Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Perris]

So we can assume that it's rather easy to bring back the "switch"

I wouldn't assume that! They've been trying to fix human congenital diseases (some caused by the same sort of faulty switch issue) without much success for some time...

 

[Perris]

Maybe I should think about crossing Cruella to one of the Tsouloufati boys...

don't want to pour cold water on this idea but know that my landrace hens (the Swedish Flowers) haven't gone broody in 7 years, despite all bar the first being fathered by roos on the property, and raised by broodies here.

 

[fluffycrow]

I wouldn't assume that! They've been trying to fix human congenital diseases (some caused by the same sort of faulty switch issue) without much success for some time...

Well there goes my (faulty) theory! I guess Cruella will stay in her pen..

 

[fluffycrow]

don't want to pour cold water on this idea but know that my landrace hens (the Swedish Flowers) haven't gone broody in 7 years, despite all bar the first being fathered by roos on the property, and raised by broodies here.

Have any mixed SFH's gone broody at all? Or is it only the pure ones that seem to not want to sit?

If the answer to the first question is no, then I might have to rethink this thing. Can't really have a landrace that won't sustain itself, can I?

 

[LaurenRitz]

I wouldn't assume that! They've been trying to fix human congenital diseases (some caused by the same sort of faulty switch issue) without much success for some time...

And yet, many of those congenital diseases are recessives, reinforced by the extreme genetic bottlenecks in our racial history.

Chickens have a similar genetic bottleneck, or several, and we have far more flexibility with chickens.

 

[fluffycrow]

recessives, reinforced by the extreme genetic bottlenecks

In some, or most cases, that applies to chickens too

 

[LaurenRitz]

In some, or most cases, that applies to chickens too

Sorry, that got posted before I was finished.

 

[fluffycrow]

Sorry, that got posted before I was finished.

Just saw that you edited the post! I agree, there is more flexibility with chickens

 

[Perris]

Have any mixed SFH's gone broody at all?

the 3 pullets that have gone broody are (I think) Leghorn x Penedesenca; SFH x Penedesenca (with a splash of Welsumer); and a 1/4 SFH. The one pullet that is majority SFH hasn't gone broody, yet at least. The three SFH hens who will be 2 yo in July haven't shown any sign of going broody to date.

 

[fluffycrow]

the 3 pullets that have gone broody are (I think) Leghorn x Penedesenca; SFH x Penedesenca (with a splash of Welsumer); and a 1/4 SFH. The one pullet that is majority SFH hasn't gone broody, yet at least. The three SFH hens who will be 2 yo in July haven't shown any sign of going broody to date.

Rather unfortunate. Looks like I'll have to do multiple crosses to get brooding back into the line. As to where I'm going to find a broody line of Tsouloufates, I don't know