What would you do with this mess? Kraienkoppes / Twentse Hoens

Sparklee

Songster
11 Years
Jul 28, 2008
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I got some Kraienkoppes this last spring.

The breed standard put out by the Germans or Dutch (I don't remember which) is that they have
1) small walnut combs
2) red ear lobes

I have 7 hens with what looks like ALL white ear lobes. One might be red, but it's about 25% white and I imagine it will only take a couple of weeks before it goes completely white.

I have one cock with red ear lobes, but he has a straight comb.

I have one cock with white ear lobes and a small walnut comb.

I have one cock with ear lobes that look like they are going to be white as they are already partially white right now and I'm guess they will go full white withing a few weeks. His comb is walnut.

So 7 hens with white lobes and the only cock with white lobes has a straight comb.

I think I have nothing to breed with.

So they will do fine as broodies, but I would like to have birds to come a little close to matching what they're supposed to look like. I won't buy anymore, I don't think, until 2012 to infuse them with a little different blood.

Suggestions? Comments? Viewpoints? What would you do with what I've got? I'm all ears because I don't know what to do or think.
 
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If all you want them for is broodies and having a walnut comb, then breed them towards that.

If you want to actually preserve the breed (which they really do need, in all honesty), select for the traits listed in the breed standard.

A pure walnut comb is dominate over a straight comb, so essentially you could use the straight combed one if you wanted to. Just don't cross it back over it's offspring. When crossing the offspring (sibling to sibling), get rid of any straight combs that come from the pairing.

As far as the white earlobes - sometimes they will turn red as the bird matures. If not - cull them out.

I agree with you about the hatcheries, most are that way. Breeding for production (quantity) instead of keeping the breed standard (quality). There are Kraienkoppe breeders out there (one is in Oklahoma), you could also infuse some of that stock with yours for improvement.
 
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If they are hatchery stock, you may want to SEE whether they have the broodiness you desire, before getting too attached to any concerns about breeding them onward...

Pat
 
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Good point. We'll see what happens.

Though, it was good to ask now because I would have culled the straight combed guy with the red ear lobes not knowing that the straight comb would be easy to get rid of.
 
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Ooof. And you're from the Netherlands, too. That's not a good sign for me and the birds' broodiness.
 
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Oh, that is good news! I'd been thinking that fella was doomed. So I guess I could use him for next spring for replacement hens, hoping for all small walnut combs and red earlobes.

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Ah. Makes sense.

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Okay, but then I'd have 1 cock left.

Do you mean get rid of everything and start over in the spring with new chicks? I don't think I'm up for that. But is that what you think I should do? That would be my first choice, but I need broodies for next spring because I have a hate/hate relationship with my incubators. It's not that I can't get 70% out of uncandled eggs, but it's what I have to go through to get that result and then the brooding period.

Would it still work to use all those white lobed hens with the red lobed straight combed cock and cull the white lobed offspring?

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George McLaughlin from Tahlequah, right? Is he still breeding them? I couldn't figure out how to get a hold of him. And will he still be breeding in 2012? Actually, there's probably a bigger chance that I won't, if you really think about it.
 
What I would do (and others may differ) is put every single egg I got out of any of the females into an incubator. Hatch as many as possible, then cull heavily next year. If the good genes are in there, you can get them out this way. But it means hatching all the time, for the next year or so. Do not rely on broodies to do this for you. Get an incubator, and use it a lot.

Otherwise I'd start over.
 
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Follow what Pathfinders said, she's more experienced than I. I'm working with a different breed with limited stock and pretty much doing as she suggested by hatching everything I can and culling heavily.

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Yes he is, and still will be I believe. I ran across a forum where he made a post, you could probably email him from there or speak with Christine Heinrichs from the SPPA.

The forum is here: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/farmlife/msg0418105725939.html User ID macmex

Christine's contact info:
http://poultryb.dot5hosting.com/contact.html
 

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