The Wyandotte Thread

[redrooster99]

As stated before, we need way better pictures where she is not squatting.

il get better ones

 

[dracoe19]

OK. Better pictures. My problem is, I don't have any "good" hens to put him over right now. I've got 2 hatchery 'dottes.....a GL and a SL. And the SL has a straight comb.

This is more of a "for next year" project, so I'm really trying to justify keeping this boy to DH who wants to be rooster-less for a bit. Until Monday, I was going to keep a BLRW cockerel and cull this one, but he's all I've got left for roos now. So. Pictures. Comb: Attempt at top view (emphasis on attempt. he didn't like me hanging over the fence): Tail:

I would most definitely keep him. His tail is Awesome and iLife the swooping of his back.

 

[PeakyBeaky]

Is he a "blue"? He has nice type-but is lacking lacing. Even blues have lacing. Once it's gone, it's hard to get back.

OK. Better pictures. My problem is, I don't have any "good" hens to put him over right now. I've got 2 hatchery 'dottes.....a GL and a SL. And the SL has a straight comb.

This is more of a "for next year" project, so I'm really trying to justify keeping this boy to DH who wants to be rooster-less for a bit. Until Monday, I was going to keep a BLRW cockerel and cull this one, but he's all I've got left for roos now.

So. Pictures.

Comb:



Attempt at top view (emphasis on attempt. he didn't like me hanging over the fence):




Tail:

 

[Silkielover16]

Hello everybody!! I just got 2 wyandotte pullets!! One is a BLRW and the other I'm not sure about. she looks like a golden laced but instead of gold and black she is gold and blue so I'm not sure if anyone would know her colouring (I am an extreme newbie ) I will try and get some pics tomorrow of her!

 

[gladahmae]

Is he a "blue"? He has nice type-but is lacking lacing. Even blues have lacing. Once it's gone, it's hard to get back.

He's a splash blue....out of bbs eggs (but all that hatched was splash). Are we talking 3+ generations to get lacing back? I was thinking of trying out eggs from my slw and glw thinking I would get blue and black chicks and then trying to breed back from that offspring depending on how it looked. If this is a "years" thing I'll look for a better starting point.

 

[NanaKat]

Interesting. Didn't know that. So you can't use a male for breeding over 18 months but it can take them 18 months to fully mature. 

This is one of the old tricks of the trade that I have learned from talking to many Wyandotte breeders.  If you want to hatch early in the season you need to use a cockerel (and you shouldnt have to wait until they are 18 months old either), if you want to use an older cock bird you need to wait until later in the season as in May, June and July for those older males to be fertile.
Young cockerels will be ready and able to breed by 10 months old as well.  This is most definetely a Wyandotte problem also.  I talk to other breeders who raise Rose Combed varieties of Mediterranean breeds and they have no such issue and even have spot on fertility on males up to 7 years of age.

WyandotteTx...I find this interesting also. Perhaps the problem lies in a particular bloodline or variety rather than all Wyandotte roosters. Perhaps it is also influenced by the climate where the flock is bred. In my flock, when temperatures reach 95 F, fertility goes down. Here in central Oklahoma that is May thru August. My CW roo is going on three years of age and fertility is best January to early May and again from September to November. I don't set breeding pens until January so haven't tested December, but would expect fertility to be good. Pulling fluff does increase fertility. I agree that cockerels are productive at 10 months and suggest that separating them from the pullets until setting pens keeps peace in the juvenile pens.

 

[mstrawn3]

If a line is bred too closely the fertility will drop considerably after a few generations. I have gotten fertility from my BLRW cockerels as early as 5 months.

 

[PeakyBeaky]

How does your blue's lacing look-if you have any? If it's good, then at least the splash should have it in his gene's.

He's a splash blue....out of bbs eggs (but all that hatched was splash). Are we talking 3+ generations to get lacing back? I was thinking of trying out eggs from my slw and glw thinking I would get blue and black chicks and then trying to breed back from that offspring depending on how it looked. If this is a "years" thing I'll look for a better starting point.

 

[gladahmae]

How does your blue's lacing look-if you have any? If it's good, then at least the splash should have it in his gene's.

I don't have any blues.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: IMO to keep good blues, breed splash to black. you'll get 100% blues and can judge whether they've got decent lacing (not lacing like the gold and silver laced, but a darker edge around a blue feather.
here's a pic of a blue cochin that shows the blues 'lacing' pretty well. not my bird, taken off the cochin thread, posted by Chickenlovin on the 6th... sorry it's so small, that's the only size posted.

this is my own blue cochin pullet, started off thinking she was black but she's developing the blue as she moults out too.
you can see the dark edging on her as well.