Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chiques chicks]

Reading over this, it's not as clear as I had hoped, but maybe it will help someone.

So, square one: in humans, the male determines sex, X or Y, female is always YY. In chickens, male is always XX and female is XY, thereby determining sex. So if the recessive trait follows the X chromosome, it will always show in the male, not the female offspring?

So it becomes an issue of understanding what traits are dominant and which are sex linked and building a giant flow chart for the traits you have in your flock. A flow chart with a ton of qualifiers, lol.

 

[alibabba]

Since dhetzel is letting folks pic his brain...

I would like to look at my chickens and see:

Pea comb
Beard
Feathered legs
Vulture hocks
Slate legs

Calm, friendly and blue eggs... They could absolutely be parti-colored.


D'uccle, Ameraucana? Which should be the roo?

 

[dheltzel]

Since dhetzel is letting folks pic his brain...

I would like to look at my chickens and see:

Pea comb
Beard
Feathered legs
Vulture hocks
Slate legs

Calm, friendly and blue eggs... They could absolutely be parti-colored.


D'uccle, Ameraucana? Which should be the roo?

I would cross Ameraucanas with Breda Fowl. Those 2 breeds have all those things and the Bredas lay white eggs so they won't "contaminate" the blue eggs to green. Getting all those characteristics to show and breed true might be a lot of work. Fixing dominant traits like blue eggs is harder than the recessive traits because the recessives (like white eggs) can hide and pop up later. Egg color is particularly challenging because it never shows in the males at all.

I think I'd concentrate most on getting the Breda traits to show (feathered legs and vulture hocks) because crossing back to Ams will be easier to manage, and they are a lot more common.

 

[AliP]

THANKS TO YOU ALL!!!

My 16 babies moved happily and healthily to the coop yesterday! I have learned so much from following the discussions in this thread and in others over several years that I felt somewhat prepared for the peeps when they arrived. They are 3 1/2 weeks old and we moved them from their stock tank brooder to their hen house - which will be their brooder until we get the roof on the run next weekend (need. more. weekends!) Their EcoGlow went with them - although the warm streak that we're going to be in this week probably makes that a non-issue.

My family knows that if they can't find me, I'm with my girls, and my husband thinks I"m nuts for plopping myself down cross-legged on the floor of the hen house to talk to the ladies. Oh well, at least he knows where I am, and there are plenty of leftovers from Memorial Day picnics to keep him fed for a few days

.

Thanks again to you all for being so generous in sharing your experience and your knowledge! And thanks for reading this...not too many people I know "get" how easy it is to get totally wrapped up in my chickens!, I know that you all do!

Alison

 

[stake]

Here's two of my Olive eggers....that are looking a bit boyish to me,,,,,

 

[dheltzel]

Here's two of my Olive eggers....that are looking a bit boyish to me,,,,,

Agreed, their combs say male.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Am I the only one who's head spins when I try to read about chicken genetics?

I like to think of myself as relatively intelligent, a redneck nerd if you will, but I get all twisted around trying to follow genetics.

Ditto! Except maybe I'm not a redneck nerd.... Yet!

Well, so much to do, but I got bronchitis for Memorial Day.  I did get the chickens outside and they got some watermelon rinds for treats.  I didn't get to work in the garden, clear any trees, or any of the other projects I had hoped to accomplish. I napped.:/

I didn't do as much as I'd hoped either. But I had no excuse!

What do you collect eggs with? I have been using egg cartons to keep them separated so they don't crack, anyone have any sort of padded collection device that would work better?

I just found this basket at the goodwill.
http://t.tractorsupply.com/en/store/egg-basket-8-in

When I brought it home my husband said "That's a golf ball basket!" Either way, it works!

THANKS TO YOU ALL!!! 

My 16 babies moved happily and healthily to the coop yesterday!  I have learned so much from following the discussions in this thread and in others over several years that I felt somewhat prepared for the peeps when they arrived.  They are 3 1/2 weeks old and we moved them from their stock tank brooder to their hen house - which will be their brooder until we get the roof on the run next weekend (need. more. weekends!) Their EcoGlow went with them - although the warm streak that we're going to be in this week  probably makes that a non-issue.

My family knows that if they can't find me, I'm with my girls, and my husband thinks I"m nuts for plopping myself down cross-legged on the floor of the hen house to talk to the ladies. Oh well, at least he knows where I am, and there are plenty of leftovers from Memorial Day picnics to keep him fed for a few days .

Thanks again to you all for being so generous in sharing your experience and your knowledge!  And thanks for reading this...not too many people I know "get" how easy it is to get totally wrapped up in my chickens!, I know that you all do!

Alison

Glad to hear it! And just to let you know, I've had chickens for over a year, and I still sit out with my "girls" and watch them. They are so much fun!

 

[SilkieSensation]

Here's two of my Olive eggers....that are looking a bit boyish to me,,,,,

The single barring (hen coloring) sometimes happens when breeding barred to non-barred, but those huge red combs definitely say "boy." I get the hen coloring on my little barred boys a lot since I breed non-barred to barred a lot. Sometimes I get the double barred males, but they are usually blue since my barred roo is blue. I have a red barred roo too & just hatched a few of his babies. Waiting to see how they feather in.

 

[wingstone]

does anyone have any willow bushes that I can get cutting from ??

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I've had some hatch like this, some make it and some don't. I would give the chick a few drops of liquid infant vitamins (no iron) and set it upright in a cup. I hope she makes it.

I get these occasionally. If the yolk is leaking it likely won't make it. I use blu-kote to dry up the umbilical. You have to be very careful how you unwrap the leg so it doesn't pull the yolk sac. It usually takes them several extra hours in the bator to finish absorbing the yolk & get their feet under them. They are very susceptible to herniating the umbilical for the first 2-3 days. If the chicks pile it keeping warm, it won't survive. Make sure there is plenty of heat & plenty of space.

Just wanted to let you guys know that little Will/Willa is doing wonderful! He spend two days in a cup being hand fed and given water with an eye dropper. I had to mix up vit E and selenium for him too for wry neck. Now, he's running around the brooder with all the others. He's smaller and less steady (if he gets knocked over, he can't get back up on his own) but he's getting stronger and stronger every day

ETA: I did have to tie off and cut the yolk sack. He stepped on it and started bleeding heavily. I was really worried but he pulled through he's finally eating and drinking on his own.