The Aloha Chicken Project

[MaBo]

runsw/scissors, I didn't realize you are in Oregon... great! Tamra mentioned we had another Aloha project participant nearby - maybe that was you? I'd love to know the details about your progress so far.

I chose to use non-medicated feed because the Alohas seem very hardy, based on what I've seen, and heard from others. I also like to avoid medications unless absolutely required. Plus, the Aloha's are not hatchery birds, and I know where they came from (thanks Tamra and alohachickens . Just my 2 cents.

I would happily trade chickens/chicks for the same from anyone in the area, please pm me for my location. I am in Oregon though.

For what it's worth I have been using medicated chick starter for mine.







edited to add: I have 4 buff orpingtons that I bought to add to the bloodlines, if anyone needs/wants to add to their outcross potentials

 

[runsw/scissors]

Unfortunately medicated feed is what is available, at least around here. Also until the big pen is completed (wretched weather!) I am concerned about overcrowding right now.

You are right, they are hardy little devils!

I think I am the new participant Aloha was referring to... I am very excited to be on board with all of you!

So far they are still pretty ambiguous as to gender. Rather a lot of the buff/pumpkin coloured chicks are showing spots, while the chipmunks are showing lacing on a darker brown background. I have a broody that adopted all 20+ alohas plus the 4 buff orpingtons to boot! She will by golly peck your eyes out if you get to close, so details are a little sketchy at this point. I plan to take photos of them all every 2 weeks or so so anyone interested can follow along. Believe me I welcome any help as to who to breed to whom.

 

[tazcat70]

Just a very quick stop in to tell everyone about my candling.

I had a total of 18 that I pulled. So that leaves me with 82 Alohas growing well! ud

16 from Sommer and one each from Laree and Ray.

82...........

 

[alohachickens]

Just candled my eggs! Out of 88, 71 are growing! Gotta run, made myself late for a lunch date.

71 of yours . . . . plus 82 with Taz . . . that's 153 chicks in development!

Even if a third of those don't actually make it out of the shells, you guys are going to have LOTS of Alohas to pick from! Ha!

 

[alohachickens]

In uncommon form, I actually did what I said I yesterday, and took some pictures of the 4-week-old chicks this morning... (note, 5 Aloha's are actually 3 weeks old, and 3 hatchery RIR's are 1-2 weeks old) Also, 5 of these birds are from Tamra's eggs... the lighter buff ones.

I can definitely see the RED influence from my RIR/NHR roo in some of these. And there's clearly some white visible - but I'm not sure what that means, i.e., will go away? (considering this was supposed to be a recessive-mottling generation.) In many cases the white is on the tips of feathers. Some of the chicks with white are in the top percentile of size, which is a good sign. One has some really interesting gray/blue mixed in with the red base, and white spots. And of course some are quite dark, with barred-type darker coloring. Thankfully most of those seem to be the smaller ones.

Wow . . . um, if these are the "half breeds" this seriously is a lot of white!

And, you know, they do kind of look like half-breeds? I am seeing a lot of yellow legs and I don't think any of the small "base stock" that I sent you guys had yellow legs??? Check your Aloha hens. If NONE of the hens have yellow legs, but these spotted chicks do have yellow legs, well, that gene has to come from somewhere. (Like a Buff Rock or NHR rooster!) So that could help verify if these ones showing white are actually half breeds or if a sneaky escaping hen was covered by an Aloha rooster outside the pen.

A lot of my Cheeto babies are showing these little flecks of white. There ARE four *wildly* spotted kids in there; but also several of the ones I've been referencing as "solid" actually have these little flecks of white on the feather tips. I don't know if that white will fade out or not. I am assuming at this point it will fade, and is merely a sign that the gene is there.

But this one chick above, ummm, that is a LOT of white! I wonder if it's an accidental pure Aloha or a mix? Nice!!!

 

[alohachickens]

I heard a NYD chick try to crow yesterday. Darn Aloha Overachievers....
Sommer, you'll need to come pick through the roos and see if any catch your eye before I move them along.
You can also come take culls for your neighbor, if you want.

Going to call you! This weekend should work out fine.

 

[notinoz2007]

we set the eggs yesterday and it was an amazing adventure. all the kids were so excited as well as the teacher. and she did say that there is a 3rd grade teacher who is interested in using my incubator as well and who is probably going to want your information on genetics! of the 20+ kids in the class only one had ever seen a chick be born (in her K class in missouri) and one student "almost bought chickens" but his dad decided no. every kid needs a chicken (or 5)

 

[runsw/scissors]

At some point Aloha, can you jot down how the genetics work with guys? It would help me enormously later when I make my breeding decisions...

At this point with the exceptions of perhaps 5 chicks a show varying degrees of white. I have another 4 or so that have black and white spots; the rest have either white tips on their wings and what can only be described loud flashy white spots all over. It's been really interesting to watch their spots show almost over night!

Also, any recommendations for leg bands to identify the few that show no white whatsoever?!

TIA!

 

[alohachickens]

At some point Aloha, can you jot down how the genetics work with guys? It would help me enormously later when I make my breeding decisions...

TIA!

Like I've stated, I'm not one of the "genetics gurus" on here when it comes to chicken colors. I am super well versed in horse color genetics, however, and have been kind of applying the same general principles.

In horses, dogs, and even people, the color red is recessive, and black is dominant. I've been going on the theory that chicken color would behave the same way, and so far it's been working. I've picked chickens with less and less black, hoping that doing so will "release" the lighter colors in hiding. So I guess one rule would be, Black pigment will trump Red pigments. (That's why when you cross a Sussex to a light spotted Aloha, all the babies pretty much look like pure Sussex. The dark pigment is stronger.)

So if you want brighter colors, be careful not to toss a Black Austrolorp into your breeding stock, LOL! And you can keep a few darker hens for variety, because some dark colors look lovely. But maybe pick a lighter rooster (red or gold with little black) so he can "release" any hidden reds in the hen's backgrounds. I'm not saying the dark colors are BAD. It's just they tend to overwhelm the lighter colors.

The other theory is that Mottling is recessive, so both parents need to carry it before it shows. The easiest way to guarantee this is to cross solid chickens with mottled chickens. Then you know, regardless of what the offspring look like, they at least carry some spots in their background. (But like it's been mentioned here, that refers to Sussex mottling, and I don't know what other spotted patterns there may be in chickens.)

The last "rule" (if there are any rules in this kind of project!) is to be cautious about genes like Barring and Dominant White. Try not to use any "sex links" because those are hybrids that can carry some funky genes that might mess things up later. Stick with just plain brown, buff, red types of breeds for your out-crossing. Barring exists in the Confetti color, but I try to keep only barred hens and cull all barred roosters. If you do that, the Barred will stick around, but the pattern will never become dominant and take over the entire flock. Dominant White should be avoided altogether because it can randomly pop up for many generations to come. (It's found in White Leghorns, and a few other breeds.) So pick Light Brown Leghorns or Buff Leghorns or Mottled Leghorns, if you want to add Leghorn. Choose RIR or NHR over "Production Reds". Wellsummers have a darker color, but they are just plain brown chickens, so those are safe.

That's pretty much it. I am sure with someone who really knows what they are doing, they could add many other breeds or colors and do it safely, but for a newbie to chicken colors like me, I've been playing it safe and just trying not to accidentally introduce anything that will mess up the colors later!

 

[runsw/scissors]

So, the goal then is spotted to spotted? Or light coloured chickens to the occasional dark coloured one? Lose the barred roos and keep the barred hen. Correct? I'm not real sure I understand how to make the decisions in my breeding pens, that's the advise I'm looking for. Should I upload the pictures or??? You do realize that I have over 20 chicks to work with, right? Then there is the buff orpingtons as well.

I just don't want to set back this whole breeding project with my inexperience.

Also, these chicks are just sprouting spots!!

Literally overnight they are ALL sporting all kinds of white. The ones that I thought would not spot are just amazing! One little guy has a big white flashy bib; I am just amazed at their colouring!