Pics of my Sebs.. Are they blues? Male/Female?

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
Well that was easy enough!

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Well that was easy enough!

And my hubbys parents just built a house like 5-10 minutes away from her!

ooh..just think of all the geese i can get now!

But on a serious note: Can you breed siblings at all? or is that a no-no?

 

[Kim65]

Sure, they'll breed . . . I've heard geese won't take a parent as a mate, but in the absence of other geese will take a sib.

It's just called "line breeding", a fancy term for "in breeding"

. You raise your chances of reproducing the best traits but also the worst.

It's best to get a breeding pair from different lines if you can. If not, it probably doesn't matter. You'll want to get fresh blood in there at some point anyway if you are into breeding.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Actually "line breeding" is the breeding of a parent to their offsping. You do it when you have a truly great parent with traits you want to preserve. In theory the 1st offspring will have half of its genetic material from the parent and when bred back the 2nd generation will have 3/4 of its genetic material from the original parent, back to the origional parent again and 7/8 of the genetic material comes from the parent etc. This is how great lines (and sometimes freaks) are built up. Truly great birds are produced by outcrosses to other great lines. Inbreeding is usually when the whole flock can be traced back to the same two parents. ~gd

 

[banter]

Yippee! they are wonderful-a pair for sure. And the blue came through!
the feathering on them is great for their age, 3 !/2 months old (born April 18th-Russian Easter!). The parents are in no way related, I think you'll be OK!
here are pic of parents and sibs.

Mom, Zoey, who's name should have been Scarlet O'hare! What an attitude and spoiled to boot! Mom is GRAY.

Dad, Yuri

Sister and Dad

Brother, Sambocca

 

[redhen]

Thanks Banter! And thanks again for the beautiful babies!

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Smooth or curly, they're absolutely gorgeous!!! The color is just spectacular!! Congrats on such beautiful babies!

Laurie

 

[banter]

I have to make a comment on the color of this line of Sebs. When I purchased Yuri (Feb. 2008 at 6 months old)
I sent a pick of Zoey to Holderreads asking for suggestions on a mate for her. The gander he suggested was pricey, he (Dave H) acknowledged the feathering was disappointing, but the color was great. Also, the gander, although large, has many great virtues. Well, the color is coming through with very nice body shape and temperament. The offspring's have great potential. Zoey seems to have improved the feathering. There are three distinct lines in the breeding. I was worried I had got taken for a ride on the gander, but I think he is showing his stuff. It will take a couple more generations to prove this theory,

From what I've see on the HRWF website, there aren't any adult Sebs for sale,
Supply and demand! I hope to see the breeding of Sebs to go the way of the betterment of the breed! For the colors it is not a quick fix.

 

[Cottage Rose]

I think DH looks at the whole picture and not just the feathering. A friend of mine has a smooth breasted SB Seb goose from DH and she has thrown some really outstanding show quality curly breasted offspring bred to a quality, white, curly Seb which DH predicted she would. I have a few 2009 smoothie goslings that are outstanding in every way except they're not curly breasted but over all they are much better quality than my original curly whites as far as type goes. Big heads, big eyes, straight, medium length necks, depth & width of body etc. etc
Even thogh not curly breatsed these are the types of colored Sebs that would make excellent foundation birds in anybodys breeding program who are working on improving colored Sebastopols.
Some people just breeding anything to anything to reproduce colored Sebs in order to and make a quick sale but if you want to breed truly outstanding specimens it takes time and selective breeding.

Line breeding is essential to develop a line and type.
Outcrossing is sometimes needed to bring in needed improvements but on the other hand outcrossing is going to create a larger gene pool and result in alot of varied types and styles.
Its a fine art and one to be studied.

 

[banter]

Not to be repetitious, but animals with long fur or feathers can hide a multitude of faults. I have yet to see a Seb, or pic of one that I haven't just loved-I'm smitten with them. You also should balance the animals virtues with it's faults. There are few out there, of any color that wouldn't grace a lawn, or make a lovely pet. Although I love the perms, the smooth breasted have there place in breeding, they seem to keep vigor in the breed. I REALLY like the geese with short, thick curly feathers, just for the reason they suit the climate where I live, and they're still very beautiful ( I am admittedly biased!).
They are very round and "poofy"; big boned, low to the ground, and just seem to fit into the rough rocky landscape ( they seem to have strength and hardiness). I guess I'm trying to say they seem adapted to Maine! They work for me! The geese I like the best are not necessarily compatible to the Standard of Perfection, I also ADORE a white with trailing feathers, and the standard was written for white Sebs. Many of those out there now match it. Well done! Colors are a whole different ball game!