Wildtype colors on Dual Purpose Chickens

[user9173]

I'm absolutely Crazy about the Red Junglefowl color pattern, which led me to Obtaining my Black Breasted Red Gamefowl. I would like to have some chickens for eggs and meat that tastes good. I see examples of domestics that resemble the Gamefowl, but have subtle differences and often have to be double mated to achieve the right colors for show.

I like uniformity and colors that can reproduce themselves without double mating. So I'm working out an Idea in my head for crossing the Gamefowl with a dual purpose breed to create hybrids that will hopefully have the gamefowl colors but the production value and taste of the other.

My thought is that selection through this process would be difficult with a breed that already closely resembles the gamefowl, as my eyes could be fooled into picking the variety that needs double mating, and would require many single mated test crosses and years of waiting to see how they develop.

So I'm thinking that the easiest way to go would be to cross the games to an Dominant extended black variety. by f2 I should see the right colors in ~%25 of the offspring. Or am I thinking wrong here?

 

[Severne]

The thing about this is that uniformity with a cross between the e+, e wh, and e b allelles is rather difficult to achieve as the line between them becomes very difficult to determine with all the leakage and secondary traits that affect color.

 

[sjango]

I agree with Severne. If you like wildtype color e+/e+ (also called red duckwing) you should try to use birds that already have that pattern whether silver or red duckwing. Adding any other patterns will detract from your goals.

 

[Tervuren]

Check out Red Dorkings! They have the traditional wild type color pattern and are decent layers who are a very good table bird traditionally. This color pattern is not common in the US, but I know I’ve come across breeders when I’ve been clicking around the interwebs. You’d also be helping a heritage breed! Here’s some pics I found online from Everyday Acres-not my pics obviously!

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

We raise standardbred brown leghorns. They have close to the BBR pattern you're speaking of, whether or not you want to double mate for top show birds is up to you but most of the breeders I know don't. It'd be easier to double mate an established breed, though, than create a new one. My leghorns are my largest and meatiest breed and of course good layers--ideal dual purpose homestead birds. They're even autosexing. I have Houdans, Legbars and Bresse aside from them. A really well-bred bird that's had generation upon generation of hard culling for size and muscle and frame behind it will beat out any hybrid or hatchery bird or neglected line or mutt you compare it to. I think most people have never had their hands on birds like this to know what's possible and that's a bummer.

 

[pinewoodacres]

I don't believe double mating is necessary for Welsummers. I love mine and am using them in an e+ olive egger project. The red they add is gorgeous and I love the size they contribute.

 

[Amer]

I also am disappointed that there are no American breeds that are e+ based.
If you do go the extended black route, use Australorps. Not many extended black breeds are actually super productive.
Otherwise, use Rhode Island Reds and just get rid of the wheaten and the darkening modifiers.
Use Welsummers, maybe? They don’t need double mating.