Sometimes a few feather shafts on the shanks can happen in a line as a throwback from way back in the project. The chick with a few feathers on its shanks may still look much like an exchequer but probably not useful as a breeder unless you don't have any other choice.
Will be interesting to see what they are like when they grow out.
Yes it will be interesting to see how much feathers it ends up on its legs as it grows out.
Ya I've never had any luck with shipped eggs. I think my results from eggs from BYC was 2 out of 18. 2 out of 24 then 0 out of 30.
There are another couple of people selling exchequer hatching eggs.... so I might get some from someone else to see if another line is stronger.Ya I've never had any luck with shipped eggs. I think my results from eggs from BYC was 2 out of 18. 2 out of 24 then 0 out of 30.
Pretty much done after that. Then now with what people ask for $$$ I've often thought chicks might be a better option.
At least I've seen others have decent results. Sorry for your luck, I know the pain in the *$$ it is.
Hopefully you get enough exchequer pullets to build from.
OMG they're adorable!
Are those blacks the chocolate project? So the males will be split chocolate? Is chocolate sex-linked in chickens too, I can't remember.
You may have to just take what you can get and use the best birds you hatch to try to work to improve the line, one generation at a time. Selective mating and hard culling can be slow going, but any line can be worked with. Take my Reds for example, my Red rooster is hideous but his offspring turned out much better. The Red line will take a lot of work and many years, but I'm hopeful that I can make something out of them. I think I would rather the Red rooster had a few feathers on his shanks than his ugly squirrel tail!
They're all from the chocolate project.
