My Silver-Laced Australorp(ish) Project

[NatJ]

Straight comb is a well known positive trait as it allows heat to be diffused into the air.

I think the size of the comb matters too. A Leghorn's single comb is usually much larger than a Plymouth Rock's single comb.

You will find this one a bit strange, but there are suggestions that white egg layers have advantages in a hot climate over brown layers.

Considering which breeds usually lay white eggs, and which breeds usually lay brown eggs, I don't think the egg color itself is likely to be important.

But white eggs are most often laid by chicken breeds who have the other traits you named as helpful in hot weather. And brown eggs are most often laid by chicken breeds who have at least some of the opposite traits.

Of course there are a few exceptions (like Dorkings and Penedesencas, who have the egg color backwards of what their other traits would suggest), but in general sorting them by egg color will also sort them for many other physical traits. The Mediterranean breeds tend to be heat-tolerant and lay white eggs, while most others tend to be less heat tolerant and lay brown eggs.

 

[3KillerBs]

I was thinking about this again today and trying to figure out what traits contribute most to heat tolerance. I think this list should be close.

Lighter weight birds tend to have more heat tolerance, this particularly includes leghorns and similar origin birds.

Hen feathered chickens are more heat tolerant as there is a distinct advantage for roosters with this trait.

Straight comb is a well known positive trait as it allows heat to be diffused into the air.

Feather type is an important trait where the large fluffy feathers of Wyandottes are adapted to cold climates and sleek flat feathers are better in the heat.

You will find this one a bit strange, but there are suggestions that white egg layers have advantages in a hot climate over brown layers.

Lighter colored feathers are important as they reflect more sunlight, black feathers are the opposite collecting heat from the sun.

That's a good list.

The Wyandotte fluffiness is one of the things that I know I'm going to have to address in this, selecting for a more Australorp type of closer-fitted feathers.

I have to agree with @NatJ though in re: the white eggs. It seems more likely to be a coincidence than an inherent advantage to egg color.

It is noteable that Australorps, who are one of the more heat-tolerant of the dual purpose breeds, do have larger single combs, less fluffy feathers, and a lighter build than most other dual-purpose breeds. IIRC, there was a heavy infusion of Leghorn in their development for an egg-laying boost and that must have contributed some heat-tolerance capability.

If I find that I have trouble with the Wyandotte fluff down the line I'll have to bring in something Mediterranean.

BTW, while white does reflect heat, dark colors can provide portable shade. Note that dessert-dwelling peoples who wear enveloping clothing as protection from the sun may wear either black or white.

I've noticed the effect myself when doing American Civil War reenacting, where the historical fashions envelope women from neck to wrist to ankle. My light-colored dress was cooler in some circumstances, but if I had to be out in the direct sun -- in a parade, perhaps -- the dark dress gave my skin more protection.

 

[NagemTX]

I wonder if blue andalusian would work for this project? As along as they have good lacing.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wonder if blue andalusian would work for this project? As along as they have good lacing.

IIRC, the lacing on blue birds is not the same as the lacing in question.

I'm actually working with Blue Australorps -- the rooster in my avatar over my SLW ladies.

 

[NagemTX]

Is this why it dilutes over number of breedings if black is not kept in the mix. It seems from the calculator that they have the genetics for normal lacing if they have the very dark lacing. I've been playing around with it because of the inconsistency of the lacing in blue birds that I have noticed. Any way, blue being what it is probably not the best choice.

 

[3KillerBs]

Is this why it dilutes over number of breedings if black is not kept in the mix. It seems from the calculator that they have the genetics for normal lacing if they have the very dark lacing. I've been playing around with it because of the inconsistency of the lacing in blue birds that I have noticed. Any way, blue being what it is probably not the best choice.

I don't know.

Blue Australorps are what I have -- and they are my current focus -- so that's what I'm using.

 

[3KillerBs]

Wyandottes have the following genes for lacing.

eb/eb, Ml/Ml-Pg/Pg, Co/Co, their lacing does not extend to the tail, they have black tails(or blue tails on blue laced)


Birchen based lacing(Orps, Polish, Sebright)

ER/ER, Db/Db-Ml/Ml-Pg/Pg, Co/Co, this combination of extra melanizer(ER birchen) and Extra columbian restrictor(Db) extends to the tail.

Quoting this from another thread so that I have the information handy if I require it.

 

[DarJones]

With the right genetics, you can get lacing to extend quite a bit down the tails. I've got it with my birds. I have not tried to analyze the source of the extra lacing. It is still not the full lacing from ER genetics.

Re white eggs, I think the advantage may be more from the eggs being more tolerant to heat than from an advantage to the chicken that hatches from the egg. Note that mediterranean breeds share common traits of white eggs, light weight, large straight combs, and tight feathers.

 

[nicalandia]

With the right genetics, you can get lacing to extend quite a bit down the tails. I've got it with my birds. I have not tried to analyze the source of the extra lacing. It is still not the full lacing from ER genetics..

Pictures from your birds with that extended lacing.

 

[ColtHandorf]

If I understand the genetics correctly, the lacing won't show in the F1 but should show in the F2. Then I can breed the F2 back to the Australorps and repeat alternating crosses until I get something that looks like an Australorp but has the desired lacing.

That isn't entirely true. I did produce two hens that had very faint, slight lacing in my F1 birds. She was produced from crossing a Silver-laced Orpington cock over Blue Orpington hen.

Kate:

You can see the faint lacing better here in the hackles and face.

The F1 won't be laced though.

Here's young Ruby, who showed quite a bit of lacing in the hackles.

This is an F2 chick that was gorgeously, perfectly laced as she feathered out.

The only photo I have after her feathering out are the bits I found of her after a bobcat fell through the roof of their run and murdered all the birds in that project. I'll be starting it up again this Spring.

No heat-tolerant, large-fowl, Dual-Purpose type breeds.

You might look at Javas. They aren't laced, but I had really good luck with them in the Texas heat back in the mid-2000s.