Poultry Breeds of Spanish Ancestry

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gjensen said:
Selection is the most effective when it is direct. That is not to say that nothing else matters, just that by going in a circle to get back to where you started is not as effective. In short, to select for a larger average egg size, is to set the largest eggs. It is that simple. It is setting a standard for egg size based on what you see, and gradually raising the bar as the average size improves. You will only get as far as the variability within your flock will allow. The more variability, the faster the progress.

The Hogan method is helpful. It is not a breeding method though. It is more of a culling method. I have adapted some of the concepts to the rhythm of the seasons as I select for appropriate type. I agree with selecting for capacity, but all of the capacity in the world does not put eggs in the basket. The most direct way to improve qty. and select the better layers, cull the poorest layers, and select sons of the better layers that prove themselves by their offspring. In other words, his daughters produce better than his brothers when mated with the same females.
All to say, that the most direct way is the most effective way.

I see selecting the width to carry through is about capacity, and fit birds. There does seam to be a correlation on some level to pinched tails, but I evaluate tails by looking at tails. I believe the finish on an otherwise good bird is not complete without an open tail and good tail spread.

So evaluating the fluff, I would focus on it directly by handling them and establishing who has more and less.

I have become skeptical and wary of the round about suggestions, and have come to prefer to break them down into pieces and parts. Then evaluating those parts specifically.

I do not know if any of this makes sense, but that is my two cents. Maybe someone will have something helpful to add.
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Well, I've been thinking about all of this and I think I will stop with the Hogan method for breeding.

Got lots to think about as lots is going on and I'm trying to do 15 different things around here besides my birds!

We've started a war recently on the mice on my property! A BB gun is a great tool for taking out a bunch in a matter of a half hour or so. I put out poison traps, drowning traps, regular traps and live catch traps too! Yesterday, we got 17 of the boogers with the bb gun! I HATE MICE!
 
Lacy Blues said:
Well, I've been thinking about all of this and I think I will stop with the Hogan method for breeding.

Got lots to think about as lots is going on and I'm trying to do 15 different things around here besides my birds!

We've started a war recently on the mice on my property! A BB gun is a great tool for taking out a bunch in a matter of a half hour or so. I put out poison traps, drowning traps, regular traps and live catch traps too! Yesterday, we got 17 of the boogers with the bb gun! I HATE MICE!
Click to expand...

I am surprised that you do not see more snakes than you do with all of the mice. You have Great Basin Gopher snakes in your area. A beautiful sub species. I would not kill any if you can secure the chicks. They are great rodent eaters.
I wish that I could walk your property and the surrounding area during the spring or fall. I love the desert west. I never made it to your area. I always enjoyed going somewhere new. Every area has it's hidden gems.
By the way, you are a pretty good shot to kill the mice with the BB gun.

I appreciate the concepts of the Hogan method. I incorporate some of the methods into my seasonal routine. The ideas have value. I do find myself using it to help me cull, rather than select breeders. I have come to appreciate a more direct approach to setting up breeding pens, and cull for egg size from the egg basket etc.

You have a beautiful breed with an unique and difficult color. There is a lot to select for. There is a reason they never set laying trial records. If a good typed, and nicely colored flock of Andalusian laid 160 large eggs pa , then they are a gem all on their own. With all of the breeding challenges that you have, I would only cull the poorest layers, the smallest eggs, and concentrate on type and color alone. I would not disregard pelvic spread etc. though.

These are just opinions.

Good luck with the mice.
 
Oh yes! burrows upon burrows.

I don't have a rat terrier, not sure I want one but that one benefit alone might be worth some thought.

Once I am ready to revamp the inside of my barn, I plan to use one of those small rototillers by Toro (I think) to tear up the floor, hopefully it will also tear up some mouse colonies!
 
Lacy Blues said:
Oh yes! burrows upon burrows.

I don't have a rat terrier, not sure I want one but that one benefit alone might be worth some thought.

Once I am ready to revamp the inside of my barn, I plan to use one of those small rototillers by Toro (I think) to tear up the floor, hopefully it will also tear up some mouse colonies!
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You might be able to borrow a rat terrier from someone. They have a nose for finding the burrows.

My place has had no sign of rats since I uses just one bite in March.
 
I have a FEW chicks on the ground... some are of my breeding and others are from birds that I acquired this year.

In my breeding pens, I have worked on color/lacing the past two years and some of the chicks on the ground this year show a definite improvement. Actually, just a couple but I'm SO excited about that couple of chicks...

I have others following behind that I cannot really tell yet what they will look like so I hope I have many more coming along.

I don't have pics of them yet but will try to get some soon.
 
ronott1 said:
You might be able to borrow a rat terrier from someone. They have a nose for finding the burrows.

My place has had no sign of rats since I uses just one bite in March.
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Ronott1 , A valuable bit of info you just said "i use 'just one bite' " . 'Just One Bite' is by far the best stuff out there for eliminating Rats/Mice . But one must keep it out all the time !!!
They swear to me at feed store that it will not kill or damage other animals .............. i'm still particular about where i put it out . it might cost more for start up but well worth it to be rid of mice and rats
 

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