Possible breeding program

[LaurenRitz]

The Biel x JG/BA chicks have access to food but much prefer foraging. Yay, Mama! Even in 5 weeks she did such a good job.

I see them out there, chasing bugs, scratching and playing while the brooder raised birds sit in the shade and wait impatiently for me to bring their dinner.

 

[LaurenRitz]

See butcher data on the Biel x JG cockerel here if interested.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mixed-breed-data-for-reference.1627922/

 

[LaurenRitz]

The young cockerel hasn't figured out tit-bitting. I gave them blueberries today as a treat. He found one and excitedly called the girls, then ate it before they could.

The three older girls want nothing to do with him, but the POL pullets are acting like his groupies.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I let his brother out the other day. Mamatoo (the JG with the single chick) was letting him mount so he was hanging around her begging for more.

In the middle of all this, Mama got separated from her baby. I caught the baby, took it back to where Mama had been, but she had moved, so I had to catch the baby again to go back to the coop.

And of course it was raining.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Well, Mamatoo has abandoned her baby, at 3 weeks. She slept with the adults last night and the baby spent a while crying and looking for her before it slipped in and slept with the other chicks.

It's playing tagalong this morning with the other chicks. We'll see how well Mamatoo has done her job. I'll let it play out, but this seems very early.

If the other chicks (currently 8 weeks) will let her stay with them, I won't have to intervene.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I have lost 6 since this heat wave started. Of the new pullets, I am now down to 1 Marans (started with 4) 1 Speckled Sussex (started with 4), and 4 Buckeyes (started with 5).

Haven't lost any rangers.

One of the Speckled Sussex was scalped by the rooster and never recovered. Her sister was about the size of an 8 week old when she died. 1 Marans broke her leg.

Other than that, they have died suddenly and without explanation. Another died last night. I have stopped doing necropsies, since I can't see anything wrong. But every bird that has died has been a recognized breed. The hybrids are unaffected so far.

So tonight I start another batch of eggs. The cockerel is just going to have to deal until this next batch grows up.

With it being so sudden, I wonder if they ate something bad.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I believe the neighbor put out rat poison. Not sure, though. The two that died suddenly were my best foragers, and they loved foraging in his yard. Two more have been taken by some predator.

Last batch of eggs for the season goes into lockdown today. Their father is (JGxRIR)xRIR, mothers are Marans, Ranger, and Buckeye.

I have another batch of the same mixes (with the addition of BA) that are almost 8 weeks old, and seven 11 week olds that are BielxJGxRIR/BA. By next spring all the breeds should be well integrated.

 

[LaurenRitz]

The current breeds are Jersey Giant, Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp, Marans, Rudd Ranger, and Buckeye. The current roo is (JG x RIR) x RIR. The young one (currently 22 weeks) is ((JG x RIR) x RIR) x JG.

For the most part I'm letting the girls decide who of the cockerels goes and stays, with only the exception that if they attack me they're gone. Given a choice the girls don't choose a roo that forces mating, so that trait seems to be dissapearing. All my boys are very polite to the hens and not interested in young pullets.

I currently have 28 chicks younger than 16 weeks, and only 3 of them are pullets. All of them were incubated, so there might be something there.

I have another 12 eggs of a BYM bloodline, broodies will raise them for me.

 

[LaurenRitz]

General coloring types. Fathers are all ((JG x RIR) x (RIR)), one black with red, the other red.

Mother ((JG x RIR) x (Biel x BA))

Mother Rudd Ranger. Apparently there is some lacing in the genetics of the Rangers.

Mother Marans

Mother Buckeye (this picture is actually one of the fathers, but this group is almost identical)

Mother possible Biel x BA. All of this color pattern are turning out human aggressive.

Mother BA, chicks are pure black

All the girls are turning out pure black, with tiny combs and wattles.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

View attachment 3989448

Very handsome color and leakage on this guy. I hope his behavior turns out equally nice