The Pita Pinta Asturiana

[PetRock]

Pita Pinta hatch day!!! I love waking up to tiny peeps! One is out and 4 more pipped! Also, Chris's one silkie egg and one Delaware egg both have pipped!

4 Pita Pinta out and 1 Delaware. 1 zipping and 2 pipped.

 

[PetRock]

We processed our extra cockerels today. I also decided to cull Poncho Villa. He was Poncho and then he was Don Juan but when I decided to use a different cockerel, he went back to Poncho. It was a hard decision but he just had a few things that I didn't like. He was short in the back, held his wings low, and had some brassy color in his hackle feathers. He looked bigger than he actually was. After processing, he only weighed 3.6 lb. The new Don Juan is a little younger and at this point has better conformation and coloring. I kept one other cockerel.

While processing the culls, I discovered another severe defect in my flock. Several of the boys had crooked keel bones. I checked my parent flock and none of them had it. I did find 2 of the daughters in with Zorro that had crooked keels. They were immediately pulled from the breeding pen. I am assuming that Zorro and at least 1 of the hens are recessive for it. So now I will need to be very careful in checking for it. Big sigh... I guess with the number of chicks that I have hatched, I am bound to have all the defects pop up sooner or later. Those of you who got chicks from me last year, please check their keels and let me know if you have any crooked keels.

 

[ronott1]

We processed our extra cockerels today. I also decided to cull Poncho Villa. He was Poncho and then he was Don Juan but when I decided to use a different cockerel, he went back to Poncho. I was a hard decision but he just had a few things that I didn't like. He was short in the back, held his wings low, and had some brassy color in his hackle feathers. He looked bigger than he actually was. After processing, he only weighed 3.6 lb. The new Don Juan is a little younger and at this point has better conformation and coloring. I kept one other cockerel.

While processing the culls, I discovered another severe defect in my flock. Several of the boys had crooked keel bones. I checked my parent flock and none of them had it. I did find 2 of the daughters in with Zorro that had crooked keels. They were immediately pulled from the breeding pen. I am assuming that Zorro and at least 1 of the hens are recessive for it. So now I will need to be very careful in checking for it. Big sigh... I guess with the number of chicks that I have hatched, I am bound to have all the defects pop up sooner or later. Those of you who got chicks from me last year, please check their keels and let me know if you have any crooked keels.

Great update!

Now I need to check keels....

 

[PetRock]

Great update!

Now I need to check keels....

I was not thrilled to have my list of defects grow today. I have hatched close to 200 Pita PInta chicks and here is a list of the problems I have seen so far:

White legs, feet, & beak (several birds in the middle hatches from last year)
Brassy hackle feathers (almost all the boys end up with some brassy coloring in their hackle feathers)
Crooked keel bone (4-5 cockerels and 3 pullets, so far)
Blue eyes (1 pullet)

A few other things that I have noticed and that I have culled for are low wing carriage, narrow body, and short back.

 

[ronott1]

I was not thrilled to have my list of defects grow today. I have hatched close to 200 Pita PInta chicks and here is a list of the problems I have seen so far:

White legs, feet, & beak (several birds in the middle hatches from last year)
Brassy hackle feathers (almost all the boys end up with some brassy coloring in their hackle feathers)
Crooked keel bone (4-5 cockerels and 3 pullets, so far)
Blue eyes (1 pullet)

A few other things that I have noticed and that I have culled for are low wing carriage, narrow body, and short back.

You are doing great with them!

The keel bone is something a lot of breeds have trouble with.

Watch out for knock knee too.

It is a great breed and in good shape so far. Quite refreshing compared to say Silver Gray Dorking.

 

[caychris]

Since my boy seems to be the only one we have observed with crooked toes I'm going to assume it was the untended chick injury.

Ill have picks up soon of my 4 week olds 2 boys 3 girls. Ill check my pullet for keel tomorrow.

I think it was a good choice to change the cockerel. I think since he also has slightly lower wing carriage you may want to check
the girls with him wing carriage again before you start hatching from him (you have some time)

Really hoping for chicks from Ron soon,

 

[ronott1]

Since my boy seems to be the only one we have observed with crooked toes I'm going to assume it was the untended chick injury.

Ill have picks up soon of my 4 week olds 2 boys 3 girls. Ill check my pullet for keel tomorrow.

I think it was a good choice to change the cockerel. I think since he also has slightly lower wing carriage you may want to check
the girls with him wing carriage again before you start hatching from him (you have some time)

Really hoping for chicks from Ron soon,

Yes, toes that go out wards are caused buy injury, vitamin deficiency and etc. Curling down towards the foot is genetic.

 

[caychris]

It is a single outside toe almost folded backwards.

 

[caychris]

* Edit Posted CLB in wrong thread here are the pitas

 

[PetRock]

* Edit Posted CLB in wrong thread here are the pitas

Cute chicks, Chris!