Norwegian Jaerhon?

[Goose and Fig]

"no mutts from a hatchery" comment, especially after mentioning it doesn't look like an EE which are mutts .

Uhhhh- 1. it DOESN'T look like an EE (mutt) 2.Sandhill isn't known for selling mutts.
What is so funny about that? It's 2 reasons to support her bird isn't a mutt.

Some people just want to put everybody else's birds down. Sad.​

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Uhhhh- 1. it DOESN'T look like an EE (mutt) 2.Sandhill isn't known for selling mutts.
What is so funny about that? It's 2 reasons to support her bird isn't a mutt.

Some people just want to put everybody else's birds down. Sad.

Wasn't putting your comment down, just saying A. EE's are mutts, therefore if a hatchery sells them they sell mutts do they not? and B. Maybe sandhill isn't known for it, but it doesn't really mean anything. Explain how the colors like that popped up in a hatcheries birds when it doesn't really mention the colors or anything like that happening anywhere in the information i have read on them? Suggests out-crossing somewhere.

I wasn't trying to be offensive really, just said i thought it was funny (mainly the EE/non-mutt comment).

 

[Tuppemor]

Norske Jærhøns (Norwegian Jaerhons) come in light and dark colour. The light ones have light colored legs. Here is a link to pictures of this breed on a Norwegian page. There is one picture of a light pullet, but she seems to have leg mites so throws the impression a litte, but at least you can see the color of the hen and that the legs are not yellow.

http://www.safari.til1000.net/honer/jaerhons.htm

Word translations:
Stor/store - large
Dverg - bantam (actually means dwarf, which is the term we use here)
Mørk - dark
Lys - light
Høne - hen/pullet
Hane - rooster/cockerel
Kylling - chick/youngster

 

[cleansquared]

I was under the information that jaerhons were a land race with a wide genetic diversity and so if a bird is part of a land race it would make sence to see several colors & differances is this not so?

 

[Dr Bjorn Netland]

The foundation was laid by selecting a pair from a flock that had been "closed" for several decades. This flock consisted of the local land race in southwestern Norway and evidently had all sorts of varieties. From this stud mating, a carefully managed selection of offspring took place (a government sponsored breeding program), focusing on productive qualities and subsequently also type/color etc. What is amazing is that the breed still has maintained such vigor after such an extremely narrow genetic beginning (stud mating).

 

[cleansquared]

I have a few questions 1)does any one know how many eggs this breed lays per year
2)what color the eggs are for sure and approx how big
3) does any one know or have acess to a good breeder of these as i dont want hatchery stock
Thanks!

 

[Dr Bjorn Netland]

I have a few questions 1)does any one know how many eggs this breed lays per year
2)what color the eggs are for sure and approx how big
3) does any one know or have acess to a good breeder of these as i dont want hatchery stock
Thanks!

I no longer trapnest or keep exact records, but the original hens all laid a minimum of 200 eggs during the first laying year, with one hen laying 277. These birds were kept under light 24-7 in a bio-secure environment (totally insulated barn). I used offspring for all 6 hens to develop the foundation flock, and some of the offspring went to my late friends Lowell Barber (N.C.) and Ron Nelson (WI), as well as to APA judge Dennis Thompson in IA. My current 2 breeding flocks are kept in natural light condition (no artificial light provided at all) and take a 60-90 day break from laying in connection with the molt and the dark months beginning in late November until mid-late February. This way I keep them producing over more years, and their production is still relatively high (almost as high as White Leghorns kept in the same condition). Most of them lay white eggs that are large to extra-large, some off-white. Sandhill Preservation keeps good flock records, I believe.
I try to focus on production and eliminate from the breeding pool low-producing birds and the ones with obvious defects or disqualifying faults (significant color issues, side sprigs, ear lobes, shape). The one thing I have not been successful in my attempts to eliminate is hens developing spurs. I recall reading an old account from Norway, quite a few years ago, that the original landrace hen used to "set" the breed conformation also had spurs, but I don't know if breeders in Norway and Denmark have the same challenge with this feature as do I.
The Jaers have the best feed/egg conversion rate of all my birds, and the hens that are not in bio-secure breeder flocks but are allowed on the pasture together with the others outperform all of them--but they fly like crows, which sometimes constitutes a problem.

 

[cleansquared]

Im getting ready to move to a small farm 10acres do you think there would be an issue freeranging them? Or do they wonder that far? Do you have issues with them in your situation? Im trying to decide on a highly productive white egg layer that is not a hybred i want a heratige breed that is hardy and can free range on pasture. Is sand hill a good source of these? And what is your thoughts of the red ones sand hill caries? Thanks!