SOP's Can you help, or do you want to learn?

[z3lda3]

They are adorable too so that helps!

I like my chanteclers, I love my Bruges, but I absolutely adore my Deathlayers, they are the epitome of a self sufficient country chicken. If I ever decide to narrow my focus to only one breed, it would be the Deathlayers.

Wow from what read they lay eggs until they die! When I first read your post without my glasses, I read deathslayer. I thought I don’t think that’s the breed for me..probably not docile lol.

 

[Sic]

So I looked up Deathlayer chickens - beautiful. Do you have the gold or the silver? How did you get started in them?

What do you like best about them?

Originally gold, silver isn't ideal for free range. I purchased hatching eggs. I have an aging small flock of gold. Last year I purchased more gold deathlayer hatching eggs and two, a male and female turned out to be lemon. This is a rare occurrence, talked about in very old German literature on the breed.

They are excellent foraging(prefer to find their own food), excellent flyers, excellent at predator evasion and excellent daily layers of 60+ gram white eggs, mine avg 300+ per year, even into old age. I don't find them to be nervous or flighty, they are rather friendly, curious, quirky and cute, but they do prefer not to be handled. The roos of this breed have been the most excellent flock protectors, they have the uncanny ability(I'd swear they can count)to know if a hen is missing, will search for her and bring her back to the flock. They are early maturing, start laying full size eggs at 4 months. Have delicious delicate tender meat if you choose to eat them. And have made a really good meat bird when I have crossed them to my Bruges for a quick growing meat bird. Included pictures of my golden/lemons

 

[z3lda3]

Originally gold, silver isn't ideal for free range. I purchased hatching eggs. I have an aging small flock of gold. Last year I purchased more gold deathlayer hatching eggs and two, a male and female turned out to be lemon. This is a rare occurrence, talked about in very old German literature on the breed.

They are excellent foraging(prefer to find their own food), excellent flyers, excellent at predator evasion and excellent daily layers of 60+ gram white eggs, mine avg 300+ per year, even into old age. I don't find them to be nervous or flighty, they are rather friendly, curious, quirky and cute, but they do prefer not to be handled. The roos of this breed have been the most excellent flock protectors, they have the uncanny ability(I'd swear they can count)to know if a hen is missing, will search for her and bring her back to the flock. They are early maturing, start laying full size eggs at 4 months. Have delicious delicate tender meat if you choose to eat them. And have made a really good meat bird when I have crossed them to my Bruges for a quick growing meat bird. Included pictures of my golden/lemons

I apologize if you’ve answered this already, but lemon meaning color or not SOPs?
I have a mixed flock, but some of my favorites are my RSLs. They’re great layers, almost daily. They’re friendly, curious but cautious. Fast runners, and smart. And mine although an oddity go broody, and are great mothers. My point being, I know in the SOP world the RSL get sneered at, but I think they’re just awesome. What makes a deathlayer better than a RSL? (Please don’t misunderstand, there’s no tone to my reply, I’m genuinely curious).

 

[Amer]

Originally gold, silver isn't ideal for free range. I purchased hatching eggs. I have an aging small flock of gold. Last year I purchased more gold deathlayer hatching eggs and two, a male and female turned out to be lemon. This is a rare occurrence, talked about in very old German literature on the breed.

They are excellent foraging(prefer to find their own food), excellent flyers, excellent at predator evasion and excellent daily layers of 60+ gram white eggs, mine avg 300+ per year, even into old age. I don't find them to be nervous or flighty, they are rather friendly, curious, quirky and cute, but they do prefer not to be handled. The roos of this breed have been the most excellent flock protectors, they have the uncanny ability(I'd swear they can count)to know if a hen is missing, will search for her and bring her back to the flock. They are early maturing, start laying full size eggs at 4 months. Have delicious delicate tender meat if you choose to eat them. And have made a really good meat bird when I have crossed them to my Bruges for a quick growing meat bird. Included pictures of my golden/lemons

What is old age to you? D'Anvers are known for longevity, but not their productive qualities.

 

[Sic]

What is old age to you? D'Anvers are known for longevity, but not their productive qualities.

I have 8 year olds still laying daily, and for an average hen of other breeds that is old age and typically not laying.

 

[Sic]

I apologize if you’ve answered this already, but lemon meaning color or not SOPs?
I have a mixed flock, but some of my favorites are my RSLs. They’re great layers, almost daily. They’re friendly, curious but cautious. Fast runners, and smart. And mine although an oddity go broody, and are great mothers. My point being, I know in the SOP world the RSL get sneered at, but I think they’re just awesome. What makes a deathlayer better than a RSL? (Please don’t misunderstand, there’s no tone to my reply, I’m genuinely curious).

Lemon is an off color out of gold. RSL? I'll assume you mean red sex links? For starters, Deathlayers are an actual breed over 400 years old that breed true. Sex links are a mix for convenience, not a breed. Better is relative. What is better for one person isn't necessarily what is better for anyone else. I keep a deathlayer flock to preserve an old and endangered German chicken breed. I keep Bruges fighters to preserve an old and rare and endangered Belgian breed. I keep Chanteclers to preserve a rare and endangered Canadian breed. Our priorities are likely different.

 

[z3lda3]

Lemon is an off color out of gold. RSL? I'll assume you mean red sex links? For starters, Deathlayers are an actual breed over 400 years old that breed true. Sex links are a mix for convenience, not a breed. Better is relative. What is better for one person isn't necessarily what is better for anyone else. I keep a deathlayer flock to preserve an old and endangered German chicken breed. I keep Bruges fighters to preserve an old and rare and endangered Belgian breed. I keep Chanteclers to preserve a rare and endangered Canadian breed. Our priorities are likely different.

Oh sure. I know nothing about SOPs. I just have a backyard flock for eggs. It’s so awesome that you’re preserving these breeds.

 

[Amer]

I have 8 year olds still laying daily, and for an average hen of other breeds that is old age and typically not laying.

Wow!

 

[thistlewick]

So here is a question;

would it be possible to breed a show quality bird over time with just a hatchery quality stock? my guess is probably unlikely, but possible, considering the weirdness of chicken genetics (which is *awesome*)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------


I went down this rabbit hole of what endangered birds I would love to keep and breed to help protect; you can find the link for all heritage and conserved livestock here I fell in love with Faverolles (they are only on Watch status, but still, they are on status) and unfortunately I don't think it's smart for me to keep them here in NC as they aren't heat hardy and it's hot from April to September here and June/July/August are particularly brutal.

I am getting some Campines, Dorking and Lakenvelders in June. Mayhaps I will choose from those.

Do you guys want to pick apart my hatchery quality roosters? Chuck I think is quite beautiful; Splash with Red Leakage.

 

[Amer]

So here is a question;

would it be possible to breed a show quality bird over time with just a hatchery quality stock? my guess is probably unlikely, but possible, considering the weirdness of chicken genetics (which is *awesome*)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------


I went down this rabbit hole of what endangered birds I would love to keep and breed to help protect; you can find the link for all heritage and conserved livestock here I fell in love with Faverolles (they are only on Watch status, but still, they are on status) and unfortunately I don't think it's smart for me to keep them here in NC as they aren't heat hardy and it's hot from April to September here and June/July/August are particularly brutal.

I am getting some Campines, Dorking and Lakenvelders in June. Mayhaps I will choose from those.

Do you guys want to pick apart my hatchery quality roosters? Chuck I think is quite beautiful; Splash with Red Leakage.

View attachment 4103601View attachment 4103602View attachment 4103603View attachment 4103604

It is possible, just more time consuming, expensive, difficult, and frustrating than buying quality stock to begin with.