Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[BlindLemonChicken]

If you want birds that are generally healthy and good layers but not heavily selected for any particular cosmetic traits and probably not too inbred, they certainly might be a good starting point

I didn’t get them with this intention (I got my current flock before I knew what a landrace was) but I’ve had Ameraucanas before in a backyard setting and while they were flighty they were also kind of dippy. Of course I didn’t have an opportunity to really let them range so who knows how they would have done. But seeing my current flock roaming in their little forest is a whole new ball game. The EEs have surprised me for sure. I don’t have any plans to base a landrace on them but I might not be disappointed if they do breed with the birds I plan on getting for that purpose. Unless of course their bravery gets them picked off by a hawk

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

This is either brood two or three for this hen this year. This same hen raised two or three broods last year and she’s very good at getting them to adulthood.

Of interest to me in this brood is how the RJF colorations are starting to show up in the chicks given that the only breeding roosters I have on the free-range yard this year are moderate to high percentage RJF hybrids. The hen herself should be 1/2 RJF hybrid, 1/4 Liege, 1/4 aseel.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Maybe I missed this but does anyone know what EEs are usually made of?

The original EE (blue egg layers) were discovered in Chile. Some of the older hatcheries got their first stock from these but in a round about way. The Araucana and Ameraucana were developed from these original EE's from Chile. Legbar were developed in the UK and imported over here.

There is a lot of confusion about where they come from but they are just chickens that might lay blue or green eggs. Some have never been bred from a breed, were made from the original Chilean landrace. Some have been developed from breeds. Some have been crossed with certain breeds. Many you will never know where they came from.

 

[Perris]

Maybe I missed this but does anyone know what EEs are usually made of?

There is a lot of confusion about where they come from but they are just chickens that might lay blue or green eggs.

The original blue/green egg layers are Araucana (and 4 genetically different 'strains' have been identified under that same 'breed' name in the SYNBREED project) in South America, and Lushi (and other breeds) in Asia. The single genetic mutation that caused it occurred independently; these South American and Asian breeds are not genetically related.
https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1003183

You might also find this interesting
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281454484_ETHNO-ORNITHOLOGY_AND_HISTORY_OF_THE_MAPUCHE_FOWL

'Easter Egger' is a modern US marketing term for any bird that lays a blue-green egg and does not look like a recognised blue-egg laying breed. It is not a breed with a standard recognised by any poultry association anywhere, as far as I know.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

@Perris thank you! Very interesting! I always thought EEs were something closer to olive eggers where a hatchery would take a couple breeds and use them to create their own “hybrid” like Prairie Bluebell Eggers or Mystic Onyx and that one of those breeds would be Ameraucauna or Leghorn or something recognizable. Clearly it’s much more complicated (and more interesting) than that. And also explains why they don’t seem to be as interested in the feed bowl as a couple of my other breeds. They are clearly domesticated but they prefer a quick bite and then off to the trees whereas my Australorp seems to hover around the food and the coop. I don’t see the EEs except for a minute or two in the morning and if I put out more food midday they rarely partake. They have plenty to eat now so it will be interesting to see how their behavior changes with the seasons.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I put a few 8 week chicks on their new "roost" a few days ago. They can get down without a problem. They try to get up, stare up at it, but can't reach it yet.

I put up a ladder with easily reachable platforms and 2x4s, each with food on it. We'll see if they figure it out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The original blue/green egg layers are Araucana (and 4 genetically different 'strains' have been identified under that same 'breed' name in the SYNBREED project) in South America, and Lushi (and other breeds) in Asia. The single genetic mutation that caused it occurred independently; these South American and Asian breeds are not genetically related.

Thank you. That may explain why the Ameraucana Club took down their post on the origins. Sounds like some stuff has been confirmed about the Asian strain. Always new information becoming available.