Wing It Ranch

[WingItRanch]

Bedtime was also better today! I've been checking on everyone every hour or so and somehow I missed Mama taking her babies to bed. When I went to collect eggs, she already had them tucked into a nest box. Good thing she only has 3 because I don't think any more would fit!

I'm so relieved everything has been going well. Here are some photos I took during free range time. Baby cockerel found himself a yummy bug and ran like hell to keep it.

 

[WingItRanch]

@wrathsfarm do you see the Blue Marans in the background? I'll probably want her to have babies with the BCM cockerel. She lays nice dark eggs and i think she's also really pretty. She's lacking the copper but I bet adding a BCM will fix that in her offspring.

 

[Tstraub]

A black Sire and blue Dam would result in 50% black 50% blue chicks. You can’t really expect to fix the hackle color in one generation but it would definitely get you closer and might result in a few chicks that look correct but it would likely take several generations to really lock in the genes to breed true.

 

[WingItRanch]

A black Sire and blue Dam would result in 50% black 50% blue chicks. You can’t really expect to fix the hackle color in one generation but it would definitely get you closer and might result in a few chicks that look correct but it would likely take several generations to really lock in the genes to breed true.

Wow really? I didn't realize it would take multiple generations to add the copper back to the Blues. I did know the offspring would be 50/50.

If I end up with 1 cockerel and 2 pullets in this hatch, can I breed brother with sisters or would that result in some issues?

 

[Tstraub]

I

Wow really? I didn't realize it would take multiple generations to add the copper back to the Blues. I did know the offspring would be 50/50.

If I end up with 1 cockerel and 2 pullets in this hatch, can I breed brother with sisters or would that result in some issues?

It all kind of depends on your goals. If you just want a few chicks to replenish your flock and put some of n the freezer then you might get lucky in the first generation and get exactly what you are looking for. If your trying to put a breeding program together with predictable looking chicks it’s going to take generations to get all chicks looking similar to each other.

I’m still learning myself but I listen to a lot of podcasts and do a lot of reading on the subject. The biggest issue with brother sister mating is that if they share a fault the faults will intensify. Inbreeding doesn’t cause new problems but it does bring out hidden defects. If you breed siblings expect to cull a higher percentage

 

[WingItRanch]

I

It all kind of depends on your goals. If you just want a few chicks to replenish your flock and put some of n the freezer then you might get lucky in the first generation and get exactly what you are looking for. If your trying to put a breeding program together with predictable looking chicks it’s going to take generations to get all chicks looking similar to each other.

I’m still learning myself but I listen to a lot of podcasts and do a lot of reading on the subject. The biggest issue with brother sister mating is that if they share a fault the faults will intensify. Inbreeding doesn’t cause new problems but it does bring out hidden defects. If you breed siblings expect to cull a higher percentage

Gotcha. Yeah, I have no intention at this time to breed SOP. I'm just too busy and have other priorities. I do intend to keep egg layers and my main goal is to keep a colorful basket. I sell the eggs. I'm very happy with the color variety I have right now.

 

[wrathsfarm]

With my Black Coppers, Kongs overcoloring in his chest has helped add hackle copper to his daughters of overmelanized hens. How this overcoloring will effect your Blue girl I can't say, without test mating when the time comes to find out.