Share-your-breeding-projects thread

[Bakbuk]

GUYS I just had the craziest idea!!

Polish-crested COCHINS!!!

Yeah. It's going to be a long process getting the nice, floofy, ball-of-feathers body type of a Cochin also with the big poofy Polish crest. The body types are way different. I would think F1s might be a somewhat longer, skinnier Cochin with a small crest. You'd have to work from there.

Ok.

I'm an idiot and I know absolutely nothing about genetics so why I am trying to sound like an expert I do not know but maybe I should just shut up 'cause I'm probably way off

@JustBabyMargo @Little Baby Bean I know you two love these breeds what do you think?

 

[JustBabyMargo]

@JustBabyMargo @Little Baby Bean I know you two love these breeds what do you think?

It would take a lot of work, but I think you could do it if you were willing to put all the time and effort in. They sure would be some interesting looking birds! Start out with the best of the best, the Polish with the biggest crest and the Cochin with best body type and fluff, and go on from there. I wish my Polish cockerel wouldn’t have been such a big jerk, I could have tried all sorts of different mixes with him.

 

[ANightPerson]

I unfortunately don't have my chickens anymore and put a hold on my projects as I'm trying to expatriate, but before I had a flock that were a mix of Dominique, Ameraucana, Polish, and Marans. I liked the variety in egg and feather color they had so I didn't select towards certain ones, but I was selecting towards a very cold-hardy free-range bird that bred true for crests, beards, and clean feet. About half were barred, and some of the others came out with beautiful color combinations I've never seen before. After the second generation, I noticed my breeding roo and a few of his chicks had one extra toe on the left foot. Fully formed, fully functional, and always just the one foot. It didn't matter much to me as the chickens were otherwise healthy and unbothered by it. It seemed to be a dominant trait.

I'm hoping to do something very similar in the future when I have land again, with beards/muffs, crests, blue eggs, pea combs, and a variety of colors. I plan on starting with Ameraucana hens (and a fibro or two, because I like them) and breeding in the other traits through the roos, which is what I did before and it went well. Aside from those four traits I just plan on letting nature and genetic drift take its course. Ultimately I want to create a flock that's genetically diverse and healthy, evades predators well, and can tolerate very harsh winters. Of course, that's my life-long goal, I don't want to cull heavily in the first few years as I don't plan on bringing much outside blood in after I have the traits that I want and I want to avoid inbreeding depression. Here's hoping!

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Right know I’m working on Brown Red Mottled D’Uccles. My last batch of f2s will hatch next Monday! Here’s 2 of the F2s I’m keeping I hatched out in July/August.

I’m also going to be working on brown red Japanese bantams this spring. I’ll be using a white black tailed jap hen and a brown red roo to start this project off. Then those daughters from the crossing I’ll breed back to the dad to get cockerels and so on to get the right color.