The Search for Superbird

[BantyChooks]

I didn't read the thread much, so apologies if I am repeating things already stated, but have you considered using a Appenzeller Spitzhauben? They fit near all of your critera and at least would be a good base. I'd cross that with a Chantecler if it were trying for something like you're describing.

 

[Indyshent]

Dog got in the pen in this morning and attacked two cockerels who had been up the tree last night. Wun Two I'm giving an 80% survival chance, but I expect to find the little olive egger dead next time I check on him.

The OE died, and while I was burying him, I noticed the dog had made a giant hole in the run side. Have patched that up as well as I can for now. Brought Wun Two in for a bath, so he's drying next to a space heater in my room. Here's to hoping he doesn't suddenly decide to extricate himself from the comfy towel and crap all over my room. He's such a sweet boy.

 

[Indyshent]

Yay! He didn't poop all over my room! What a good little boy!

 

[Indyshent]

I didn't read the thread much, so apologies if I am repeating things already stated, but have you considered using a Appenzeller Spitzhauben? They fit near all of your critera and at least would be a good base. I'd cross that with a Chantecler if it were trying for something like you're describing.

Never been able to get a hold of either breed. Chanteclers are fabulous cold weather birds, but I've only heard of one person in my state that raises them. They're also a dual purpose, and I'm wanting to focus more on laying, lightweight breeds. Spitzhaubens are also fabulous, lightweight birds but the crest isn't something I want, and I know of one person who tried them on in my state (and she got out of them).

I do have a Polish, and he's pretty close to a Spitzhauben. Really like his demeanor, build and carriage.

I do have a chunk of dual purpose blood in already from the Brahmas, RIR, and Sussex/Orp. EE, OE, Breda and Leghorns are all more laying really than even dual purpose. Not sure about Sumatra but the line I worked with seemed more layer than dual purpose.

 

[BantyChooks]

Never been able to get a hold of either breed. Chanteclers are fabulous cold weather birds, but I've only heard of one person in my state that raises them. They're also a dual purpose, and I'm wanting to focus more on laying, lightweight breeds. Spitzhaubens are also fabulous, lightweight birds but the crest isn't something I want, and I know of one person who tried them on in my state (and she got out of them).

I do have a Polish, and he's pretty close to a Spitzhauben. Really like his demeanor, build and carriage.

I do have a chunk of dual purpose blood in already from the Brahmas, RIR, and Sussex/Orp. EE, OE, Breda and Leghorns are all more laying really than even dual purpose. Not sure about Sumatra but the line I worked with seemed more layer than dual purpose.

Gotcha. I figured the crest wouldn't be too hard to breed out because it's a small tuft, but

A bunch of hatcheries carry whites and buffs. Not always SOP but good nontheless.

 

[Indyshent]

Trying to sell some birds because these youngsters are eating me out of house and home. Of course, nobody wants roosters... ugh.

Took some more pictures.

.

Think the last one is a Coronation Easter Egger. Probably a rooster given the comb and my luck, but it acts more pullet.

Horns is getting bigger. He's quite sleek looking, imho. Wasn't sure if his spots were blue before but they're definitely black now. Getting very shiny and studly.

His brother (red shoulder Leghorn with the single comb) is sick. Think the boys were out in the rain too many times at key times in immune system development, but regardless, I'm not going to breed him. Had a very cold, wet autumn here, and that's slowed down a lot of the development in the chicks.



Couldn't get many good pictures--especially not of the darker birds like this pretty black copper girl and her sisters.

 

[Indyshent]

Sold three birds today, but the buyer insisted on coming over while I couldn't be home, so my dad made the trade. Two of the Silkie roosters were sold along with one of the broody-raised chicks, but somehow Lion-O got out of the enclosure while they were catching the other birds, and I found him drowned in a bucket. The whole reason I bought those four silkie "pullets" (all but one was a roo) was to understand his lovely coloring and maybe get a grasp of the genetics behind it (or breed it into some other fowl). I'll never get to now, and that just adds another level of loss, because he was such a neat little guy.

The only upshot is I've at least got two more silkie roosters, but I won't find another Lion-O for the project, and even if I incubated all of the pullet's eggs, it'd be a huge gamble to see if any were his kids, and I'd be stuck brooding any bunch of silkie chicks indoors over the winter. Gag.

The two roosters I do have to put her with are also white, but one is very small, and the other is huge and has a single comb. Mr Single Comb also has a name, courtesy of my husband: Storm Shadow. Because he's a mean looking ninja wearing all white. The puppy got a hold of Storm Shadow yesterday, so I had to give him a bath and let him dry off in a towel next to a heater in my bedroom, but he's surprisingly, anazingly, unbelievably a-okay. Just missing some fluff, but otherwise, you'd never guess a Rottweiler had gotten a hold of him. Bird is a lot tougher than silkies are generally presumed to be.

 

[gojira]

Two of the Silkie roosters were sold along with one of the broody-raised chicks, but somehow Lion-O got out of the enclosure while they were catching the other birds, and I found him drowned in a bucket. The whole reason I bought those four silkie "pullets" (all but one was a roo) was to understand his lovely coloring and maybe get a grasp of the genetics behind it (or breed it into some other fowl). I'll never get to now, and that just adds another level of loss, because he was such a neat little guy.

From the picture, Lion-O was buff with lots of white smut. Not that unusual, but not desired. It also affects fibromelanosis, as you can see from his comb.

 

[Indyshent]

Wasn't sure if he was more buff or lemon. It depended a lot on lighting, but he definitely had dilution factors affecting his fibromelanosis. I was curious about the "smut" factors, as you put it, and I've had a very difficult time finding information on the genetics behind his coloring. Buff isn't completely understood either. He also had what looked like a coloring outlet lavender feathers in his tail, and lavender would've diluted his overall coloring also.

 

[gojira]

I can't see his tail in the picture you posted on the first page, but lavender would have made him MUCH lighter in color (likely a dingy white). Buff silkies are not supposed to have another color in their tails, but some have either black or white smut, which is not desired.