Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

Im so jealous of those red and blue boys you keep getting. I know theyre absolutely not what you want, but i wish i could steal them for my mixed group. I love the lithe, flighty looking ones for hawks around here

I'd happily hand you some, to send them to a good home - if we weren't 1,000 miles away from one another...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Maybe I misunderstood what I was reading…

Man I wish we could DNA test the birds, as the difference in the black on some of those birds is weird… I have never had a partial blue expression of the blue gene in a bird here… there
has got to be some unique combo going on. I don’t think it is something like chocolate or dun either.

Mystery on this one, and sort of cool (even if it’s messing with breeding goals). Gorgeous birds btw… jealous too. Lol

What I don't know about Poultry genetics would fill books - and does.

and ty for the compliment. I find that healthy birds - even ugly ones - look at least good, and that no amount of perfect pattern and coloration can make a sick bird look great. Mine get a good life and a swift end.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes, that would be wonderful! It can get quite confusing to look at pictures of chickens, and comb through pages of genetics information, and TRY to make it match up right. I would love to have DNA tests for a bunch of genes, and then it would be easy to post photos of chickens with their DNA test results, and we could all learn what is going on with them!


I've seen photos of blue chickens that have black heads, and several shades of gray at different places on their bodies.

For example, McMurray's photos of Blue Andalusians show at least one hen with her head much darker than the rest of her plumage, and several photos of roosters that have heads & backs much darker than their breasts:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/blue_andalusians.html

My tiny amount of knowledge clains thays how they're looking when they're properly marked sokid blues. Nice edhing on the chest feathers

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'd happily hand you some, to send them to a good home - if we weren't 1,000 miles away from one another...

Yeah. I'd grab some when moving (whenever That is) if I went through the state on the trip. Too bad i cant make a quick pitstop down to florida

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We call this color pattern "Pigeon "

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We call this color pattern "Pigeon "

View attachment 2973602

Looks like a rusty blue! Dont know if theres a legit name for it or not, but i had a girl a long time ago similar to thar

 

[NatJ]

We call this color pattern "Pigeon "

That sounds like a good name for it! Yes, that looks blue to me too.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Yes, that would be wonderful! It can get quite confusing to look at pictures of chickens, and comb through pages of genetics information, and TRY to make it match up right. I would love to have DNA tests for a bunch of genes, and then it would be easy to post photos of chickens with their DNA test results, and we could all learn what is going on with them!


I've seen photos of blue chickens that have black heads, and several shades of gray at different places on their bodies.

For example, McMurray's photos of Blue Andalusians show at least one hen with her head much darker than the rest of her plumage, and several photos of roosters that have heads & backs much darker than their breasts:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/blue_andalusians.html

Maybe that is what is going on then… Darker expression on the head has got to be related to another gene, pesky genes.

On the DNA I have been trying to match up my birds too… looking at pages and pages of genetics. Ughh. So hard. I lucked out and found the DNA codes for Crested Cream Legbars so then I could get an idea about 1/2 of my OliveEgger hens genetics easier. I wish all the breed clubs posted the expected DNA codes for their breeds.


We call this color pattern "Pigeon "

View attachment 2973602

Pretty girl and on genetics I trying to wrap my head around it past Mendel’s Square basics but yikes it is complex.

 

[3KillerBs]

Looks like a rusty blue! Dont know if theres a legit name for it or not, but i had a girl a long time ago similar to thar

One of my two adult Blue Australorps got quite badly sun-faded before she molted -- quite brown compared to the young Blue pullets.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Looks like a rusty blue! Dont know if theres a legit name for it or not, but i had a girl a long time ago similar to thar

Real clear black edge to all those feathers. Beautiful bird. Hands down, the most attractive failure. Friends with a couple who were going to start their own flock, about 250 miles from me (and 80-odd miles south), I was going to give them all my blue birds. Ultimately, they had to delay the start of the flock, but this one still has their name on it, until October or so - she's too pretty to cull.

and @Lauravonsmurf I don't even attempt to figure out the genetics anymore. But I knew going in it was more complex than i wanted to deal with, and that my management wasn't suited to controlled breeding - that's why I settled on culling out, instead of breeding in.