Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Vulpes vulpes]

I couldn't, however, find any mention of the exact day that the machine can accurately sex them. "Before it develops pain sensitivity" could mean up to day 17 or 18, depending on what definition you use. However, I read that there's set to be legislation in some places to limit in ovo sexing to before day 14, so its in these companies' best financial interests to figure out how to do it before then

 

[Perris]

But US standard araucanas have ear tufts and no beards, and as such are the closest phenotypically to Mapuche fowl.

The US (and German) standards are probably based on a confusion right back when they were introduced to these countries. See https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/landrace-adaptive-breeding-discussion.1624350/post-28758421

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

“European” (specifically German, if I’m not mistaken) Araucanas are in fact rumpless, but they are also bearded and sometimes tufted. UK and Australian Araucanas are bearded, crested, and tailed.

It’s my understanding that Ameraucanas are not supposed to have a crest, so that would make them quite easy to distinguish from their British and Australian relatives

Thanks for correcting me. These breeds are so confusing. I love them so much, but I might spontaneously combust before I fully understand them

The US (and German) standards are probably based on a confusion right back when they were introduced to these countries. See https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/landrace-adaptive-breeding-discussion.1624350/post-28758421

I did read into the SYNBREED project and found it really interesting. One thing that bothered me about it is that I couldn't find a list of the 174 populations they studied, nor the corresponding breed codes they used, aside from the few that were mentioned by name. Am I blind, or is that a problem you had too?

 

[Perris]

I might spontaneously combust before I fully understand them

me too!

a list of the 174 populations they studied, nor the corresponding breed codes they used, aside from the few that were mentioned by name.

It is there in the supporting data files. Table S1.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

It is there in the supporting data files. Table S1.

Oh sweet, thanks! Now I know how I'm going to spend my day tomorrow

 

[Molpet]

For info, this is what a 13 day old foetus looks like
View attachment 4212972
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/embryonic-development-day-by-day

To claim to be able to feather sex that strikes me as stretching the normal meaning of those words a bit. And still involves the destruction of about 50% of the batch.

The sex link have different feather colors. Males are white. Females are black or brown.

Yes the males are still destroyed.

 

[ksbkeys]

Perris and I are in contact via PM. I have no idea what went wrong with the earlier attempt.
Perris has made an exceptionally kind offer and after this weekend we will attempt to sort out the details. I can't write much more about the arrangements without consulting Perris regarding how much detail I can post in this thread. What I can write is it looks like we are going ahead with getting one of the cockerels Perris has offered to the field.

This is all new territory for me. In the past the chickens have sorted out all this without my interference.

There won't be any quarantine period. While not impossible to arrange, under the field constraints it's not a realistic option. Keeping new arrivals separate is just about doable, but ensuring the new arrival gets fed properly would mean a system much like what I'm currently using where I leave food in the coop overnight and an auto door that lets them out into the coop run a couple of hours after dawn. That would require a new coop with an auto pop door and a dust screen around the large wire enclosure you will have seen in the pictures I've posted. Anything less isn't really effective quarantine.
While I could arrange to be there in the mornings for a couple of days by staying at my eldest overnight, the four weeks recommended quarantine period isn't doable.
That's the reality of the situation.

I can't wait to meet him and to hear how it all plays out.

 

[Perris]

The sex link have different feather colors. Males are white. Females are black or brown.

Yes the males are still destroyed.

do you mean down colours?

 

[Molpet]

do you mean down colours?

I know when they hatch they are different colors

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

One of the reasons I really wanted that SYNBREED data on individual chicken breeds was to either confirm or refute a claim I heard a while ago. Apparently the former president of the Icelandic Preservation Association said that a genetic study had found that "78% of the DNA" in the Icelandic landrace was unique, as in not found in any other chicken in the world. I knew at the very least that that phrasing was incorrect (since chickens have almost that much of their DNA in common with us) but I wanted to see the study to find out the truth. To my dismay, I have been unable to find this "2004 British study" and I'm becoming increasingly convinced that it isn't even real. I was hoping it had a shred of credibility, since it's quoted by so many sources, even the livestock conservancy!

But after searching in vain for that source, I wanted to see if the Icelandic landrace was actually as genetically exceptional as everybody says. While definitely not uniquely diverse, it does appear that they have a high degree of polymorphism and above average heterozygosity for a European breed, though the Asian, African, South American, and wild clusters have them beat.

So they're still quite diverse, but to me it appears that the "78%" claims are just as fantastical as they sound