Iridescent feathers

[RobG7aChattTN]

they look great! Do they breed true to the black? any color on the roosters? What comb type are you selecting for?

I have some fibromelanistic-olive eggers that are all black and have a great green sheen to their pullet feathers. But not purple as yours. I've noticed some of my cockerels tail feathers are only partially iridescent.

The biggest issue that I have is some red bleed-through on the hackles and sometimes wing bows. I’m trying to add in a long tail and while those birds don’t have the best iridescence they are improving. There’s a unique comb type that not all birds have and maybe a bit harder to recognize in the roosters but I the hens it presents as a “shark fin” shape. I like the idea of a blade comb that can shed heat yet small teeth that won’t be as easily lost to frostbite. It might be the best of both worlds and it’s unique. I could definitely breed for it but might lose some of the best iridescent color so it’s definitely a secondary trait.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The biggest issue that I have is some red bleed-through on the hackles and sometimes wing bows. I’m trying to add in a long tail and while those birds don’t have the best iridescence they are improving. There’s a unique comb type that not all birds have and maybe a bit harder to recognize in the roosters but I the hens it presents as a “shark fin” shape. I like the idea of a blade comb that can shed heat yet small teeth that won’t be as easily lost to frostbite. It might be the best of both worlds and it’s unique. I could definitely breed for it but might lose some of the best iridescent color so it’s definitely a secondary trait.
View attachment 3935745

She looks like a casawarry

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

Here’s a new video. I actually decided to not use this guy for breeding but he was cooperating and the lighting was good so I shot this video. The phone camera had a little issue deciding on how to deal with the lighting but the most accurate color is at the very beginning and the end. You can see the lighting look more accurate when the boards in the background look right. The true color is the more magenta shade.

 

[Bawkbok]

Gorgeous bird. Looks like lavender, teal and Phthalo blue.

 

[UncleChuck]

Here’s a new video. I actually decided to not use this guy for breeding but he was cooperating and the lighting was good so I shot this video. The phone camera had a little issue deciding on how to deal with the lighting but the most accurate color is at the very beginning and the end. You can see the lighting look more accurate when the boards in the background look right. The true color is the more magenta shade.

Are you and your birds okay?

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

Are you and your birds okay?

Yeah. You mean because I haven’t posted any photos in a while? I’m trying to slow things down a bit and stop/reduce hatching so I don’t have to deal with chicks in the winter. I also need to transition some of my birds from breeding pens and put them in the free-range flock. I’ve been trying to be really good about culling birds when I know they can be culled to keep my flock size down. Hopefully I can hold off on spring hatching (instead of late winter) and wait until I can evaluate all the birds in order to put the best breeding pens together for 2025. I have some great looking young birds right now but also so many chicks that won’t show their worth for many months. So I guess I won’t know exactly how good 2024 was for a few more months but I’m excited for 2025. I’ve been working a lot lately but hopefully soon I can re-evaluate a few pens and I’ll post photos of the standouts. I know I’ve got some really nice pullets and cockerels that I haven’t shown pictures of yet.

 

[UncleChuck]

Yeah. You mean because I haven’t posted any photos in a while? I’m trying to slow things down a bit and stop/reduce hatching so I don’t have to deal with chicks in the winter. I also need to transition some of my birds from breeding pens and put them in the free-range flock. I’ve been trying to be really good about culling birds when I know they can be culled to keep my flock size down. Hopefully I can hold off on spring hatching (instead of late winter) and wait until I can evaluate all the birds in order to put the best breeding pens together for 2025. I have some great looking young birds right now but also so many chicks that won’t show their worth for many months. So I guess I won’t know exactly how good 2024 was for a few more months but I’m excited for 2025. I’ve been working a lot lately but hopefully soon I can re-evaluate a few pens and I’ll post photos of the standouts. I know I’ve got some really nice pullets and cockerels that I haven’t shown pictures of yet.

I actually meant from the storm. I have some friends RVing around looking for a place to buy in E. TN. who have been sending me photos links and videos. Had me worried about these guys.

That's all very exciting! I'm glad you are all doing well!

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

I actually meant from the storm. I have some friends RVing around looking for a place to buy in E. TN. who have been sending me photos links and videos. Had me worried about these guys.

That's all very exciting! I'm glad you are all doing well!

First off…thank you for your concern! Originally they had us as dead center for the path of the hurricane and I was sure that at the very least we’d lose power (we are the last house on a long power line and any break in that line affects us) and I was worried about chicks hatching in the hatcher and chicks in the brooders but amazingly we didn’t lose power. The path actually went east of us and really ravaged the Carolinas and northeast Tennessee but spared us in southeastern Tennessee. We got over 5” of rain but that’s not really crazy for us. We have a wet-weather creek that runs through our property and it wasn’t any more full than what we see several times a year. Meanwhile there were areas in North Carolina that got over 30” of rain! That much rain would have devastated anywhere! My main coops are 100% covered with metal roofing and fairly high ground so it would take a lot to really cause problems and all those coops have higher areas and high perches so flooding should never be a big problem. I’ve often worried about wind taking the roof off mostly because a very nearby neighbor has lost part of the metal roof off of his horse barn TWICE in recent years but so far the roof on my main pen (and barn) have held.

 

[MysteryChicken]

(F1) Mini Game Hen.
This is her green iridescence, in a couple different lightings she shines Purple, & Electric Blue.

 

[MysteryChicken]

F2 Mini Game Pullet. She shines the same as her mother above.