Quechua Thread

[urjtobreed]

Unfortunately I only have a BQO roo who happened not to be black! Not the best picture, since I holding him to get a close up:

The BQO do seem to have the most reduced combs. Interestingly my F2 (Huastec x Colloncas) are looking to rival them. The following are the smallest combed of the lot. They are almost 5 months old, so combs should get a little bigger, but I am seeing quite a difference. Fibromelanism seems to contribute to smaller combs.

Crested pullet. Had to part crest:

These two cockerels are only showing the slightest hint of wattles. I only recently realized the black one was a male, as it just started showing hints of male saddle feathers.

Here is a more typically sized comb on a cockerel, of same age and composite, for comparison.

Sorry that some of these aren't exactly Quechua, although that term has a rather broad application.

 

[Penny Hen]

Unfortunately I only have a BQO roo who happened not to be black! Not the best picture, since I holding him to get a close up:


The BQO do seem to have the most reduced combs. Interestingly my F2 (Huastec x Colloncas) are looking to rival them. The following are the smallest combed of the lot. They are almost 5 months old, so combs should get a little bigger, but I am seeing quite a difference. Fibromelanism seems to contribute to smaller combs.

Crested pullet. Had to part crest:


These two cockerels are only showing the slightest hint of wattles. I only recently realized the black one was a male, as it just started showing hints of male saddle feathers.




Here is a more typically sized comb on a cockerel, of same age and composite, for comparison.


Sorry that some of these aren't exactly Quechua, although that term has a rather broad application.

Well as I understand the term Quechua from reading Resolution's history of South Am chickens it is more like people's family surnames. The different types are all cousins of each other. My personal favorite is what he calls Easter Eggers: North American Improved Quetcha. It lends dignity to what many consider mutt (and by implication low value) birds. He gave these traits as those that made a bird fall under Quetcha; winterized face (this doesn't mean a full beard but can just be "peachfuzz". Several types that are called "cleanfaced" when you look close have peachfuzz not bare skin. The red cockerel above is a good example.) and the blue egg gene or other unusual egg colors. I may have missed a third point of commonality so if anyone thinks of it toss it in.

For an interesting discussion on Fibromelanism I was reading a thread discussing Ayam Cemani (totally black from feathers to bone) and Dragon Bone chickens who are black skinned, muscle and bone but have colored feathers and combs. (They remind me of black velvet paintings.

) You can get the solid black type breeding the Dragon Bone type. I am betting that the same genes are operative in the Black Quetcha Olmec. I'll see if I can find that link and add it to this post.

Thinking of Easter Eggers and the other colors that show up in Quetcha eggs, I deconstructed one of the shells of my brown egg laying Olive Egger girl. A little vinegar on the outer surface revealed pink color underneath the brown bloom. When I peeled the pale yellow membrane from the inside it was Pink there too! Up to now what I have read on egg color is that you have white egg genes that give you the chalk white of Leghorns. You have white egg genes that give a cream white. You have brown egg genes that are bloom laid on top of the cream white eggs. Everyone seems to assume that the pink eggs are just a variation of bloom. I don't think so. I think the color is imbedded into the shell the same way that the blue is. Have any of you taken apart some of the more unusual colored shells to see what is underneath?

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I had an ee who's egg was pink all the way through. Could never get it to show in pics.

Are quecha affectionate at all toward their human? Are you guys finding different roos to get along?

 

[urjtobreed]

I think the color is imbedded into the shell the same way that the blue is. Have any of you taken apart some of the more unusual colored shells to see what is underneath?

Yes, I have seen the same thing. There is definitely a pink color that goes through the shell. I just did some looking into this. Other people have observed this in some South American derived breeds and the Croad Langshan lays a plum egg where the color goes through. It seems to me that the through-color is either pink or blue and doesn't ever mix and I saw that same observation mentioned on another forum as well. They explored this topic, and I have only read the beginning so far.

 

[urjtobreed]

I had an ee who's egg was pink all the way through. Could never get it to show in pics.

Are quecha affectionate at all toward their human? Are you guys finding different roos to get along?

Our BQO roo was held for extended periods as a chick since it was a favorite, but it didn't amount to that much total time. We called him to come for treats (crickets and bugs) as he grew up. Now he races toward me every morning to be picked up. If I am sitting somewhere for a while, he will often come up and jump up on my lap and enjoy being held and take a nap. If he gets fussy, it means he has to poo. I think he learned not to poop on us the first time he did it as a chick and we put him down.

I think cooperative and nice roosters can be variable in unselected stock. But I have been breeding for good behavior, and now most are quite well behaved.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Good to know others are working towards temperment. I had wondered if the nicer ees were more "pure" or less. Any of you quecha breeders have any blue patterns?

Also i have been wondering about the elusive gold colored egg. Any pop up yet? Isn't that one of the purer strains? I wonder if that goes through?

 

[Penny Hen]

Good to know others are working towards temperment. I had wondered if the nicer ees were more "pure" or less. Any of you quecha breeders have any blue patterns?

Also i have been wondering about the elusive gold colored egg. Any pop up yet? Isn't that one of the purer strains? I wonder if that goes through?

GrannyChick55 has a Collana that lays a sand colored egg with lilac spots. Would love to hear how that one deconstructs. The trick to getting true egg color in a photograph is to use natural light but not with the sun beaming directly on it or it can wash out. On a sunny day step into the shadow of a building just at the edge of the shadow so that you have the intensity knocked off but you still have good light. For inside use a full spectrum bulb in the room. They are sometimes called Natural light.

 

[beausonge]

Good to know others are working towards temperment. I had wondered if the nicer ees were more "pure" or less. Any of you quecha breeders have any blue patterns?

I have a pair of Sweet Potato Quechua and the cockerel almost went to the stew pot. He is fine with people and he does not fight with the other cockerels and roosters. However, he injured two pullets yanking them by the tops of the heads and pulling them out from under the other cockerel. I put all the pullets in the back pen and now he is only out with the older hens and roosters. After being clobbered by the hens and the roosters... well he has been a LOT better.

He is a beautiful blue and red with blue legs the same color as the blue in his feathers - here he is behind one of the Andes. This was about two months ago. His red areas are more pronounced but he is holding that beautiful slate blue:

h


Here he is a few weeks ago...



This is the Sweet Potato Quechua pullet I have:




I presently have layer chicks growing now and two broody hens in my "baby-breeding room". I have some Peck and Play pens and they have been awesome for separating chickens for breeding. I plan on putting these two together when I have another broody available. I do have a friend that can hatch for me but probably not until May. I just do not know how much interest there would be in any chicks or hatching eggs from these two.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

They are similar to what i breed for in my ee
Just without the lacing. I like the blue patterns because they dissappear into the forest floor since blue isn't a strong color. Looks like shaded leaves! I am sure the predators can see the roo's more obvious red but roos are in nature intended to be decoys for the hen.
Great breeding roo personality is hard to find. I have found a lot of it gets passed, too.

 

[Penny Hen]

They are similar to what i breed for in my ee
Just without the lacing. I like the blue patterns because they dissappear into the forest floor since blue isn't a strong color. Looks like shaded leaves! I am sure the predators can see the roo's more obvious red but roos are in nature intended to be decoys for the hen.
Great breeding roo personality is hard to find. I have found a lot of it gets passed, too.

Makes me think of a quote from a book series I read. "Never go to bed with someone mean or stupid... and ugly is a judgement call. Because all three can breed true."