Ultimate Backyard Layer Breeding Project

[Six Chickies]

what about a rose comb dorking? In my first post(post #2), I suggested a non single combed bird becaue you wanted something cold hardy, if your birds have large combs, they will get frost bite unless you take extra measures (like coating them with vasiline) to keep it from happening. You also use the buckeye, they have pea combs.

Sadly, I don't know of anyone around here (hatchery or home) that has dorkings. Although there are quite a few with Wyandottes, and hatcheries with everything else. I looked into Dorkings, but few to none any where near me.
Also, I have heard rose comb is dominant? Is that true, (still waiting for my genetics book @the library)

 

[Six Chickies]

I would definitely put Icelandics in your breeding plans. They are extremely cold and heat tolerant and are great foragers. You could then cross them back to a heavier breed for larger body size and better egg production. Good luck ive always wanted to do something like this but never had the time!

I've wanted to do something like this ever since I joined BYC last Sept. now that I am getting to know other chicken people who live near me, I can start something like this. It really started when I was scolded for buying chickens who were more for show than production (eggs = $ for feed) so I decided that I wanted to make a really useful chicken that has all of the great traits of all the best layers (except dorking). And I wanted to have a useful mixed breed. After I get it into full swing, I hope to never have to buy another production chick from a hatchery.

 

[farmerChef]

Sadly, I don't know of anyone around here (hatchery or home) that has dorkings. Although there are quite a few with Wyandottes, and hatcheries with everything else. I looked into Dorkings, but few to none any where near me.
Also, I have heard rose comb is dominant? Is that true, (still waiting for my genetics book @the library)

as far as I know, single combis recessive to all other comb types. Chicken have 2 comb genes, so if they only have one single comb gene, the comb will resemble the dominate comb gene. With the rose comb gene, the comb usually the same as a chicken with 2 rose comb genes. Pea x single combs usually are squigged, some people call them noodle combs. You can cross a single combed bird with a nonsingle one as a test mate. If all chicks hatch with the same comb as the nonsingle comb bird, then that parent is pure for thier comb gene. If about 50% of the chicks hatch with single combs, then the nonsingle combed parent only has one copy of the gene

 

[farmerChef]

Sadly, I don't know of anyone around here (hatchery or home) that has dorkings. Although there are quite a few with Wyandottes, and hatcheries with everything else. I looked into Dorkings, but few to none any where near me.
Also, I have heard rose comb is dominant? Is that true, (still waiting for my genetics book @the library)

Wyandottes would be good then. Im partial to the rose comb myself.
Dorkings are supposed to be good dual purpose birds, they have good meat and lay well.

 

[Six Chickies]

I will have to look into the dominance of the Chantclair's comb because it looks like a pea comb on a day-old chick - nothing to get frost bitten. Smaller combs are pretty important where I live because it can commonly reach -20*C in winter during the day! (Canada - what are you going to do? )

 

[Six Chickies]

YES!! I've found dorkings!! Albeit of the single comb variety, but I still may add them in! Found Orphintons too...

This is what I would use each breed for, if I use it.

Sex-links - high production, good feed to egg conversion ratio, winter laying, easy to tell pullets from cockerals
Barred Rocks - supposed high egg production, pattern, hens used to create red sex-links
Wyandottes - LOTS of feathers, small comb, wide body, pattern
RIR - supposed high production, roosters used to create red- and black-sex links
NHR - supposed high production, roosters used to create red- and black-sex links
Delawares - supposed good production, wide bodies, hens used to create red sex-links
Buckeyes - small comb, winter layers, supposed good production, roosters can be used to create red and black sex-links
Australorps - good temperament, supposed high production, wide body
Chantclairs - small comb, winter layers, supposed good production
Icelandics - coloring, supposed wide range of climate tolerance, supposed broodiness (I know I most likely wont get a high production broody hen, but a girl can dream)
Marraduna Basque - coloring, excellent foragers, supposed decent production, body shape
Leghorns - body shape, supposed high production
Dorking - supposed good layers, coloring
Orphington - supposed good production, wide bodies, LOTS of feathers

I'll draw a picture and post it, and tell me if you think it's possible to create with these.

 

[Six Chickies]

I think I'm taking Orphington, Delawares, and Barred Rocks out of the equation, but am thinking of maybe adding an old English game in there somewhere for body type. I think I would probably borrow a rooster, and cross him to a large hen like an Australorp or Australorp cross. Get the gamey body type in at least some of the chicks.

 

[Six Chickies]

Taking leghorns out too. No point when I was really only going to use them for body shape when I could probably get it with an oegb.

 

[Six Chickies]

Here is what I hope a hen would look like. She has a small, puffy tail, tight, soft feathering, long legs, gamey body, cushion comb, small wattles, and a fluffy butt. (You may not be able to see it, but its there) She'd be somewhere between an oegb and an Australorp in size.

 

[Six Chickies]

I know I'm being fickle, alright, here, I think this will be one of my final copies.
Sex-links
Wyandottes
RIR
NHR
Buckeyes
Audtralorps
Dorkings
Chanteclairs
Icelandics
Marraduna Basque
Modern Game Bantam (like the VERY long legs )