The Aerie Chicken Project

[AerieChickens]

Welcome to the Aerie Chicken Project!

Status: Obtaining parent stock
Last Updated: 2.1.17​

Genetics was one of my favorite subjects in undergrad, and now that I've gotten into chickens, it seemed like a good way to put what I learned into practice. (Well, and remembering all of it in the first place! It's been a few years.) I'll be documenting my progress in creating my own breed of chicken.

Currently, what I have planned is an iridescent black chicken with the fine features of a Sumatra and nearly the size of a Jersey Giant that lays large blue-green eggs at a decent rate. Roosters should have long, flowing tails. The temperament should be intelligent and docile. I'd love for the chicks to be auto-sexing. However, after doing some reading on Oriental gamefowl breeds, I've decided I'd like a breed that is more raptor-esque in appearance with an upright carriage. They should be dual purpose birds with muscular bodies.

Comb Type: Pea comb
Egg Color: Olive to teal
Egg Size: Medium to large
Production: Good (3-4/week)
Bird Size: Large (hens: 8-10 lbs, roosters: 10-12 lbs)
Hardiness: Cold and heat hardy (preference on heat)
Personality: Curious, bold, chatty, friendly, docile
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Foundation Breeds will include: Black Sumatra, Black Jersey Giant, Olive Egger, Isbar, Ameraucana, Cream Legbar, Black Sex-linked, Black Australorp, and Saipan. I'm thinking of adding Ayam Cemanis into the mix as my mother is very interested in obtaining a breeding flock of Cemanis in the future. If I already have some, why not? They could definitely up the beauty of the black in Aeries!

As far as colors go, initially, I was intending an all black chicken, but lately, I've been inspired by Alohas and Exchequer Leghorns. Having a mottled variety could be interesting! I also find Black Copper Marans roosters to be particularly beautiful in their color, so that could be something else down the road.

Currently, I have an Olive Egger rooster and Ameraucana hen. I have ordered sexed chicks of Sumatra, Black Jersey Giant, Australorp, and Cream Legbar from Meyers Hatchery. I'm thinking of ordering some Black Sex-linked and Saipan from Ideal Poultry. Anyone have any thoughts on them? I'll be looking for additional birds elsewhere to help maintain a diverse genetic pool.

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Any thoughts/advice will be greatly appreciated! This is my first time playing around with genetics, so I could definitely use some help!

Note: Yes, I realize I forgot to add spurs on my rooster doodle. But only after I had already finished and uploaded it. Oops!

 

[br0nc0]

That sounds extremely interesting, I'm looking forward to the updates I have also started a breeding program of my own last year, it's good to see there are other people as nuts as I am
Good luck!

 

[stoneunhenged]

Cool-looking drawing, but know that you're embarking on something that would probably take at least 15 or 20 years to achieve. There are a lot of 'project birds' out there where one bird may represent the ideal of the imagined breed but the genetics are not stabilized to reliably produce copies of that ideal bird from one generation to another. Look at the Legbar, for example, that took decades from inception to being included in the British standard. The Lamona took about 16 years in the R&D phase, and its features are less complex than what you're proposing. You will be raising many thousands of birds to hit upon the combination of traits you're describing.

I'd start by focusing on body type and introduce the other traits later. In my opinion what you've drawn and described more closely resembles a Shamo in type than any other breed. If I were tackling this project I'd probably start there. For example, I might start with a Shamo and seek to introduce the fibromelanistic gene from a Cemani first.

Good luck!

 

[br0nc0]

Yeah I believe what you're saying about the long journey ahead is true, but (at least to me) the journey is more valuable than the finished product. Knowing myself I'd probably get bored when I would achieve it and move on to something else

 

[AerieChickens]

Cool-looking drawing, but know that you're embarking on something that would probably take at least 15 or 20 years to achieve. There are a lot of 'project birds' out there where one bird may represent the ideal of the imagined breed but the genetics are not stabilized to reliably produce copies of that ideal bird from one generation to another. Look at the Legbar, for example, that took decades from inception to being included in the British standard. The Lamona took about 16 years in the R&D phase, and its features are less complex than what you're proposing. You will be raising many thousands of birds to hit upon the combination of traits you're describing.

I'd start by focusing on body type and introduce the other traits later. In my opinion what you've drawn and described more closely resembles a Shamo in type than any other breed. If I were tackling this project I'd probably start there. For example, I might start with a Shamo and seek to introduce the fibromelanistic gene from a Cemani first.

Good luck!

Oh yeah, I know it'll take quite awhile if I ever even get what I'm hoping for. But that's part of the fun! (At least for me.) I figure if I'm raising birds for eggs and meat anyway, I might as well make it a bit interesting. If that makes sense at all?

I really appreciate your thoughts! It'll definitely be a long road.

 

[AerieChickens]

That sounds extremely interesting, I'm looking forward to the updates I have also started a breeding program of my own last year, it's good to see there are other people as nuts as I am
Good luck!

Thanks! What's your breeding project? I'll be interested to hear!

 

[br0nc0]

Well I believe I started off just like you - finished college (Animal Husbandry), I love playing with genetics, and since we raise chickens for eggs and meat I thought I could experiment a little bit along the way.

I am mostly going for the color now, I am aiming for white patterned red partridge birds (I sincerly hope it's doable, since I haven't been able to find any on the internet, but in theory it should work out). Other than that, I'd like dual purpouse bird, pea comb, yellow legs, light brown egg shell. I'm not firmly set on body type, but I'd like to make something partrige-like, so i'm looking for a finer head and I'm trying to avoid high set tails. It's extremely difficult to get what I want because I couldn't get proper starting stock, since nobody around here breeds anything even remotely interesting

I am trying to get my incubator fixed at the moment and my F1 is just over 4 months old right now, so I'll be trying for F2 in the near future, hoping to get some white laced gold/red chicks

 

[AerieChickens]

I was a Zoology major. I kind of wish now I had done Poultry Science though! Or at least minored in it.

Your idea sounds beautiful, and I really hope it's doable too! I'd love to see the results of your work. What got you interested in that color pattern?

Good luck, and posts lots of pics of your little ones!

 

[br0nc0]

Same goes for you, I can't wait to see some baby raptor chicks

As for me, I always loved the red in birds (recessive red is my favorite color in my show homing pigeons), and I love the pattern on my partridge wyandotte hen (I regret only buying one hen at the time, they're nowhere to be found now). I figured dark red and white would make a nice contrast, so I'm going for it.

Right now the best I have in F1 is (presumeably, I can't know for sure obviously ) a (dominant) white partially laced golden cockerel that carries mahogany (judging by the dark red on his shoulders). I hope I can get some red hens with at least partial white lacing in F2 and I can take it from there

 

[Crowtongue]

That is hella, hella cool. I wish you the best of luck! I feel like I need to send you this link for Leige Fighters- they have a way more hawkish/dino face imo, and apparently they like their people. Definatley a bird on my wishlist https://greenfirefarms.com/liege_fighter.html