Sunday, August 26, 2007

chickening

I spent much of the morning sorting through all the young roosters. It was time to separate them from the girls, so they don't pick at each other, and also the boys are more mellow if they don't have girls around to fight over! I saw some birds that make me really happy, and also some birds that really disappoint me. There will be another round of culling, but the potentially good cockerels are as follows: 9 BBRed (wow!), 3 Black (that's terrible! That means I will hardly have anything to sell), 4 Brassy Back, 0 Blue Brassy Back (sigh). The Blue Brassies had a lot of color faults... buff coloration in the chest. That's a frequent problem with them, but I am dismayed that none of them turned out good. I knew it was a little dicey this year though since the male I used in the breeding pen was genetically purebred black. Looks like a lot of the Brassy and Blue Brassy Back pullets will be too dark. I AM convinced it's possible to get light-chested females and dark-chested males from the same breeding though.

It's way too soon to say what I have for sale, if anyone is interested. I won't sell males til they are fully feathered out (in case they don't grow a full tail.. it happens).

I sold the Cuckoos a couple of weeks ago. I don't miss them. Sometimes I'm tempted to only work with the BBReds... but I can't do it.

I took some pics today.

Anyone need a single combed Brown Red? Minimal chest coloration, will not have a mulberry face:

Cute single combed pullet:

Short legged pullet (half black, half cuckoo). Darkest face I've seen ever on one of my birds (why?):

The first short legged pullet I noticed. Sister to the one above. This one has a bend/lump in one tibiotarsus:

I hate it when sebrights do that weird neck posture with their head so far back their neck will twitch. I hate it more when a Rosecomb does it. Yuck, ugly! Plus I think his head stopped growing a little too soon...:

Young Brassy Back males (and one black, and a Brown Red older male):

Kinda small perch doncha think? (Brassy Back pullet):

The yearling Duckwing male (in the back) with his sons, Golden Duckwing (left) and Birchen (Golden Birchen??) on the right:

Crappy pic of the Golden Duckwing pullet:

Somebody must need this bird. He's actually my favorite, because he's GORGEOUS. Great color, flawless ear lobes, nice 6-pointed comb (for anyone who isn't a chicken person, this bird has totally the wrong comb type for the breed but dang I like him!):
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousWednesday, September 05, 2007 3:37:00 PM

    Hi Katherine,

    I can see that you have been very busy, me too!

    I think that that BB Red Pullet and the last BB Red Cockerel are great! If you still have them I would like to buy them from you?

    Nick

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  2. Katherine PlumerWednesday, September 05, 2007 5:39:00 PM

    For sure! Let's see how they turn out. I am still debating using the female(s) for breeding. There are two pullets and one cockerel. Would you want a single combed "brown red" (not true breeding) cockerel or pullet?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousWednesday, September 05, 2007 10:35:00 PM

    Maybe, send me some pictures or post them. I could make some very nice Brown Red AGB's.

    I really like the last BB Red single comb cockerel he is excellent.

    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  4. Katherine PlumerWednesday, September 05, 2007 11:12:00 PM

    Okay, I'll take pics as soon as I get a chance (it's hard to even think about the birds much this month!). They are from BBRed X Black breedings, they do not breed true. I assume that "normal" Brown Reds do. I don't understand the difference, nobody has ever explained it to me!

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  5. AnonymousSaturday, September 08, 2007 7:49:00 PM

    Hi Katherine,

    When you cross BB Red to Black you are not producing true Brown Reds. They are Black Reds. They dark red, where as a Brown Red is orange or golden red. Brown Red is a gene type color and Black Reds are a color made from crossing. That is why they do not breed true. It would take a few years to set as a color, but they will never produce true Brown Reds unless they carry the gene for Brown Red.

    Yes please, post those pictures.

    Nick

    ReplyDelete