The Wyandotte Thread

[chickee]

Quote:
Pictures of your Blue Wyandottes? I'd like to compare them to mine

I really have to get a camera, don't even have one on my cell phone so I don't have any good pics of them. And the poor roo died early this morning, just buried him. Sad, I really liked him after being so sure that I didn't want a roo at all.

SO SORRY about your Roo!!

I've had the worst luck trying to keep a Blue rooster for breeding!! My first rooster chick got taken by a Hawk, then I bought two more rooster chicks and kept the nicer of the two and a Bobcat got him!! I quickly gathered and hatched eggs from him but only got a Black rooster chick. I then bred the black rooster to my Blue hens and now finally I have a Blue rooster chick and he is the friendliest, sweetest chicken ever! I just love him!!

Here are a few pictures of my hens. Could you tell me if yours look similar~ Thanks!

 

[sandiatonimarie]

Boy, that's a lot of roos to go through to finally get one! But, I'm learning - stuff happens!

Seeing your pics, Chickee, your hens do have a better body type than mine does, mine is not quite so puffy in the front like yours and I understand that is the correct body type for the W's, that from the side they should look like a puffed heart. My hen is colored very similarly to yours but your pics look like your hens are more consistently black around the head. Mine has a few bluish-white tips on her feathers around her head, from a distance mine looks grayish black rather than true black around the head. So you have a very pretty baby there!

Thaks for hug! This is my first year with chickens so I'm learning fast but sometimes painfully. My roo was a sweet little gentleman and never did any of those "bad rooster" things you hear about.

 

[BCBrian]

I love this thread!

I have a question/observation. I too believe it wrong that BLR's that manifest a double dose of the blue gene (called "Splashes") should not be able to have their own class - and not be able to be shown and to win. Personally, I find the Splashes more attractive, and more visually stunning to look at, than most of the Blue Laced Red's - but then, that's just me, perhaps.

I also regret what seems to be a push to choose ever-darker red birds in the Gold Laced Wyandotte classes. I prefer the way the jet-black lacing contrasts with a lighter gold. I think that much of the visual the contrast is lost on black laced birds when it is combined with a deep red background. I think it is the CONTRAST that makes any laced Wyandotte look spectacular. To me, the attractiveness of all laced chickens diminishes - as the contrast between the inner feather and the outer feather colour diminishes. I think it's a big mistake to place "red-based" birds (those possessing a homozygous set of the "Mahogany" genes) higher in show placing than "gold-based" birds (meaning those lacking the double-does of the darkening Mahogany gene) - especially in a class known as the "Gold Laced" class. I think they look better the lighter and brighter the gold is in their inner feather - but, again, perhaps I'm an exception.

I have nothing against the Black-Laced Reds (as I think they should be called) - I just don't think they should be shown in the same class as GOLD-laced birds. Gold is beautiful - in itself. It doesn't need to be deep dark mahogany to look good - especially when contrasting with dark black lacing .

Finally, to be consistant in my preferences - I prefer Blue-Laced Reds to have a very deep, dark, rich red (double dose of the Mahogany gene) in their inner feathers - but prefer the tail feathers, hackles and lacing to be a lighter shade of blue (not the darker shades we so often see) in so many of the birds pictured and shown. Why? The answer - again - for me, is the preference for visual contrast. To me, the more contrast between the inner feather, and the laced part of the feather - the more I tend to like it. But, perhaps, I'm the exception again.

I have read the proposed standard for Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I know that in discussions like this, there can be no right or wrong - only PREFERENCES.

So, knowing that - I'd like to ask everyone on this thread who may have an interest in the laced varieties of the Wyandotte (particularly the proposed new colour - the Blue Laced Red) what you personally PREFER to look at (personally speaking - NOT necessarily what you breed towards, or what is written) in regards to - BLRW`s, in Black Laced Reds, in Gold Laced and in any other colour you might feel inclined to comment on.
Thanks for ALL of your opinions on this.

Regards,
Brian

 

[sandiatonimarie]

To me, the more contrast between the inner feather, and the laced part of the feather - the more I tend to like it.

My preference as well for all laced birds.​

 

[colby318]

Only blue andalusians can be shown. Not the black or splash varieties. So, I think Turbo was just following the APA protocol of entering only "blue" blr and not the black or splashes since they carry the andalusian blue gene.
Colby

 

[colby318]

Quote:
Still waiting on photos of your birds!

 

[McSpin]

Quote:
The Splash carries two copies of the andalusian gene. The blue variation only carries one copy of the gene.

 

[gootziecat]

To me, the more contrast between the inner feather, and the laced part of the feather - the more I tend to like it.


I agree as well.

 

[BCBrian]

After more than 40 years in competitive pigeons and poultry - I'm only getting re-started in the chicken side - as I write this.

I only have three (non-show quality) Gold Laced's and four non-show quality Barnevelders that I have bought - none I have raised) -plus many thousands of dollars of coops, additions, incubators etc. and not a bird to show off.

Yet that is.

But - I'm getting started in a big way - and hope to have lot's of photos in a few months. When I own 'em - I'll be showing them!

 

[colby318]

Quote:
The Splash carries two copies of the andalusian gene. The blue variation only carries one copy of the gene.

what I meant to say is that the blr wyandotte variety has the andalusian blue gene for its coloration. Not the biology lesson over how many genes an individual bird may carry.
Blue andalusians--shown
black or splash--not shown

Blue laced red wyandotte--shown
Black or splash--of the blr variety not shown

edited for exasperation