The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[BlackHackle]

Actually have never saw any columbian leghorns ever. Neither columbian or buff columbian.
Have you?
I have what's needed to make them though.
I've got a plan for some other things that should also produce buff Columbians but its one of those that will take a lot of hatches so don't expect to have any till probably year after next. Maybe
Plan on midway through or when I get buff columbian to bring in silver to get the Columbians also.

You are living my dream! I loved Leghorns, but with my climate it got expensive to keep their crowns warm. I played around with the varieties too and came up with a decent Buff Columbian. I miss my leghorns

 

[Kessel23]

 

[sylviethecochin]

Beautiful birds (especially the silver partridge. I've a weakness for that color) but I'm curious...how are they with egg production? I'm assuming egg production's not your focus.

 

[BlackHackle]

Hey @The Moonshiner , do you recon you could give me some pointers on developing the Blue Partridge variety. I am developing that color in Plymouth Rocks but am not sure whether I should focus more on adding blue to the line or Partridge or should I add another variety to it like Silver Penciled

 

[The Moonshiner]

You are living my dream! I loved Leghorns, but with my climate it got expensive to keep their crowns warm. I played around with the varieties too and came up with a decent Buff Columbian. I miss my leghorns

What varieties did you have?
What varieties did you use to get buff Columbians and how did you do it?

 

[BlackHackle]

What varieties did you have?
What varieties did you use to get buff Columbians and how did you do it?

Well if I can recall, I had Red Duckwing, Black Tailed Reds, Buffs, and Light Brown varieties. The buff columbians were the result of Black Tailed Reds (which carried the columbian gene), Buffs, and some light brown to add more hackle and to reduce the effect of the Mh/Mh red gene. Most of it was done by line breeding...wasn't able to get the ideal bird before I sold off the project, but I did come pretty close

 

[The Moonshiner]

Beautiful birds (especially the silver partridge. I've a weakness for that color) but I'm curious...how are they with egg production? I'm assuming egg production's not your focus.

I don't have what I think of as silver partridge.
Guessing you're talking about what I see as silver duckwing?
I made those myself by crossing cuckoo with brown leghorns.
I do focus on egg laying but color/patterns is what I enjoy.
In the end though I believe color doesn't really matter if it doesn't look leghorn or lay like a leghorn.
I can't compete with a production white but they do alright. You'll find most less available colors lay very poorly. Some of the unusual ones like mille fleur even lay tinted eggs instead of white.
I work to improve production, size and shade if they're off.
I think I have 6 silver duckwing and one blue hens in my breeding pen and get about 5 eggs a day.
Some varieties I get around 50% each day.
I know not the best but I'm working on it.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I don't have what I think of as silver partridge.
Guessing you're talking about what I see as silver duckwing?
I made those myself by crossing cuckoo with brown leghorns.
I do focus on egg laying but color/patterns is what I enjoy.
In the end though I believe color doesn't really matter if it doesn't look leghorn or lay like a leghorn.
I can't compete with a production white but they do alright. You'll find most less available colors lay very poorly. Some of the unusual ones like mille fleur even lay tinted eggs instead of white.
I work to improve production, size and shade if they're off.
I think I have 6 silver duckwing and one blue hens in my breeding pen and get about 5 eggs a day.
Some varieties I get around 50% each day.
I know not the best but I'm working on it.

I sort of figured they couldn't match a hatchery white. Nice to know you're working on production, though. Someday, I'd like to have nice birds that also lay well, and I feel that this quality is greatly underemphasized in the breeder world. What good is your perfectly shaped, brick-like sussex with the long back and low-set tail if she doesn't lay anything?

And, yeah. Sorry. I sort of vacillate between using "silver duckwing" and "silver partridge." I'm pretty sure they're the same thing, just with regional differences in terminology. Am I right?

 

[Kiki]

How long have you been working on it?
Just curious.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Blue top. Lavender bottom

Blue

Blue

Lavender