The Rhodebar thread!

[nicalandia]

I'm curious about his potential genetic makeup, and especially about the mainly solid black tail feathers. He does have a couple that are barred, but most are black.

black feathers on Tail means he is only Heterozygous for the barring gene, pure Rhodebar males have two copies of the gene, its a sex linked gene, meaning females can only have one copy

 

[malndobe]

black feathers on Tail means he is only Heterozygous for the barring gene, pure Rhodebar males have two copies of the gene, its a sex linked gene, meaning females can only have one copy

Thank you. He's actually a Pioneer, not a Rhodebar, but considering the color similarities I figured this might be the best place to get an answer regarding the genetics. Unfortunately I am without Rhodebars at this time, had some major predator problems and all of them were slowly picked off one at a time. Every time I thought I had it fixed, I'd lose a few more. :-( I have some very bold coyotes in my area, one was actually chasing the chickens who were out free ranging, I went running out there yelling at him and he didn't stop chasing my rooster until he was about 10 feet away from me, and the rooster was right next to me. Then he just casually trotted away, even stopping to watch me less than 10 feet from a fence where my dogs were going NUTS barking at him (the barking was what alerted me to the issue). What few chickens I have left have lost all free ranging privileges, not sure if they will ever get them back :-( I had a larger area, around 1/3 acre, for them to free range in, fenced with both welded wire and hot wire around that, but they keep flying over the fence to wander to other areas and getting killed so ...

 

[stryker]

Those coyotes are nothing to mess with as you know. What you said should be considered an act of self-defense due to the fact that the coyote was at that close of range to you and didn't care about your yelling towards it. You do as you can as noone is there except you/family, but if I were there I would, but I am not. You are the one with eyes on the ground and you know your area. Good luck and hope nothing else or you get injured by those coyotes.

 

[RedRidge]

 

black feathers on Tail means he is only Heterozygous for the barring gene, pure Rhodebar males have two copies of the gene, its a sex linked gene, meaning females can only have one copy

Thank you.  He's actually a Pioneer, not a Rhodebar, but considering the color similarities I figured this might be the best place to get an answer regarding the genetics.  Unfortunately I am without Rhodebars at this time, had some major predator problems and all of them were slowly picked off one at a time.  Every time I thought I had it fixed, I'd lose a few more. :-(  I have some very bold coyotes in my area, one was actually chasing the chickens who were out free ranging, I went running out there yelling at him and he didn't stop chasing my rooster until he was about 10 feet away from me, and the rooster was right next to me.  Then he just casually trotted away, even stopping to watch me less than 10 feet from a fence where my dogs were going NUTS barking at him (the barking was what alerted me to the issue).  What few chickens I have left have lost all free ranging privileges, not sure if they will ever get them back :-(  I had a larger area, around 1/3 acre,  for them to free range in, fenced with both welded wire and hot wire around that, but they keep flying over the fence to wander to other areas and getting killed so ...

I couldn't have hundreds of head of livestock out here in the middle of nowhere with our heavy predation without all of my Italian Maremma. Awesome lgds - I could not run this place without them. We are lambing right now and the coyote know it. But no worries here since the maremma guard both poultry and sheep.

 

[malndobe]

Those coyotes are nothing to mess with as you know. What you said should be considered an act of self-defense due to the fact that the coyote was at that close of range to you and didn't care about your yelling towards it. You do as you can as noone is there except you/family, but if I were there I would, but I am not. You are the one with eyes on the ground and you know your area. Good luck and hope nothing else or you get injured by those coyotes.

I was fresh from the shower in my bare feet and bathrobe LOL, if I'd had a chance to grab a gun or a couple of the dogs the coyote would no longer be here. I wasn't sure what all the barking was about until I got out there, then it was to late to grab something. As it was by the time I got up to the gate for the area the other dogs were, it had taken off, they tried to pursue it but it had enough head start to get over the fence and off the property.

I've toyed with getting a LGD, but I REALLY don't want another dog. I currently have a few dogs I could leave loose that will leave the livestock alone and be a deterrent to predators, but I've found having them wandering around loose gets the dogs who are in kennels all riled up and they bark non-stop. The chickens are an expensive hobby, I just like having them around and the eggs/meat the produce, but I loose money on them, spending even more money to purchase and support a dog (feed, vet care, etc) doesn't make sense.

 

[stryker]

I was fresh from the shower in my bare feet and bathrobe LOL, if I'd had a chance to grab a gun or a couple of the dogs the coyote would no longer be here. I wasn't sure what all the barking was about until I got out there, then it was to late to grab something. As it was by the time I got up to the gate for the area the other dogs were, it had taken off, they tried to pursue it but it had enough head start to get over the fence and off the property.

I've toyed with getting a LGD, but I REALLY don't want another dog. I currently have a few dogs I could leave loose that will leave the livestock alone and be a deterrent to predators, but I've found having them wandering around loose gets the dogs who are in kennels all riled up and they bark non-stop. The chickens are an expensive hobby, I just like having them around and the eggs/meat the produce, but I loose money on them, spending even more money to purchase and support a dog (feed, vet care, etc) doesn't make sense.

Those coyotes are smart and watching you... "Quick, Get the chicken before the human gets out of the shower",,, LOL

 

[gootziecat]

I have what is probably an ignorant question, genetically. Has anyone crossed a Rhodebar with a Buckeye to get a peacomb? And what would doing so do to the autosexing gene? Would it stay intact or would you have to cross back onto the Rhodebar? Thanks.

 

[maranfarmer563]

It would be nice to have pea combs. My roosters are all frost bit in northern Pennsylvania

 

[jerryse]

I have what is probably an ignorant question, genetically. Has anyone crossed a Rhodebar with a Buckeye to get a peacomb? And what would doing so do to the autosexing gene? Would it stay intact or would you have to cross back onto the Rhodebar? Thanks.

Depends on which way you do the cross . Rhodebar male over buckeye hens will give you barred pullets and single barred cockerels . Not able to sex at hatch because all will be single barred . Buckeye rooster over Rhodebar hens = sex linked pullets . I have heard Buckbar mentioned somewhere . You can restore autosexing by breeding barred hens back to a double barred male .

 

[gootziecat]

Thank you! Barred Rock pullets are readily available to me. How would you go about doing this by scratch with these pullets?