Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[MrsNorthie]

She was wonderfully helpful answering my questions. Clear, direct, matter-of-fact. For whatever reason, I’ve always gotten along and worked with engineers well, although it would probably be pretty disastrous if I were married to one.

I appreciated her straightforward answers.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I miss Aart's knowledge, her dry humor, and even her pithiness and occasional snark. I learned early in my time here on BYC that praise from her was high praise, indeed.

I love a bit of snark.

 

[Perris]

It would be interesting to know exactly what's going on with the males getting dark purple comb tips in hot weather

It would indeed. Fforest displays it occasionally.

 

[Perris]

They look like they would do great in warmer climates, maybe retaining some of the Penedescena genes?

The Mediterranean shape has come to dominate here, through natural selection, and the Penedesenca genes are widespread. These hens are 2nd/3rd gen cross-breeds with about 25% P I think.

Specifically, Aberglasny is Idris' daughter, and Idris' mother could have been a SFH, a SDW or one of 3 hybrids in that clutch of eggs; A's and I's dads could have been any of those living here at the time; Idris' comb and egg and shank colour suggested Amadeo; he was an Isabella leghorn. And she does lay one of the lightest colour eggs here, so that also suggests Amadeo was her granddad. If so, Aberglasny is a bit of a Heinz (57 varieties) with relatively little P.

Sully is Ystrad's daughter; Y's mother was Neath, who was SFH x SDW, father again unknown in both generations. Sully lays a large medium brown egg, darker than her mum's, and suggesting more P heritage than A, but the SDW grandmother lays a relatively dark brown egg and must be the source of the yellow in S's (green) legs, so the picture is muddied there too.

Anyway, I think A and S's Penedesenca genes have come from the male side (where they're ubiquitous), and they must make up at least 25%, whether visible or not. Killay is P x Araucana, Fforest is P x SFH, Gwynedd and Tintern are both probably 75% Penedesenca (pure P mums, hybrid P dads).
(The other males, E, H and N, are A and S's generation, so can be left out here.)

If anyone wants to comment on these speculations, do please pipe up. Chicken genetics is like spaghetti in my brain.

 

[Skyeknight]

If anyone wants to comment on these speculations, do please pipe up. Chicken genetics is like spaghetti in my brain.

By now I should know quite a bit of theoretical stuff about chicken genetics. But I have no idea what all those birds look like.

 

[Skyeknight]

Tax for talking about plants: My first chicks in 5 years

Bit weird to think about that my Ayam Cemani is now a dad. This silkie is a first time mom and the black and I think the middle left one are hers biologically. The one in front should be from my blue hen, while the 2 in the back and the middle right one are from my white hen. The middle right one is a rooster, there are also 2 hens, the silkie crosses are unknown and the last 1 is confusing.

Did have some difficulties with the 2 on the back as I had a staggered hatch. But they are dry and relatively active now. This "coop" is in the run, so their dad and biological mothers can interact with them.

Also introduced three 3.5 month old pullets to the flock and they are getting bullied by the other hens. The AC rooster either tries to dance for them, the close proximity scares them, or also pecks them . Wish I could feed them in another place as the pullets are not used to the pressure plate feeder, but using a separate feeder would just be feeding the magpies. Will try to put a barrier against the magpies tomorrow. Hope the flock will get along soon...

 

[Perris]

But I have no idea what all those birds look like.

I could post photos of them all but I'm not sure it would help
These are the mums: A's mum Idris

and S's mum Ystrad

Not much resemblance between mothers and daughters eh?!

 

[Perris]

My first chicks in 5 years

adorable

Wish I could feed them in another place as the pullets are not used to the pressure plate feeder, but using a separate feeder would just be feeding the magpies.

can you get them on their own sometime during the day, to give them a private dinner and ensure they're getting all they need?

 

[BDutch]

If anyone wants to comment on these speculations, do please pipe up. Chicken genetics is like spaghetti in my brain.

It would make it easier to read if you skip the abbreviations. Or spell it the first time in every post like this: Swedish Flower Hen (SFH). My brain can’t remember every abbreviation ever used on BYC. And Google translate is of no help with jargon abbreviations.
I believe that many chickens like SF and Easter Eggers (EE) are not purebred.

Variety in genes makes it even harder to grasp what offspring will look like. Mixing two purebreds makes it more predictable.
https://kippenjungle.nl/chickencalculator.html

It worked for my Dutch pyle x Dutch lavender . I knew before the chicks hatched : 50% chance for black chicks. The others hens (pyle and partridge coloring) couldn’t give black chicks. With the help of the chickencalculator, I knew the genetic mother of Black and Pearl was Pino, the lavender Dutch I had. And the father was obvious bc I only had one boy who could have fertilised the eggs.

 

[Perris]

Variety in genes makes it even harder to grasp what offspring will look like

isn't that the truth!

I think historically there's been an incentive in fancy breed circles to cultivate recessive genes (to make the SOP as hard as possible to achieve, either 'cos they just like a challenge, or for more social reasons), with the consequence that the traits so carefully and slowly bred in disappear back out and into the shadows again very quickly, to reappear without warning in a later generation when the genetic mix is just right for it.

Frankly, I'm more interested in genes that suit survival in the conditions I can provide here, now, than in any particular phenotype. It's a nice bonus if they're pretty or handsome, but health comes first. But I would like to understand what's going on, if possible!