The Wyandotte Thread

[Katy]

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No, you should be able to tell by the back lacing or lack there of on the BLRW too. I watch that on both my slw and blr.

 

[cedar post]

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I have often wondered about this myself. I know some breeders outcross from another breed when breeds are very rare and they need to gain fertility and it takes a couple breedings to get back to where they were. I haven't tried this but the platform you lay out is interesting. Mike

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

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that is the fastest way to ruin your show stock.......you can cross other color wyandottes to improve type and color.....and it gives them some fresh bloodline that will help improve fertility. My SLW are laying everyday at the moment, but I never know when they will go on strike. One thing we have learned is we have to feed the SQ pens very high quality feed and a good mixture to keep them laying and fertile....they also do not like their feed changed.

 

[Shelly_WNC]

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That's a great question! I don't have an answer , but I do have more questions ... like WHY and WHAT happened to the 'show quality' chickens to cause the low fertility ... is there a chicken genetics book I should read up on this?

 

[nhnanna]

They are so adorable. Better than TV

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[WyandotteTX]

Like I said it was just an idea to throw out there. Yes I realize that it would decrease the quality of your show stock thru those crosses but wouldnt you be able to breed them back up to show quality by crossing them back to your original show quality that way by the end they would be7/8ths show quality?

The biggest culprit in exhibition strains is inbreeding that causes a lack of fertility. Or you have a really great looking hen type and color wise and she hardly lays anything or vice versa a great looking cockerel but not vigorous or ambitious enough to breed your hens. There are very few breeders of high quality show stock in alot of these varieties and they just pass those bloodlines back and forth among each other. I know when I started with SP bantams there were only about 3 breeders of quality stock at the time and I had birds from all three of them and infertility came in pretty quick.
Just food for thought, not saying it is an avenue anyone needs to pursue but it would be an interesting experiment to see how much of a difference that it would make.
We are talking about Wyandottes like the Silver Laced or Golden Laced on here but I would think that this same principle would apply to other breeds like Barred Rocks or Rhode Island or New Hampshire Reds. Because the exhibition quality birds in those breeds are just as different from their hatchery counterparts as the Wyandottes we have been speaking of.
Just trying to think of ways to put the Dual-Purpose back into our great old American breeds, it could only help their popularity I would think.

 

[Derrick]

I am in the process of hatching out some BLR Wyandottes and was wondering if you can tell what color they will feather out right after hatching??...

Here is a pic of the day old chick..

 

[flowerchicks]

Does anybody have or know of somebody who has chicks for sale in n. Calif. or s. Oregon? In particular BLR. Thanks

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

Hi! These are my new BLRW babies. I've had them for almost two weeks now. Apparently, modeling is very hard work - two went to sleep on me!

Any guesses what color's they might be? I'm hoping the sleeper in the middle will turn out to be a splash...

 

[chickenlady81]

I just found this thread, I wish I would have found it sooner. I want to raise just blrw but I do have two SLW hens. Im trying to get threw all the post..lol