Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[B123]

The breeding back to odd colored birds is a very direct method for conserving at least rare color alleles in the population / line. It does not do as much for alleles not related to color. The assumption is color is not important with games although evidence is overwhelming that it is when most strains are expected to have a particularly look to them. Problem we all must deal with is no one has enough breeders to prevent loss of alleles, sometimes good alleles, from a given line. Selection for quality (even pit quality) alone will eventually lead to a strain that either weakens or becomes very consistent in its looks. Sometimes both happen.

Centra, this is interesting to me. I understand, why many breeders single mate and often rely on just a handful of superior fowl. However, from a genetics standpoint, I think so much is lost from a line/strain/population from a long term perspective.

 

[gmfwlbrdr]

Weve had great weather for bout a month,we had a few 60s but as avg been 80 up here and mostly dry great weather for running crops ,and even hay cutting, , but id say we will turn the tide and start getting rains.

 

[centrarchid]

Centra, this is interesting to me.  I understand, why many breeders single mate and often rely on just a handful of superior fowl.  However, from a genetics standpoint, I think so much is lost from a line/strain/population from a long term perspective.

In the longer term, life time of breeders, the number of breeder fowl is larger than the small number kept by a single breeder. Those relatively rare infusions of new blood and establishing new lines based on a battle cock (remember earlier I said that is seldom done) is what is needed to replaced alleles lost via genetic drift and inbreeding prone small breeding flocks. Their are problems to that system now. First fewer lines to outsource new blood from. Second, many of lines are derived from the same source only a few generations back. Third, the system of selection is not as deep with many breeders, apparent health and vitality under vary protected conditions removes some of the selective forces that used to operate on American Games. Finely, the infusion of oriental may be diluting some of the European traits that make American Games distinctive in a manner I think makes them valuable to the future of agriculture as a repository of alleles.

 

[B123]

Weve had great weather for bout a month,we had a few 60s but as avg been 80 up here and mostly dry great weather for running crops ,and even hay cutting, , but id say we will turn the tide and start getting rains.

Hasn't it been nice! I noticed hay down yesterday and combining beans and corn. November is usually cooler and wetter around here, so trying to get all of the outside jobs done.

 

[B123]

In the longer term, life time of breeders, the number of breeder fowl is larger than the small number kept by a single breeder. Those relatively rare infusions of new blood and establishing new lines based on a battle cock (remember earlier I said that is seldom done) is what is needed to replaced alleles lost via genetic drift and inbreeding prone small breeding flocks. Their are problems to that system now. First fewer lines to outsource new blood from. Second, many of lines are derived from the same source only a few generations back. Third, the system of selection is not as deep with many breeders, apparent health and vitality under vary protected conditions removes some of the selective forces that used to operate on American Games. Finely, the infusion of oriental may be diluting some of the European traits that make American Games distinctive in a manner I think makes them valuable to the future of agriculture as a repository of alleles.

Agreed. Perhaps there are so many new smaller families now, but there is a lot of genetic diversity out there.

"Third, the system of selection is not as deep with many breeders, apparent health and vitality under vary protected conditions removes some of the selective forces that used to operate on American Games."

I think this is key and true of many parts of agriculture today. I think games are supposed to tough and rugged, not far removed from the wild, so to speak.

 

[sdm111]

Albany brood cock got here yesterday but looking rough he's still in molt

 

[centrarchid]

Albany brood cock got here yesterday but looking rough he's still in molt

Where did he go? Too fast for your camera?

 

[sdm111]

Ha, no ima wait till he feathers out he looks like a turkin now

 

[B123]

Ha, no ima wait till he feathers out he looks like a turkin now

Sure, sure, never seen a Turken x American Gamefowl. Trying a new cross? lol

How was he being shipped in molt? Even some of my calmest birds really change during molt. They want nothing to do with me, not even for treats.

 

[sdm111]

He is a local delivered via dodge ram lol