Olandsk Dwarf Chickens

[BerrytangleFarm]

Greenfire are the original importers? Correct? I'm just afraid of inbreeding... And the pickens are quite slim from what I gather....They said themselves that it is "negligible"?

As far as I know, Greenfire is the only official/legal importer of Dwarfs.

 

[tbird9]

Greenfire are the original importers? Correct? I'm just afraid of inbreeding... And the pickens are quite slim from what I gather....They said themselves that it is "negligible"?

I took that statement from Greenfire to mean that the likelihood of inbreeding was negligible.

I think that even though everyone's original stock came from them that doesn't necessarily mean that all our birds are closely related enough that inbreeding is a concern. Even less so as more people move forward with separate breeding operations and the population of them increases.

I am curious to learn more about the overall natural variation in the breed. Has any one else who is breeding them gotten a rooster as white as the one I got? I have also got some with yellow legs and some with white legs. What other differences are people noticing in them?

 

[nipper75]

I took that statement from Greenfire to mean that the likelihood of inbreeding was negligible.

I think that even though everyone's original stock came from them that doesn't necessarily mean that all our birds are closely related enough that inbreeding is a concern. Even less so as more people move forward with separate breeding operations and the population of them increases.

I am curious to learn more about the overall natural variation in the breed. Has any one else who is breeding them gotten a rooster as white as the one I got? I have also got some with yellow legs and some with white legs. What other differences are people noticing in them?

I'm completely new to this... So I'm sorry if my questions might seem tedious.....But, if we are all getting our OD from the same stock.... they would be related in one way or another... I'm just trying to be cautious and have all of my ducks in a row before I go any further. I LOVE these little guys and want to do the right thing.

Your little white guy is gorgeous.... One of my roos looks like that... I'll get pics tomorrow.

 

[BerrytangleFarm]

I'm completely new to this... So I'm sorry if my questions might seem tedious.....But, if we are all getting our OD from the same stock.... they would be related in one way or another... I'm just trying to be cautious and have all of my ducks in a row before I go any further. I LOVE these little guys and want to do the right thing.

Your little white guy is gorgeous.... One of my roos looks like that... I'll get pics tomorrow.

I know many (most?) people seek genetic diversity. In so ways this is necessary, but usually only when there is a very, very small source. I don't know what the size of the available OD stock in America is, but one thing to remember is that the Icelandic chickens, for example, were inbreeding for some 1100 years from the stock brought over on Viking ships. Also, in most cases, when someone is purchasing a breeding group (pair, trio, quad, etc.), it will be a familial sample.

 

[nipper75]

I know many (most?) people seek genetic diversity. In so ways this is necessary, but usually only when there is a very, very small source. I don't know what the size of the available OD stock in America is, but one thing to remember is that the Icelandic chickens, for example, were inbreeding for some 1100 years from the stock brought over on Viking ships. Also, in most cases, when someone is purchasing a breeding group (pair, trio, quad, etc.), it will be a familial sample.

Does inbreeding in birds have the same effects as inbreeding in other animals such as rabbits, dogs, etc.?

 

[tbird9]

A year and a half ago I didn't know thing one about chicken keeping or genetics, but my husband really wanted some of the Bresse that Greenfire was about to release, so he buttered me up for that major investment by getting me a pair of the cute little Olandsks. He had no idea what sort of monster he was awakening.

Now our backyard is full of Bresse, Olandsk, and a bunch of other rare breeds and I am doing my best to figure out how to breed them and improve our stock.

I had the same question about inbreeding in the Olandsks, since the population did go through such a bottle neck and they can't have imported very many, but I was satisfied with the response I got from them about the inbreeding coefficient, even though I don't totally understand what it means.

I'm not sure if we have room to keep breeding the Olandsks, but after starting with some juvenile pairs from GF, my plan was always to introduce new eggs/chicks from secondary breeders, and was just waiting for the price to come down a bit and for people on my side of the country to offer them.

This whole discussion sent me to eBay again to see who might be selling some eggs right now and you will never guess what I found. An ad for a non-Greenfire line of Olandsks.

What?

I'm on my ipad and don't know how to include the link. The seller is close enough to me that I would drive there to get them, but I just don't believe it yet. I sent an email asking where their stock did come from, if not GF.

 

[windtryst]

Keep us posted...I would be very skeptical ....

 

[nipper75]

A year and a half ago I didn't know thing one about chicken keeping or genetics, but my husband really wanted some of the Bresse that Greenfire was about to release, so he buttered me up for that major investment by getting me a pair of the cute little Olandsks. He had no idea what sort of monster he was awakening.

Now our backyard is full of Bresse, Olandsk, and a bunch of other rare breeds and I am doing my best to figure out how to breed them and improve our stock.

I had the same question about inbreeding in the Olandsks, since the population did go through such a bottle neck and they can't have imported very many, but I was satisfied with the response I got from them about the inbreeding coefficient, even though I don't totally understand what it means.

I'm not sure if we have room to keep breeding the Olandsks, but after starting with some juvenile pairs from GF, my plan was always to introduce new eggs/chicks from secondary breeders, and was just waiting for the price to come down a bit and for people on my side of the country to offer them.

This whole discussion sent me to eBay again to see who might be selling some eggs right now and you will never guess what I found. An ad for a non-Greenfire line of Olandsks.

What?

I'm on my ipad and don't know how to include the link. The seller is close enough to me that I would drive there to get them, but I just don't believe it yet. I sent an email asking where their stock did come from, if not GF.

I saw that too on ebay...... I want to bite but I'm very skeptical also..Let us know what they say.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Introducing new blood is a good idea...five years or so down the road. If you jump out right now and buy new blood, unless you keep two entirely separate flocks and do not interbreed them you'll still need new blood at some point in the future.

Even flocks that originated with Greenfire stock will, five years from now, be different enough from your own flock to be considered "new blood".

Just remember to CULL!

 

[nipper75]

This is Louie... a Roo I think


This is Chip, another Roo I think