Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[RoostersAreAwesome]

So, community, help me out here. Keep one? Keep Both? Dispatch both and set hopes on Butterfinger? Keep both and replace Phoenix Blue with Butterfinger in a couple months?

Get rid of Pretty Boy in favor of these two???

I'm open to, and in fact soliciting, genetics advice to move the project forward and hopefully show a little more progress by the start of the new year.

Would have been SO SO SO much easier if the second bird had been a pullet.

You could keep a couple Brahma mix pullets instead of the Brahma mix cockerel. They should all have the same potential to have penciled offspring, since they’re all first generation Brahma crosses.

 

[NatJ]

So, community, help me out here. Keep one? Keep Both? Dispatch both and set hopes on Butterfinger? Keep both and replace Phoenix Blue with Butterfinger in a couple months?

For now, I would probably keep Phoenix Blue.

Keeping him solely because of the pattern, which viewed from top back looks like a certain mythical creature. Accordingly, he's being christened, Age 20 weeks, "Phoenix Blue". Weight 72.16 oz (4.51 lb). Positives are the red tones, prominent comb, clean shanks. Underweight at target age, however - and no lacing or penceling.

And I would also keep the one with the Brahma Mama for now.

Here is the other bird under consideration. Same hatching, so 20 weeks. One of the "Brahma mama" birds, so at least one copy of the pattern gene I want. 5.62# / 90 ounces.

He has a lighter weight male sibling with some leakage that cound indicate a gold gene, but no leaks in this bird. Silver all the way.

But if Butterfinger turns out as promising as you hope, I would keep him too, and probably cull the above two after Butterfinger is old enough to evaluate more completely.

"Butterfinger/Left Twix" from the May 7 (P2-01) hatching, age 5 weeks, in whom I have many hopes.

You can't un-butcher a bird, which is why I'd keep all of those possibilities for now, unless it is really important to reduce total numbers of birds.

I've forgotten-- do you have any Brahma hens left? If so, you might cross Phoenix Blue to a Brahma, and pick up some genes for patterning that way.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

At a glance, most of the older brahma mama chicks are males. Probability did me no favors in that regard, but I will make a more thorough inspection later, while they are eating. Because they are slower to develop, its been harder to accurately sex them. Had you asked me a month ago, I'd have said two were pullets.

 

[Sally PB]

This thread is inspiration for me. I don't have a breeding project in mind, but who knows what might happen next spring?

 

[3KillerBs]

So, community, help me out here. Keep one? Keep Both? Dispatch both and set hopes on Butterfinger? Keep both and replace Phoenix Blue with Butterfinger in a couple months?

Get rid of Pretty Boy in favor of these two???

I'm open to, and in fact soliciting, genetics advice to move the project forward and hopefully show a little more progress by the start of the new year.

Would have been SO SO SO much easier if the second bird had been a pullet.

Do you have the facilities to use all the males by separating them and pairing them up with the most promising of the hens in different combinations to see what recessives pop up?

My understanding of breeding is limited and I'm working on learning in part through following your project, but I have read that it's a mistake to use the same male through too many generations unless you've got a particularly good specimen.

What advantage does Pretty Boy have that would merit pairing him with his daughters instead of advancing to the next generation?

I don't have enough knowledge to know if pairing Phoenix Blue to the Brahmas would generate a desirable pattern or not.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Do you have the facilities to use all the males by separating them and pairing them up with the most promising of the hens in different combinations to see what recessives pop up?

My understanding of breeding is limited and I'm working on learning in part through following your project, but I have read that it's a mistake to use the same male through too many generations unless you've got a particularly good specimen.

What advantage does Pretty Boy have that would merit pairing him with his daughters instead of advancing to the next generation?

I don't have enough knowledge to know if pairing Phoenix Blue to the Brahmas would generate a desirable pattern or not.

No, I don't. Because I free range, "pairings" will happen. I refuse to cage for breeding. That's why this is a "culling" project.

Pretty Boy is in the mix because he's young, he's virile, he was the best rooster thrown by RUG. By one year of age, Pretty Boy will be replaced. SInce I'm focused on birds with Start of Lay between 20-24 weeks (sooner if I can get it), that means he can potentially mate with his daughters, and maybe somoe of his daughter's daughters before he is replaced - but if a better ROO comes along, I'll hand him a bus ticket to freezer camp early, and without a pause.

Part of why this last hatch was Pretty Boy over the Comets was to reinforce the tendency towards early lay - to offset the inevitable contributions which may later be introduced witht he Brahma penciling. I'm trying to cover my bets.

 

[3KillerBs]

No, I don't. Because I free range, "pairings" will happen. I refuse to cage for breeding. That's why this is a "culling" project.

Pretty Boy is in the mix because he's young, he's virile, he was the best rooster thrown by RUG. By one year of age, Pretty Boy will be replaced. SInce I'm focused on birds with Start of Lay between 20-24 weeks (sooner if I can get it), that means he can potentially mate with his daughters, and maybe somoe of his daughter's daughters before he is replaced - but if a better ROO comes along, I'll hand him a bus ticket to freezer camp early, and without a pause.

Part of why this last hatch was Pretty Boy over the Comets was to reinforce the tendency towards early lay - to offset the inevitable contributions which may later be introduced witht he Brahma penciling. I'm trying to cover my bets.

Makes sense.

I wasn't sure if you had any way of partitioning the range.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Makes sense.

I wasn't sure if you had any way of partitioning the range.

I would have to put up a 6' solid fence. That's a step too far - and the goats would probably break it anyways. The original plan was to divide the pasture into four around the barn - it was abandoned pretty quickly.

 

[lilmillefleur]

I Read this whole thread because I always find breeding projects to be very interesting.
I’ll be following along! You have an awesome flock

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Welcome Puffypoo, glad to have you join the journey! Technically, its a culling project tho. A breeding project would progress faster, but require greater constraints on my birds.

and of course, more organization on my part.

Two weeks old tommorow, look well feathered. May move them to grow out in the barn this weekend. Get things nice and clean before these chicks make an appearance.