The Wyandotte Thread

[NanaKat]

Quote: I'll see what I can find. But from experience: Lost my BLRW breeders several years ago... 4 hens and a rooster. We had high heat from drought and the girls began succumbing to the heat. The rooster was last to have issues. We have a great avian vet in the nearby town that I visited with about the symptoms. He did some online research and determined the problem stemed from vessels supplying the heart and lungs in the large bodied birds was stressed to the max with our high temeratures. This led to weakness in the vssels and connective tissues surrounding the heart and lungs and contributed to their deaths. Necropsy on the rooster confirmed the damage. Since then, other breeders have indicted similiar issues.
Here is the rooster with two of the hens, a Splash and one of the BLR.
The next picture is all four of the hens.

 

[Texasmja]

I'll see what I can find. But from experience: Lost my BLRW breeders several years ago... 4 hens and a rooster. We had high heat from drought and the girls began succumbing to the heat. The rooster was last to have issues. We have a great avian vet in the nearby town that I visited with about the symptoms. He did some online research and determined the problem stemed from vessels supplying the heart and lungs in the large bodied birds was stressed to the max with our high temeratures. This led to weakness in the vssels and connective tissues surrounding the heart and lungs and contributed to their deaths. Necropsy on the rooster confirmed the damage. Since then, other breeders have indicted similiar issues.
Here is the rooster with two of the hens, a Splash and one of the BLR.
The next picture is all four of the hens.

I have lost chickens due to the extreme high temps here, they were red sexlinks, Aust. and RIR hens. This is before I had the misters. Once I started running misters, (knock on wood) I never lost another to heat stroke. My Wyandotte chicks last year were kept in a yard with misters just because of the August heat and they were not even fully feathered, they loved it and laid under them...none died.

 

[Bleenie]

Hey everyone, don't mean to butt in but just wanted to share a few pics of my Wyandotte girls(and a couple Wyandotte/EE girls). It seems brooding is turning into an epidemic in the flock. I have had a BW hen & EE co-brooding until my white EE girls jumped in the same nest recently. Buff girl got moved to a box next to them and everyone got 7 eggs each. also have a 4th brooding 2 eggs up above.

My younger roo, "white tailed Buff" Wyandotte, has become VERY active with and hens that is Papa is nice enough to share, lol. Should have lots of babies here over the next few weeks. All 4 of the broodies are this years 'babies'(March/April).


Still haven't figured out a fitting name for this boy.

Rodger(aka Papa) hanging out with "Big Jim" my drake.

 

[DaphneNL]

Nice birds Bleenie! They take their job very serious.

 

[Texasmja]

I don't know if anyone else has this wonderful book, but I highly recommend it. My husband bought it for me from Amazon.com. It is text book size and worth every penny.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

My CW flock periodically drops a single combed chick. I have a vigorous rooster who takes down a hen when first presented to him. He is attentive and a masterful dancer. My hens are great layers, who go broody and make great mothers. Fertility is good.
One thing you did not mention is that a few chicks often do not live beyond 12 weeks of age. (Don't know if this is characteristic of other breeds). And that large Wyandottes can have connective tissue problems around the heart and arteries.


I am also involved in some projects with Columbian Wyandottes. I have placed my rooster over Australorp hens to improve fertility in the offspring and am working on the Birchen color variety and working on Blue Columbian.

I love those Columbian Wyandottes!!

 

[NanaKat]

Thank you Mr MKK farms. Breeding pens are set now for January egg collection. I have some Black Wyandottes and some Blues that will go under the rooster for developing Birchen and Blue Columbian.

 

[WyandotteTX]

I don't know if anyone else has this wonderful book, but I highly recommend it. My husband bought it for me from Amazon.com. It is text book size and worth every penny.

It is a wealth of information. I found it on google books a few years and have really enjoyed reading it.

 

[Texasmja]

It is a wealth of information. I found it on google books a few years and have really enjoyed reading it.

I have it saved there also. I prefer to have a hard copy, I hate reading books on a computer screen. This book has tons of great information.

 

[DMRippy]

FINALLY I have 5 of 8 SLW eggs from my younger roo growing. I moved my other pullet that was with the older SLW roo in with the younger roo.... I did get 1 fertile egg from her when she was with him so maybe more to come.

I moved my older roo and he seemed thin.... not sure what is up with that. I wormed him today just in case and gave him some other meds too. Does not seem sick..... just thin. Suggestions are welcome. I don't have much luck doctoring chickens. He is eating and drinking fine.