The Rhodebar thread!

[RedRidge]

we have 6 cockerls and 8 pullets that hatched on 1/29 . 2 of the 6 cockerls were much darker than the others. of my 2 original roosters from greenfire 1 is much darker than the other. I .

I would go back and analyze what each of them looked like at hatch. That will help you a lot. Take a picture of each chick at a day or two old and then use those pics to help cull and choose breeders when they are older. I don't care what a cock looks like as a teenager if he was yellow or too light as a chick. And I can tell you from experience that their down color IS NOT an indication of how light or dark he will be as an adult. I no longer have lighter down males but when I did I grew them out separately. It was amazing that as adults there was no color difference. If you want to perpetuate the auto sexing easily then do not breed the lighter or yellow chicks no matter what they look like as adults.

 

[Makomd]

Double or single barred? I was told by the breeder he is double, but he's darker in color. This pair is 8 months old.

I am not implying anything at all about the seller here, but......

Just remember with all the craze of newly offered breeds in the US and anywhere for that case, everyone and their brother is a breeder. Some have no clue if they have double barred, single barred, triple barred (kidding of course). They spend way too much money buying a breed thinking they can make a fortune on them and do whatever they can to make some money.


The hen does look rather light and the male has a lot of black showing.

 

[melroseladi]

I am not implying anything at all about the seller here, but......

Just remember with all the craze of newly offered breeds in the US and anywhere for that case, everyone and their brother is a breeder. Some have no clue if they have double barred, single barred, triple barred (kidding of course). They spend way too much money buying a breed thinking they can make a fortune on them and do whatever they can to make some money.


The hen does look rather light and the male has a lot of black showing.

I agree. Just because you got eggs or chicks from breeders like GFF does not mean you are getting double barred or chicks that came from brown eggs. I will cull any of my F1's that are not wild type coloring, yellow, buff, or orange, as well as darker cockerels. You have to really keep good records and know what the chick down looked like more so then what the adult plumage looks like.

Out of the 7 F1's in my brooder there are only two (possibly 3) that I will be keeping. They have the most prominent chipmunk stripes. None have hatched with head spots. I still have 2 in the hatcher that aren't dry enough to tell yet.

Penny

 

[RedRidge]

Penny, would you mind posting pics of your lighter chicks? I had only one hatch of the four in the first batch so have no idea what I looking at... And to make matters worse it was a long hatch and so the chick is still very crusty 18 hrs later. I really didn't expect out to make it but it's hanging in there. Will try to get some pics later today.

 

[melroseladi]

Penny, would you mind posting pics of your lighter chicks? I had only one hatch of the four in the first batch so have no idea what I looking at... And to make matters worse it was a long hatch and so the chick is still very crusty 18 hrs later. I really didn't expect out to make it but it's hanging in there. Will try to get some pics later today.

Sheri I just found my camera charger and have it charging now. I tried getting pics with my cell phone but I can't get accurate pics. Here is a couple of pics that kind of gives you an idea. The one chick has very dark clearly marked chipmunk marks and the other one (and a few others ) has the chipmunk marks but more muted. None of the chicks have head spots and all of them are pretty dark red.





Now I am presuming that none of mine are males since they don't have head spots, is that correct?

This has been the longest dragging out hatch I have ever had. I was going to pull all the remaining eggs this morning but woke to another hatched so I am going to give the rest another day. Not sure what the issue has been with this hatch.

Penny

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Hmm. .. That cockerel is double barred but that female is awfully light. Pay close attention to down color if you chose to breed those two and choose your next generation breeders carefully .

Yes, we all get someone else's culls. The rest of the breeder's pullets are much darker (see photo for this pullet next to his others). So the double-barred cock/erels being lighter is not necessarily so? I've seen much lighter double-barred photos.

 

[melroseladi]

Double or single barred? I was told by the breeder he is double, but he's darker in color. This pair is 8 months old.

Trying to catch up. Cockerel looks single barred to me. Barring seems to be much thinner and to much black to be a double barred, imo. Hen is way to light and not evenly colored BUT you start with what you have and improve from there. I would put that cockerel over some good Reds and take it from there. I would put the hen in the laying pen and not breed her.

Penny

 

[rc50]

Hi hope all are doing great.... Myself I do not sell culls... I might give them away and almost always do.... if to a breeder then I tell them why I am not keeping that bird or birds... I am very picky... and cull to the bone.... the male in my avatar came about after over 72 culls went their way... but one must cull... either eat them or as I do give them away....



have a great one

Keith
Hambar breeder
SC
USA

 

[RedRidge]

Penny, would you mind posting pics of your lighter chicks? I had only one hatch of the four in the first batch so have no idea what I looking at... And to make matters worse it was a long hatch and so the chick is still very crusty 18 hrs later. I really didn't expect out to make it but it's hanging in there. Will try to get some pics later today.

Sheri I just found my camera charger and have it charging now. I tried getting pics with my cell phone but I can't get accurate pics. Here is a couple of pics that kind of gives you an idea. The one chick has very dark clearly marked chipmunk marks and the other one (and a few others ) has the chipmunk marks but more muted. None of the chicks have head spots and all of them are pretty dark red. Now I am presuming that none of mine are males since they don't have head spots, is that correct? This has been the longest dragging out hatch I have ever had. I was going to pull all the remaining eggs this morning but woke to another hatched so I am going to give the rest another day. Not sure what the issue has been with this hatch. Penny

I would not expect any head spots on F1s. .. so I bet you have some males too.

 

[RedRidge]

Hi hope all are doing great.... Myself I do not sell culls... I might give them away and almost always do.... if to a breeder then I tell them why I am not keeping that bird or birds... I am very picky... and cull to the bone.... the male in my avatar came about after over 72 culls went their way... but one must cull... either eat them or as I do give them away....



have a great one

Keith
Hambar breeder
SC

USA

I will not sell culls nor would I give them away. We (humans and lgd's) eat a lot of chicken here. ;-)