Jersey Giants thread for pictures and discussion

[kathyinmo]

Hunterland .... Thank you for that information. That is very interesting, and I did not know that.

 

[Bassleg]

I learn something new everyday ..

 

[suzettex5]

Quote:
Today is only the 5th, so that is only 4 days. It is too soon to be seeing anything more. Really, I wouldn't be handling the eggs this soon. You can easily jar the contents, drop the egg, and add bacteria and other microorganisms to the eggs. It is recommended to candle once between day 7 - 10, and again at lockdown (day 18). I rarely ever candle my eggs, except at lockdown. Just a personal choice, as I just don't care to do it. When I do candle, I do not touch the egg. I have a high power small flash light that I simply hold over the top of the egg while it is in the turner.

Good luck on your upcoming hatch!

Thanks, Kathyinmo! You're right, I really need to just leave those eggs alone!

I'm just so excited, I cant stop looking at them. I really need to find a different hobby to occupy my time while waiting for hatching time, LOL!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Could what you are talking about cause a chick to appear to be Lavender? Could a self blue (Lavender) result?

 

[A1Blues]

About 7 years ago I only bred blue to blue with efforts of producing mostly blues & very nice lacing was achieved- my percents of blue were fairly high. From my experience your nicer laced blues come from Black x Blue breedings & Blue x Blue breedings. Blues from Splash X Black and Blues from Splash X Blues have a tendency to wash out & be of lighter blues. While silver & lighter blues are pretty- they are not the blue tones that do as well in shows- your lacing will be on lesser quality.

Back several years ago before the Blues were recognized in the Standard of Perfection I had a gentlemen in CA that claimed that the blues were to be solid blue in color & even in color - specifically he was referring to a rooster that I had sold to him--------- the roo was much darker on top with tones on his back, hackle feathers being black in color........ my comment to was that you are describing the lacing- and all roos that are nicely laced will be darker on top. top. I said, " this is what I have been breeding for since 1976 & this is what I think a good laced bird should look like-------he had his opinion & I had mine.........I further said, "we will see what the Standard calls for when the blues get recognized." In the end it was the Andulusian Blue Color that was desired which I had been breeding for many years........it was not the self blues/silvers and solid colors that were recognized. However those colors are pretty too & perhaps some day they will be recognized for their beauty as Golda Miller referred to many years ago when we had conversations together before her passing away.

To set the records straight--------Golda Miller did work with existing Bloodlines. I purchased eggs from Golda Miller directly & incorporated those lines with my grandmothers when I took over her flock back in 1976 after her passing away. Golda Miller approved of the quality & lacing of my birds. There are fellow Jersey Giant breeders out there that claim that they have 100% Golda Miller lines & that it was her last dying wish that her bloodlines remain pure. One Jersey giant breeder in CA (separate individual to above comment) would not even sell you birds unless you got rid of your flock of birds as they did not want them mixed with quote, "Golda Millers" stock. This individual in CA is now responsible for the RECEIVING and TAKING of people money including mine & does not deliver the eggs and/or birds PAID for. Beware!!!

Back in 2002 before the Blue Jersey Giants were even in the Standard of Perfection- some of my Blue Jersey Giants were sold to a gentlemen in S. Dak & the birds won Champion & Reserve Champion Pullets at the South Dakota State Fair. There were over 500 entries in the show.

As we know....... Not every bird that is produced in the poultry world will turn out to be show quality as we know so therefore we need to select & keep from the very best representation of the Jersey Giants that fit the Standard of Perfection (SOP).

I usually candle eggs around day 10 just to be on the safe side as some eggs are rather dark shelled- & using a bright flashlight as mentioned helps.


www.mariasjerseygiants.com

 

[kathyinmo]

I guess I don't understand this description of, "self blue." Everything I have read says self blue and lavender are the same thing. And to get Lavender there has to be 2 copies of the gene; one from each parent. Lavender and blue are 2 totally different genes, right? Maria, are you referring to a light blue and a dark blue? That is how I am interpreting what you have said. Please correct me, if I am wrong.

Anyone else have a comment on this? Please help me to understand this.

By the way, I also prefer the darker blue with the more defined lacing. It is so pretty! Yes, I agree that the better looking blues (darker) come from the blue x black, and blue x blue matings. That is because the Splash is a diluted ......... (what's that word), so that makes sense to me.

 

[hunterland]

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These throw-offs very well may be expressed as "self-blues, lavenders, charcoals", etc. but are just as likely to conform to the natural color expressions without having the genetic symbol (BB, Bb, bb) to explain it. It is also possible that in some cases the color is a slight mutation on the color gene. The hatches usually have to be quite large (frequent) or the G1's older in order to see some of these occurances. You may go several generations without any flukes, then all of a sudden a hen will hatch colors she is not suppose to express. Those tiny little G-C-A-T and U's are wonderous powerful molecules.

 

[Wynette]

Seminolewind: I 100% agree with you! Temperament is VERY important, to be sure!

Hunterland: Thanks for your input - sounds like you have many years of genetic poultry experience that we can all benefit from!

Thanks, Maria, for your input, as well! I love that we're all working together & sharing information - that's what it's all about!

 

[hunterland]

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The splash can show up as a white bird with random blue feathers, they can be beautiful if the pattern is frequent enough - like a Dalmatian, if not they can look like dirty whites or gray mud splattered birds; I have had both.

Some splashes can be very pale blues/lavender/silver/self-blue with random darker blue feathers. The pattern of dark blue to lavender/light blue/self-blue or white is what makes the particular bird pretty or not - in my opinion. I have had both of these; some I like; some I do not like. My personal preference is the overall look of the individual bird. I am very much into symmetry even with the randomness.

I don't know the SOP for a splash if there is one, Maria might be better to take up the remainder of the conversation.

 

[hunterland]

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I have only had about 25 years of poultry experience but I have been breeding one animal or a nother for much longer and come form generations of breeders (Tennesee Walkers, hosgs, cattle, etc.) but the same genetics basics applies to just about every creature.