Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

I read this a lot but I don't believe it anymore. Shad's experience with rescues constitutes some evidence. Since the chicken genome is known in its entirety, let's see some figures from those who want to maintain they're genetically different.

How do you explain the difference in growth between the laying hybrids versus the broilers? I think there must be a few differences in their genes that reproduce.

 

[no fly zone]

Four years ago today Skeksis laid her first egg. I can still remember the look of pure joy on my wife's face. At the time I thought it was a blessing, but now I view it as more of a curse, since my sweet girl's early demise was brought about by the whole process. She simply was a star that shined just a little too bright. I will always love my funny looking little bird.

 

[Iluveggers]

Four years ago today Skeksis laid her first egg. I can still remember the look of pure joy on my wife's face. At the time I thought it was a blessing, but now I view it as more of a curse, since my sweet girl's early demise was brought about by the whole process. She simply was a star that shined just a little too bright. I will always love my funny looking little bird.

View attachment 3613477

She really was a beautiful hen…

 

[Perris]

How do you explain the difference in growth between the laying hybrids versus the broilers? I think there must be a few differences in their genes that reproduce.

I thought we were talking layers. Modern broilers are with reason sometimes called frankenchickens, and have been subject to extreme selection to grow to slaughter weight in 42 days or thereabouts, but I don't think their genes are very different from an ordinary heritage chicken. It is a real and serious problem for the broiler industry to get birds old enough and healthy enough to breed - they have to keep them starving basically. I posted a link to a paper on it a while ago but it's not what most people want to hear or think about so it got little attention.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/modern-broiler-stock.1556226/

 

[fluffycrow]

Four years ago today Skeksis laid her first egg. I can still remember the look of pure joy on my wife's face. At the time I thought it was a blessing, but now I view it as more of a curse, since my sweet girl's early demise was brought about by the whole process. She simply was a star that shined just a little too bright. I will always love my funny looking little bird.

View attachment 3613477

I'm so so sorry you lost her. She was a beautiful hen, and not only in looks

 

[fluffycrow]

OK here are the brooder babies. Note that the one preening in one of the photos is 2 weeks old today, the others are two weeks and a day old. I think the difference is clear. The black and white chick is not a Tsouloufati, but a brahma × aseel, or pure brahma (long story)

 

[TropicalChickies]

That they are healthy is all that really matters here.

Ah, yes, that's it in a nutshell. Me too. I read a few more articles after posting here and realized that they were all referring to heritage breeds or people breeding mostly for certain colors or other show characteristics. Doesn't apply to my situation at all. I'd like to keep a closed flock and only bring in fresh blood when absolutely necessary. Given that the group here is so young and breeding from the first generation, it looks like I have a few years until I have to worry about that -- even if I let each hen brood offspring once -- or even twice -- per year.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and research.

 

[fluffycrow]

Ah, yes, that's it in a nutshell. Me too. I read a few more articles after posting here and realized that they were all referring to heritage breeds or people breeding mostly for certain colors or other show characteristics. Doesn't apply to my situation at all. I'd like to keep a closed flock and only bring in fresh blood when absolutely necessary. Given that the group here is so young and breeding from the first generation, it looks like I have a few years until I have to worry about that -- even if I let each hen brood offspring once -- or even twice -- per year.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and research.

Health is the α and the ω for me too. But, like most things in this life, I find myself conflicted. I like to keep birds "pure" (with the exception of Cruella's future offspring, of course). Trying to keep problems from arising, while having a very small gene pool, as is the case with the Tsouloufati will be hard, I am sure. There are some days where I think it'd be better to just let them do their thing and not worry about breeds and landraces. But alas, without our help, landraces that are unheard of will go extinct, and with them the history and connection they have to our roots. I'm blessed to have the same birds on my property that my grandparents kept, and their grandparents before them, and I think that's something special. A family acquaintance who keeps ISA browns for two years and then butchers them can't say the same. As long as I can keep this landrace healthy, I'm honoured to have them

 

[TropicalChickies]

They are all different breeds. I figure that fact alone makes the genetic diversity so much more diverse than two 'unrelated' individuals of the same breed that I don't have any concerns about it

After reading more articles and contributions from folks like you, this is how I'm thinking about this too.

 

[TropicalChickies]

You can tell if she only has one copy by of she has a "bib/bowtie", a clump of feather on her neck. A chicken that has two copies has a completely bare neck.
Going off the fact the fact neither of her babies are NN I'd say she only has one copy, so her babies have a 50% of being NN (when bred to a normal rooster).

Thank you for this. Very helpful. Yep, Tina has a bowtie. Actually, so does Frida and so did my sweet Cleo. So actually, I don't have any 100% naked necks.. not surprisingly.