerel that had wound up bantam sized and they didn't want to cull so she's trying to find him a home for free. What can you guys tell me about the average temperament of Isbar roosters? I can't find too much. He needs to be respectful of my (little) kids and their interactions with the hens and not a crow-a-holic to live here. What are the roosters that you guys have like?

The Isbar I have is the nicest male I've ever encountered. He isn't cuddly - but he has trained me to come to the corner of the pen and feed him by hand whenever I am in the next pen. Add to that they are gorgeous! Never knew that there was a bantam size -- and you may have a little gold mine if you could raise bantam Isbars -- because many people want to have lots of chickens and lots of varieties -- so they like to have bantams so they can have many !! My Isbar females are probably the best of my layers.