Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[QuackerJackFarms]

There are standards for many aspects in life. Grades in school is a beginning standard. You must score X to get grade Y.

There is a difference between breeding utility birds aka meat production/farm production/pet production how ever you wish to label them. Then breeding to the written and agreed apron standard for an animal in order to strive towards betterment of the breed.

PAI do compair dogs to birds and can because we have working Pyrenees, not show Pyrenees. They never come inside, they do a job and are not pets. We have EE chickens that are pets and produce great eggs that are good for eatting. If others want EE eggs to hatch we sell them at a reasonable price to help cover feed cost of that flock. Our son is raising black copper marans, his hatching eggs are a higher price, because he has spent time collecting birds that meet the standard and culling those who do not. This has been an investment of time on his part and funds on ours. Thus the eggs and chicks cost more than oh we are gon a buy just any BCM eggs hatch and breed them and sell the eggs.

Some breeds have issues in the lines that need worked on. Knowing this and ignoring it only ads to the problem. BCM have sprigs, thumb prints and carnation combs, as well as split wing and white primaries. Birds with these issues shouldn't be used. They make great stew or eatting egg layers.

Lavender Ameracuana need egg color improvement, color improvement, and consistency in color. These are all things that need to be worked on with goals for improvement. To improve egg color and feather color you breed back to black pure breds to help both.

Sebastopols can suffer from Twisted Wing Tip as well as Angel wing. These are two different issues which are caused by two different reasons. There are ways to avoid them, and or correct them be it through selective breeding, feed choices or wrapping of wings (I early on set cases of angel wing). Twisted wing tip is not found in the UK where they have both smooth and curly Sebastopols accepted to their standard. It is thought that using both in a breeding program might be the reason for it. It is further affirmed by the fact many US flocks have no smooth breasted birds in the breeding program and have many cases of TWT.

Call ducks when just bred at random can be way too large, tall in the leg with big bills. This is not what a call duck should be. You shouldn't breed large pet quality (or sports) call ducks together as it doesn't do anything to improve the breed.

Standards are a guideline for a reason, it helps in producing flocks of quality animals without faults.

There is not a thing wrong wrong with producing utility grade livestock animal. As long as they are marketed as such when selling eggs and offspring. Sebastopols are not a utility bird, they are eye candy that should be kept to the standard as much as possible.

I have some eye candy in my kitchen.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

12 red star eggs

GREAT egg layers.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Wow. I'm a thread kill.

 

[70%cocoa]

I have carefully selected my foundation, some are pure, some are not, some are ducks, some are not

But one thing I can say is I am choosing healthy ~ AND ~ My standard that I want NOT the standard someone else is telling me...

I am creating my Rivers Edge Standards NOT someone elses. What I may find desirable, may not be what someone does BUT that does not mean it is poor quality, or backyard bred ~ if someone doesn't like what I am breeding, then DUH don't buy my eggs, or birds. I have always thought for myself, whether people agree with me or not. I am not a follower & I am not a "keep up with the Jones" either..

There is a need for this approach too. Otherwise we'd never get any new breeds or colours. If people had not done this 150 years ago, we'd have very little variety today.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

There are standards for many aspects in life. Grades in school is a beginning standard. You must score X to get grade Y.

There is a difference between breeding utility birds aka meat production/farm production/pet production how ever you wish to label them. Then breeding to the written and agreed apron standard for an animal in order to strive towards betterment of the breed. 

PAI do compair dogs to birds and can because we have working Pyrenees, not show Pyrenees. They never come inside, they do a job and are not pets. We have EE chickens that are pets and produce great eggs that are good for eatting. If others want EE eggs to hatch we sell them at a reasonable price to help cover feed cost of that flock. Our son is raising black copper marans, his hatching eggs are a higher price, because he has spent time collecting birds that meet the standard and culling those who do not. This has been an investment of time on his part and funds on ours. Thus the eggs and chicks cost more than oh we are gon a buy just any BCM eggs hatch and breed them and sell the eggs. 

Some breeds have issues in the lines that need worked on. Knowing this and ignoring it only ads to the problem. BCM have sprigs, thumb prints and carnation combs, as well as split wing and white primaries. Birds with these issues shouldn't be used. They make great stew or eatting egg layers.

Lavender Ameracuana need egg color improvement, color improvement, and consistency in color. These are all things that need to be worked on with goals for improvement. To improve egg color and feather color you breed back to black pure breds to help both.

Sebastopols can suffer from Twisted Wing Tip as well as Angel wing. These are two different issues which are caused by two different reasons. There are ways to avoid them, and or correct them be it through selective breeding, feed choices or wrapping of wings (I early on set cases of angel wing). Twisted wing tip is not found in the UK where they have both smooth and curly Sebastopols accepted to their standard. It is thought that using both in a breeding program might be the reason for it. It is further affirmed by the fact many US flocks have no smooth breasted birds in the breeding program and have many cases of TWT. 

Call ducks when just bred at random can be way too large, tall in the leg with big bills. This is not what a call duck should be. You shouldn't breed large pet quality (or sports) call ducks together as it doesn't do anything to improve the breed. 

Standards are a guideline for a reason, it helps in producing flocks of quality animals without faults.

There is not a thing wrong wrong with producing utility grade livestock animal. As long as they are marketed as such when selling eggs and offspring. Sebastopols are not a utility bird, they are eye candy that should be kept to the standard as much as possible.

Very well said celtic!

Many breeds of birds have issues with coloring, and size.

Welsh hrlequins, they have many coloring issuies that realy need to be corrected, and from what I hear its very diffacult. The silver phase hens (the APA color) almost all have the wrong leg color, and head markings. Except for those that breed for perfection.

I am hoping to get a few breedable ducklings out of my eggs I have in my bator, and my order from holderread. I really want to try and help this breed

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

QJ, you didn't kill the thread, now where is my evening photo of that goose?

DG, good on you for reading up on them! Keep an online or notebook log of pairings and what their offspring turned out like. I look forward to seeing yours grow out and what you hatch.

I agree with Cocoa as well. Color projects are a great way to create very interesting birds. Our Lav Ameracuana are a project color, will be until atleast 2013 if not beyond because of a few things.

Projects are fun, like the new mini Sebastopol. Yup I said it a mini. HWF is only releasing a few smooth of this variety. There is another breeder who has curly varieties.

 

[70%cocoa]

Projects are fun, like the new mini Sebastopol. Yup I said it a mini. HWF is only releasing a few smooth of this variety. There is another breeder who has curly varieties.

Oooooh - how excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mini curly Sebbies.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Yeah I am looking forward to seeing them.

Quote:

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

QJ, you didn't kill the thread, now where is my evening photo of that goose?

DG, good on you for reading up on them! Keep an online or notebook log of pairings and what their offspring turned out like. I look forward to seeing yours grow out and what you hatch.

I agree with Cocoa as well. Color projects are a great way to create very interesting birds. Our Lav Ameracuana are a project color, will be until atleast 2013 if not beyond because of a few things.

Projects are fun, like the new mini Sebastopol. Yup I said it a mini. HWF is only releasing a few smooth of this variety. There is another breeder who has curly varieties.

I want to breed the best I have. I would love to have 2 SQ breeding pairs. The drake I have now is SQ I believe. And so is one of the hens. But she has bad leg coloring, there shouldn't be any yellow, but she has a small amount:/ I might be getting rid of her. The drake stays though.

My chick is all hatched and fluffed! Hes so cute! I think he might be a silkie cross though... He has to much yellow... Darn....

 

[Iain Utah]

Ruh roh.... I may be getting sucked into buying more utility toulouse eggs... somebody puh-leaze stop me!!