The Aloha Chicken Project

[Kev]

Dun is a simple dominant. One copy makes a gray that's a bit more "brownish" in tone.

Double dose causes a color called "Khaki" which looking at pics, is exactly like it sounds? I mean, it's not buff - it really is the exact same color as Khaki pants!

I haven't got Khaki in my birds yet - though the Dun Light Sussex (Cinnamon Sussex) rooster is in with a Dun / Brown hen right now. It's by default. There is a hen of mine who appears solid tan with dun tail, but she's a Mottled carrier, out of my Dun Buff Sussex hen and a colorful Aloha rooster. She's a great well-formed hen. The problem is, she's an escape artist, and I can't contain her in the main coop, she flies out. So she's in the breeder pen - ALWAYS - even though I don't really need to hatch her chicks right now, I just literally don't know where else to keep her, the brat.

Anyway, because of that, we may see a few Khaki chicks hatch in the next month or two. Dun, like Blue, only affects black pigment. So, I think we'd see maybe a brown hen, with a tail and neck that would be lighter in color than the body?!?


On the hen above, you can see the faint gray speckling, and the gray tail feathers. If she carried two copies of Dun, the gray tail would be khaki and the spots would be white with cream (Khaki) shading, instead of white and gray (Dun) color. We may need to wait until next year to see that effect!

Thank you for this. I'm color blind, apparently dun is not a very easy color for me to notice. I do like your descriptions though, especially of khakis... a brown bird with tan/light tail and neck would be a nice sight I think...

is there already a picture of the tan hen with dun tail and dun buff sussex?

 

[alohachickens]

She is in this picture, to the right of the spotty hen and to the left of the rooster. Her head is down. I'll try to get a better pic later.

The hen that appears Buff - is actually Buff with Dun on the neck.


Above are three Buff Sussex hens. The one in front has black tipped feathers, the ones in back have Dun tipped neck feathers.

If you Google "Cinnamon Sussex" you'll find the original Pauls' Rare Poultry page, though I have no idea if he is still breeding them or not?

I got the Cinnamon Sussex eggs possibly as early as 2013. It has taken me this long to breed through and finally get Dun Mottled Alohas! Though a neighbor of mine DID get one "fluke" hen about a year ago, she was hatched February 14, 2015:

 

[HEChicken]

Nail biting time. Hatch date is tomorrow. Yesterday I divided the incubator into the side that is hatching pure NH's and the side that is hatching the project eggs. This morning there are two pips among the NH's but none on the Aloha side. I did a quick candling last night to see if there were any internal pips and it appears one of the Aloha fetuses died about day 16

I saw movement in the others though so hope they start pipping soon.

 

[draye]

Nail biting time.  Hatch date is tomorrow.  Yesterday I divided the incubator into the side that is hatching pure NH's and the side that is hatching the project eggs.  This morning there are two pips among the NH's but none on the Aloha side.  I did a quick candling last night to see if there were any internal pips and it appears one of the Aloha fetuses died about day 16    I saw movement in the others though so hope they start pipping soon.

Fingers crossed, hoping for a good hatch.

 

[aviddamy]

Nail biting time.  Hatch date is tomorrow.  Yesterday I divided the incubator into the side that is hatching pure NH's and the side that is hatching the project eggs.  This morning there are two pips among the NH's but none on the Aloha side.  I did a quick candling last night to see if there were any internal pips and it appears one of the Aloha fetuses died about day 16    I saw movement in the others though so hope they start pipping soon.

Good luck!! Baby chicks are so awesome!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Sending hatch vibes...

Go chickies!!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[alohachickens]

Nail biting time. Hatch date is tomorrow. Yesterday I divided the incubator into the side that is hatching pure NH's and the side that is hatching the project eggs. This morning there are two pips among the NH's but none on the Aloha side. I did a quick candling last night to see if there were any internal pips and it appears one of the Aloha fetuses died about day 16

I saw movement in the others though so hope they start pipping soon.

Oh man! Nail biter for sure!

 

[HEChicken]

Oh man! Nail biter for sure!

No kidding! All day yesterday I watched as the number of pips on the NH side increased while the Aloha side remained devoid of signs of life

I got so worried I candled again and several of them waved at me but only one had internally pipped. They sure are taking their sweet time compared to the Alohas. They were all laid and started at the exact same time. The only difference I can see is that the Aloha eggs are noticeably bigger. I'm wondering if the larger size means they take a little longer.

During the night several NH's hatched but by this morning I could see only one pip on the Aloha side. That egg is now zipping -

I can't wait to see what the chick looks like in a few minutes. There is another pip as well, so things are starting to happen over there. Meanwhile, the NH hatch is almost over.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Interesting. My Aloha NN eggs didn't pip until day 22, and didn't finish hatching until the end of day 23 (I think one lingered into day 24). I thought it could have been that the incubator was about a degree lower than the reading, but maybe these hatch late?

Anyhow, don't give up!!!! I got 7, most on day 22-23.

- Ant Farm

 

[alohachickens]

Interesting. My Aloha NN eggs didn't pip until day 22, and didn't finish hatching until the end of day 23 (I think one lingered into day 24). I thought it could have been that the incubator was about a degree lower than the reading, but maybe these hatch late?

Anyhow, don't give up!!!! I got 7, most on day 22-23.

- Ant Farm

Really strange, being as at home here, Alohas tend to hatch early and people who have bought eggs from me notice as well. I've learned to be ready for a hatch on Day 20.

Then again, HEChicken's aren't technically Alohas - which are small-ish - but Leghorn / NHR crosses. Still, if the size of the chick determines hatch size, you'd think the pure NHR would hatch second! Very strange. Hope it works out.

Along those same lines of odd hatching, I took two of my pure Sussex hens, and I penned them for 2 days and collected 3 eggs. The eggs were fertile and developed, yet did not hatch. I have no idea why! These are by far my BIGGEST hens. Over here, the itty bitty hens tend to pump out the most eggs, and they still reign supreme on hatch rates and fertility rates. Both the large (pure) Sussex hens had issues with egg hatch and now the (pure) Mille Buff Sussex rooster has had issues even bothering to mount hens, apparently, from the number of blank eggs in his harem.

More reasons to continue the Aloha project. As much as I totally *adore* my huge pure Sussex mixes, they are not nearly as tough or easy to breed as the little Alohas.