Question

[Beour3rd]

i would make my own,

 

[Demosthine]

There are some excellent guides online. My favorite idea was the guy that converted a broken wine cooler into a fully functioning incubator with an auto rotator, too! It was nice.

 

[Beour3rd]

is it okay to "tag" some eggs if the hens to brood? and if yes, how does someone do that? i just dont want to sharpee the outside of the egg when it will cause some damage. maybe a peice of tape?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

is it okay to "tag" some eggs if the hens to brood? and if yes, how does someone do that? i just dont want to sharpee the outside of the egg when it will cause some damage. maybe a peice of tape?

You can use a pencil.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: or a crayon or a marker or a sharpie. None will cause damage. Sometimes ballpoints work and sometimes they don't, but I always worry that I need too much pressure and might break the shell, so they are my last choice when egg marking.

 

[Demosthine]

You can also use the PAAS markers they sell for decorating eggs at Easter.

 

[Beour3rd]

thanks all i think this settles most of it, i will get some hens and a rooster of one of the mentioned species if i can get them here locally.

ive also debated getting a rooster from another source simply to make sure their parentage is different, is this a good idea or no? would ensure the breeding stock is better no? for future generations am i right?

i am not concerned with pure-breed here at all just eggs and meat ;]

 

[Demosthine]

I am by no means any sort of an expert, but from my last years worth of researching chickens, here's my understanding. Inbreeding can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on several factors. One of the most common reasons to intentionally inbreed is to improve the selected breed and eliminate flaws that an outside specimen can introduce. At the same time, it limits the available gene pool and can cause the weaker traits to be displayed, often times causing the offspring to be less hardy. It's really a double-edged sword and you have to decide what is best for you.

Personally, knowing that I probably wouldn't be breeding more than between the initial siblings or even children to parent, I would be ok with it. At that point, all of the first generation offspring will be for either eggs or meat. Especially the ones set aside for meat, reaching a fertile mating age is highly unlikely. Every few years, I would probably want to replace a few members of my flock with some outside chicks and allow those to be introduced into the breeding program, just to ensure a bit of diversity. I'm talking every two or three years, though. We are talking a very minimal selection of inbreeding here. Problems tend to arise after several generations or more.

If a person is serious about their breeding program, which is the type of person you should be wanting to get your flock from, I would presume they will have multiple lines going and be able to take a cockerel from one line and give you hens from the other line. With cockerels being significantly less desirable, they may even give you a few just to avoid culling them.


Sonoran there, is a true breeder and has some absolutely beautiful stock. She can give the best advise from the aspect of genetics. Her goals are significantly different than yours, though. We have two of her Silkies (a cockerel and pullet that is approaching a year old and hasn't laid) and, even though I can not stand the looks of them personally, I can recognize and admit when there is a high quality to them. My wife loves them dearly and I've been threatened with my life several times when I mentioned getting rid of them. I have seen some absolutely horrible stock being passed off as a Silkie, so the difference is amazing.

 

[Beour3rd]

thanks. i think my "beliefs" over-ride anything in this for me and i believe in a strong gene-pool and honestly plan on raising my own new generations. im thinking with your post and what i believe that i can easily introduce a new rooster right after i raise a new generation. and do that regularly every 2 years.

 

[3riverschick]

Beau3rd,
Take another look at the Chantecler. It was especially created to thrive in the weather you will have in Northern Ontario. Was created by a Canadian Monk for northern Canadians. Pick a breed with a cushion comb like the Chantie has. If the roosters comb freezes like a single comb can do, it can affect the roosters fertility until it heals. Stay away from feather legged breeds, they get messy in the snow and mud. If they did well in your area they would have put them on Chanties. There is a wonderful Club for the Chanties. Nice folk willing to help someone get started in the breed. Since the Chantie breeders specialize in cold weather poultry, they can also help you choose a second brown layer breed for your area Lots of feathers doesn't guarantee the birds will thrive in the cold if there is a lot of "wet" also involved.
History of the Chantecler " a uniquely Canadian breed that would provide good eggs, meat, and could withstand harsh cold climates." With Chanties, you don't need 2 breeds! : http://chanteclerfanciersinternational.org/articles/chantecler.html
Article from 1928 by the Rev. Brother Wilfrid who created the Chantecler: http://tygerlily.com/cfi/browilfrid_wpc.pdf
I belonged to this Club for a year while I was researching breeds for here in western PA, USA, Real nice folk! Here's the Club's website: http://chanteclerfanciersinternational.org/ There are a bunch of breeders in Ontario.
The white is the easiest to breed for color. In fact, great !, because the color is "set" and you can concentrate on keeping breed type correct. The Partridge is the hardest because of the color balancing needed in the lacing in both sexes. The Buff is a challenge to keep the overall tones of buff the same hue and not have them degrade into different hues of Buff over different sections of the bird like the saddle, hackle/tail, wings, and body....however this is easier than breeding the lacing.
Best Regards,
Karen
Waterford English Light Sussex