Norwegian Jaerhon

[aurissavannahs]

The difference between the two colors of the Jaerhon is at the E locus which controls the base color of the chicken. It is the same difference as the difference as is found between the brown and light brown Leghorn. Most people can not accurately tell the adults apart. The surest way to tell the Light Jaerhon from the Dark Jaerhon is the color of the chick down. The Dark Jaerhon is genetically eb, dark brown. The Dark chicks are brown. The Light Jaerhon is genetically e, wild type. The light chicks have chipmunk stripes on their backs. If you want to separate the two types, which I think is great, then do so right after hatch when you separate the pullets from the roos. If you don't separate them then mark them in some permanent way such as toe punches.

 

[western edge]

oops

 

[aurissavannahs]

These are not my pictures. They are used for educational purposes only.
The dark chicks are on the left side. The light are on the right. Males are on top for both colors and the females on the bottom. Adult darks have grey down and I have been told the lights have cream down.

 

[western edge]

Good info and pictures aurissavannahs. I need to do more research on the subject. If dark and light varieties were bread together would you get both light and dark offspring or would you muddy the water in lack of a better term?

 

[aurissavannahs]

Good info and pictures aurissavannahs. I need to do more research on the subject. If dark and light varieties were bread together would you get both light and dark offspring or would you muddy the water in lack of a better term?

If you cross the two types you should get both types after a couple years of inbreeding, but the results of the crosses might be difficult to predict. The homozygous dark would be eb/eb and the homozygous light would be e+/e+ so if you started with homozygous varieties then the F1 generation would be eb/e+ and if they are bred together you would get eb/eb, eb/e+, and e+/e+. If would then take time and careful breeding to separate out the eb/e+ birds from the rest to get NJ that would breed true again. However, I believe this is what we have been doing because most people don't know how to recognize variety or varieties they have. Crossing the varieties is not necessarily a bad thing when the population is so small we just need to know that we are doing it.

 

[aurissavannahs]

I just got this from a Norwegian chicken Club and was very interested to see that the gray variety is now approved.

NORWEGIAN Norwegian Jærhøne
Country: Norway
Very good egg layer
Hardy, good flyer
Comb: single comb
Approved colors: brown yellow, yellow brown, gray
Weight: Rooster: 1.75 to 2 kg. Hen: 1.5 to 1.75 kg.
Eggs: white 55-61 grams

 

[bekkanblue]

Just got a trio of Jaers and I'm so excited! The roo is a little character for sure, the hens are still a little shy. All three dark variety. The hens have provided 3 eggs since Friday when I picked them up so I might put them in the incubator and see what happens. What a great little breed and great travelers since they've ridden about 1000+ miles over the weekend with the dogs and I!

 

[aurissavannahs]

I have been communicating with Norwegian breeders and they have provided me with the official Norwegian Standard for the Norwegian Jaerhon. Bjorn Netland, the original importer of the Jaerhon is working to translate it. I am so excited! We should soon have a guide to properly select our breeding stock.

 

[bekkanblue]

I've been reading this whole thread to see if the standard was available in English! Great news! But I'll keep reading the thread anyway. : )

 

[bekkanblue]

5 NJ eggs in the bator and 2 more I will probably put in tomorrow - they used their nest box, so proud! It's probably more of a fertility check and/or long shot but I couldn't help it. Todays eggs look really nice and I know the rooster has been dancing with his ladies! I got a small bator to avoid over hatching, but it's not going to work. I'm already looking for a second one. A second - bigger - one. Oh well!