Nevadans?

[Eglyntine]

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I probably will not be out in this for a while. Noon is just usually when I get done with my chores and can focus on something other than cleaning up poop, collecting eggs, feeding boys' breakfasts, etc. I forgot it is Tuesday and you usually work late on Tuesdays. That will probably be best anyway, considering that it is still snowing pretty heavy over here. I will get them to you sometime today for sure though. And thank you for the healing vibes, I really appreciate it and find it is way more effective than sitting in a ER waiting room for 2 hours and then find out that "Wow you have pneumonia and need to go home, drink lots of liquids and stay off of your feet but do not lay flat." *LOL*

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You had me at body type... hehe this is definitely a subject I could talk about incessantly. My original idea, when I got the Australorps was because they are green based instead of blue like the Andalusian was to somehow create a Green Laced Black Wyandotte or a White Laced Green. But through researching how they came up with the Blue Laced Red I have kind of become entranced with them as well. But I would like to make the blue and the red more prominent but bring back the body type, egg production and temperament back to a stable, true triple purpose bird (Meat, Eggs, Pet/Show).

I know I need a blue base if I wanted to start from scratch on the BLRW which is why I was thinking of maybe getting a high quality breeding pair of the BLRW and start out with them. Not sure yet. Of course then there are the Orpingtons too. I saw those Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons and fell madly in love with them. There are so many varieties of those you can work with. But you are well aware of that.

There is a ton of research that needs to be done and I am just starting out. It is a HUGE undertaking and I do not have any misconceptions that it is going to take years and years for me to get what I am looking for but it should be a lot of fun to try and it is one of those things that you can look back on and say "This is just one of the many things that I tried to accomplish and it was a great ride."

 

[Eglyntine]

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I have about 4 in in my yard right now and it is coming down in sheets of snow here. I am on the backside of Sun Valley and we get more snow over here than downtown. DH decided to brave it and drive to work this morning. He said once you get on the main road it is fine. The snow is melting off almost as fast as it hits the road but it is supposed to keep up with the snowing all day according to the weather report.

I swept off my porch about 10 mins ago and you cannot tell that it was even cleared off if that gives you an idea of how much it is snowing at my house right now. I went out around 7:30 and opened the chicken run door and the girls went running out with their FREEEEDOOOMMMM cry and then almost as quickly as they went out they started cramming that little hole fighting to get back inside. It was really funny to watch.

 

[daegorn]

Eglyntine get to work with that breeding program, I want some!

 

[Eglyntine]

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It is definitely one of those hurry up and wait projects for sure. I cannot even really start until this spring, I think I spend a lot of effort wishing time away to get to a goal and then once it is reached I wonder where the time flew. Good thing (God willing) I still have a lot of years left for this particular project.

For my original thought of the White Laced Green Wyandottes I was hoping to get a main body colour similar to the Cayuga Duck colouring

and then have white lacing. I think with the Australorps brilliant green hue it could be accomplished in much the same way the Andalusian lent it's blue hue to the BLRW. As you can see though, even the Cayuga has some blue hues to it and even Australorps sometimes have a more bluish green than pure green. But if I could cull out that awesome green somehow I think it would make for a striking bird.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Now I am worried about my girls

 

[Eglyntine]

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How come?

 

[aubreynoramarie]

The tarp over their run flew off this morning and I am just imagining wet girls who are too dumb to go in the coop and my tarp in the neighbors yard

 

[SparksNV]

Just drove home from work - It was coming down fast & furiously at Renown but clear as a bell up in Spanish Springs! Almost got hit by a sliding car when I walked across 2nd Street to the employee parking lot. Tomorrow morning is going to be awful - I have to be at Renown at 5am - I think I will leave the house around 4:15! I'm sure there will be lots of ice. I think I will let the older dd stay home if it is really icy - it is about a 15 min walk (on a good day) to the bus stop. My neighbor can't pick her up tomorrow & dh has to be at work at 6:45am. It's a short day and she has not missed any school yet. I wish I had the option of going or not. Bad weather isn't an excuse for being late or for missing work...I will be driving very sloooooowly tomorrow.

 

[Eglyntine]

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I would not worry about them too much. After the initial pile up early this morning my girls finally braved the initial jump into the snow and have been out there all day WITH the 7 week old babies. They seem to be having the time of their life and could care less about the flying white stuff. As big as your girls are they should be fine outside too.

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Well if we were in Maine where everyone was used to the snow and icy weather I would agree but with the way most of the ppl react to snow around here AND being a hospital during the bad weather with the bad accidents, etc. You would think that they would understand "The roads are too bad to drive on, even for their employees." I will definitely keep you in my prayers for tomorrow Sweety. *hug* That is a loooong drive and even longer in bad weather.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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I would LOVE it!

That would be great and I sure hope I have some. Are you picking up down there also Sunny? I do not have a FB account, someday maybe

I was hoping to pick up some marans while down there but everyone's stock seems to be way down. At this point we are in a wait and see mode.

The next time I come up I can show you how to get on FB. It's just a nice way to showcase all your pics to friends and family.

As for the topic of blue egg genetics, I thought I'd throw my two cents worth in. The only true egg color is white. This is contrary to what I have read by "experts" on the subject. The confusion comes from the fact that the blue egg color does go through the entire shell (meaning if you crack open a blue or green egg the color blue will show on the inside of the shell too). The blue color is simply deposited by a different chemical process.
"All eggs are initially white. The blue and brown color (in most breeds) is deposited during egg formation in the oviduct. In blue eggs the color is a product of bile formation from a pigment called oocyanin. The blue egg gene is dominant. Interestingly, the color goes right through the shell, making the eggs difficult to candle during incubation. A Rhode Island Red's brown eggs are the result of the brown pigment protoporphyrin, derived from haemoglobin in the blood. The brown color is formed on the outer layer of shell only."~ Professor Punnett
A marans egg (no that's not a typo. Marans is always spelled with an "s", single or plural) for instance, gets it's color from glandular secretions which are laid over the egg (after it is formed) as it passes throught the oviduct. Unlike an RIR's egg, you can wash the color off a marans' egg if you rub it right after it's laid (actually I find the color comes off even after the egg is dry, just not as easily).
The genetics of marans' dark chocolate colored eggs is controlled by at least 14 genes and is not well understood at this time.
Yes, ear lobe color is often an indicator of egg color but there are exceptions to this rule. The Silky for instance has dark "blue" almost black earlobes and lays a cream colored or lightly tinted egg.

Aubrey your Midge is so cute!!! She looks a lot like my Honkers.

I hope your girls are ok!

Daegorn I had no problems viewing it this time. It's working.

Carol I hope the roads are not too bad for your trip into work tomorrow! That close call must have been scary! DH has to travel an hour in this mess each way but doesn't have to leave quite as early as you do. It terrifies me to think of him traveling in this mess! We have a few inches here in NW Reno but the ice scares me more than the snow.

Nikki I'm also sending lots of positive energy you way for some fast healing!