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Author Topic: genetics info please  (Read 4463 times)

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
genetics info please
« on: January 02, 2011, 03:18:26 pm »
Hi all,

  can any of you recomend a useful source of info re selecting poultry for breeding. I would like to understand more about how to breed charecteristics in to and out of my stock. My birds arnt perfect unfortunatly but I have chosen a breed in very short supply so I dont have much to choose from. I would like to better understand how and when to outcross to ensure that my birds stay true to type while perfecting the feather colour.

I realise that this will be a slow process and it is only for my personal pleasure as I have no interest in showing and the colour that I have selected is not accepted in the show ring. I would however like to produce the best birds that I can.

Buffy

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2011, 03:52:29 pm »
what breed did u choose?

BlueDaisy

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Grow your own - veg and chooks!
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2011, 04:06:12 pm »
Hope Dan doesn't mind me posting a link to another forum but you could try here.
http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=3&page=1

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2011, 09:01:05 am »
Hi :wave:

  I ve chosen blue Croad Langshan bantams. I have always kept a selection of bantams but once I decided to start breeding I wanted to breed a type I really liked the look of. I love my croads but find the traditional white or black a bit limiting.

I am part of the breed club but only a couple of members actually breed blues and both of them lost a gread deal to the fox this year so the trio that I have managed to aquire are not what you would call show quality ( even if the colour was accepted )

I like a challenge though so I am really looking forward to getting started this year and seeing what my birds can produce.  I have previously purchased fertilised eggs and hatched them under Snowy my light sussex broody but this year I am planning to try out my new incubator too.

Buffy :chook:

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2011, 01:41:40 pm »
incubators getting better hatch rate than broody hens apparently.

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2011, 08:22:30 pm »
Thanks for the links to the genetics site. Some really interesting stuff if a bit over my head though. From what I have read in previous postings on the site, I think the best approach seems to be to breed from what birds I have, see what I get and then look to out cross from there dependant on what I need to introduce.

As regards the better hatch rate with an incubator... Snowy and I have a bit of a wager on. As she is an experienced broody and more importantly a chicken ( so she thinks that makes her an expert!) and I am an inexperienced novice with an incubator and an electric hen, she rather fancies her chances. 

Lets wait and see....... ;)

Buffy

cluckingnuts

  • Joined Oct 2010
  • llyn peninsula
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2011, 10:28:01 pm »
If you are breeding blue you will end up with blue, black + splash. They are all on the E-locus so it makes it easier.

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2011, 07:14:58 pm »
Hi Chickingnuts,

 what is the E locus and how does it make it easier? And will that be the case if the birds are all blue? If I bread the true blue male with say a buff plymouth rock would the chicks be sex linked gold and silver?


B

bamford6

  • Guest
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2011, 09:58:49 pm »
first pick the birds that you wont ..get all the stuff on the breed so you no whots good and bad .this is haw i started Richard o Rourke best breeder orpingtons i wonted chocklate orpingtons my breed went to wales 2 black split chocklate orpingtons from the best breeder in UK 2 cock birds £150 pounds for the 2 i then went out and bought hens from sue legit  from mull  national winer 1st and 3rd best orpington i naw had 2 pens 4 hens in 1 and 4 in the other i  then bred them 2010 i had 300 chicks incubated all the eggs fed them and realey went to town on them .i then had a friend  that new good stuff he pict 3 orpingtons from the lot i then sold all the birds and kept  3 bantams good  shape colour legs i then went back to wales and bought a chocklate cock bird thats the 2011 team the money i spent on the first cock birds i got back with £300 to play with .i will hatch every egg they lay .will take the best 6 hens and put them back to the 2 black cocks and line breed them .they live in a 8 ft by 8ft shed heating warm food and light .they will be in condition for the end off February .iv also done this with gold lace bantams .iv also done road island reds for the queens factor .i dont show i like nice birds off type .and you could do the same .get all the big federation shows go through the list off you're breed .why feed rubbish when you can have the best in the uk i can open my hand on breeders and there is only a fuew that have it rob Boyd tinson and hidden sue legit .dont go to shows  and pay through the nose breed you're own .take light sussex bantams there is not good light sussex bantams very rare naw .orkney very good breeder .i hope this has made it easer .it will take 3 yeres done right .i have 55 pens off rare breeds and out off 55 pens i naw have 20 pens that make the money .iff you came to the farm and said i wonted eggs to hatch i would give you the best eggs but think haw good some off these birds you would have thats why you have to do it youre self .all the best on youre project and dont give up when things go wrong .

cluckingnuts

  • Joined Oct 2010
  • llyn peninsula
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2011, 12:31:24 pm »
Hi Chickingnuts,

 what is the E locus and how does it make it easier? And will that be the case if the birds are all blue? If I bread the true blue male with say a buff plymouth rock would the chicks be sex linked gold and silver?

The e-locus has 8 alleles, in order of of dominance; E > E^R > e^Wh > e+ > e^b > e^s > e^bc > e^y.
E makes a solid coloured bird (black) + the addition of other genes changes the colour. eg. single dose of blue gives blue, double dose of blue gives splash.
Buff birds can be on all but E + E^R base. Gold with usually Co, Mh, Di,  (with or without Db).
The first generation cross would give black + blue birds (as the will all be E/?) all carrying the other genes, so you would not be able to sex them on hatching. Presuming the cock is gold then all young will be.


Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: genetics info please
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2011, 08:54:54 am »
Thanks Gary and Chickingnuts,

                I am keeping an eye out for more quality birds but at the moment the supply seems very short. I will try breeding with what I have for the moment as its all useful experience.

                  I realise from your post Gary that despite purchasing the best quality stock and establishing a large number of breeding pens that it can still prove difficult to produce show quality birds. I find the genetics side of it really interesting though as I dont have a background in genetics it is taking me a bit to understand some of the terminology although the principals make sense. I find these things easier to understand when I can apply them to a practical example so I will make notes to accompany my breeding plans.

                  My blue hens are not laying at present and although my young cockerel has started treading one of my broodies he wasnt managing to find her vent so I think I will need to be patient.

                  Buffy

 

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