"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Cody A]

Upon closer inspection I have one hatch hen I kept that has them they are so tiny on a hen you wouldn't know if you weren't looking. Now the culling begins. I sure hope the ones I bought direct don't have them. Thanks for the info. Pam

Pam why would GFF be culling or worried about birds with sprigs? There's no standard to go buy. I would think that would be the beauty of selling birds that aren't APA recognized. Why bother or care when they can make money off of whatever they sell.

I haven't taken a count but I know well over half to three quarter of the birds I have show the sprigs. I would imagine the eggs I got from the other place were just from random birds in a flock that haven't been selectively bred. Just a guess though.

Your thoughts?

 

[Ron Skekel]

I'm not breeding to sell or show but I'd like to work towards a standard should they ever be recognized by APA. I will also learn a lot from the process of selective breeding.
You never know you may want some of my bloodline one day if I stick with the Bieles.

I have the book "Genetics of the Fowl" and read what I could on sprigs and genetics but the book is a just a tad bit over my head when it comes to the genetics aspect.
You reinforced what I thought I understood as correct just had to make sure. Pam, thank you for your never-ending help.

I posted some pics of some of my birds with sprigs on the Biele thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/727364/a-bielefelder-thread/1870#post_15526190

Thank you Cody for thinking of me. That could happen if I lost my birds somehow. You will learn a lot more from trial and error. The books are hard to follow. The ones on your hen are bigger than the ones on my hen hope that doesn't mean they will get bigger. I will let you know. I think it's a good idea to compare and share success and failures as we go it will help both or us. Happy to help any way I can. Plus plans can change you may decide to sell some in the future. So breeding to improve the line is a good idea. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

Thanks, I'm going to check the feathers and do my best buy I'll just give the extras away. I've spent more money on this dang coop a few extra bucks on chicks is the least of my worries.... with 50/50 odds I guess I'll pick up 6 or 7 in order to get 3 hens....

You can just buy poulets from the hatchery that have been sexed. Then you only have a 20% chance of getting a rooster. Ideal is still able to ship here. You could buy breeds that are auto sexing. Like a sex link then you have 100% of getting only poulets. I would stick with less expensive breeds for your first flock. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

Pam why would GFF be culling or worried about birds with sprigs? There's no standard to go buy. I would think that would be the beauty of selling birds that aren't APA recognized. Why bother or care when they can make money off of whatever they sell.

I haven't taken a count but I know well over half to three quarter of the birds I have show the sprigs. I would imagine the eggs I got from the other place were just from random birds in a flock that haven't been selectively bred. Just a guess though.

Your thoughts?

They are a prestigest poultry breeder with a good reputation. If they lose that do you think people would continue to buy from them. They have had problems with some of the breeds they imported in the past. They have culled them plus imported new lines to fix the problem. I've spoken with their new farm manager a few times and I feel competent that is there mission. Now that doesn't mean they kept a breeder they thought was free of the gene. That wasn't and is a carrier. They will only know if buyers tell them or if they keep some stock that develop sprigs.
I'll defiantly be keeping and eye on them. The ones I just got. I'll be extremely happy if none have it. Pam

 

[Jamco6000]

You can just buy poulets from the hatchery that have been sexed. Then you only have a 20% chance of getting a rooster. Ideal is still able to ship here. You could buy breeds that are auto sexing. Like a sex link then you have 100% of getting only poulets. I would stick with less expensive breeds for your first flock. Pam

from all the sites I've seen, the shipping is more expensive than the chicks themselves. A lot also have minimum numbers to order, I'd still be ordering excess chicks. From my research, buff orpingtons, leghorns, and barred rocks are what I want. I'm open to suggestions but I really just want a nice friendly layer.

 

[lakones]

from all the sites I've seen, the shipping is more expensive than the chicks themselves. A lot also have minimum numbers to order, I'd still be ordering excess chicks. From my research, buff orpingtons, leghorns, and barred rocks are what I want. I'm open to suggestions but I really just want a nice friendly layer.

Look up Wyandotte also. I have some from two different "local to Baton Rouge" breeders and their personality is very similar to my buffs. In fact some of the wyandottes even fly up on my arm for attention. Let me know if you need some contact info.

 

[Ron Skekel]

from all the sites I've seen, the shipping is more expensive than the chicks themselves. A lot also have minimum numbers to order, I'd still be ordering excess chicks. From my research, buff orpingtons, leghorns, and barred rocks are what I want. I'm open to suggestions but I really just want a nice friendly layer.

What area are you in? Sex links are friendly. Easter eggers if you want colorful eggs, I like and have barred rocks but they are young. Most of the breeds you mention will have breeders in your area or close to it. Go on Face Book search poultry for sale in your area. You will find a good amount of groups or private pages join them. You can search adds of leave an ISO add. I'm sure you can find what you like. They will also tell you when and where the next swap is. Look now swaps so times shut down in the heat of summer. Pam

 

[Cody A]

I'll defiantly be keeping and eye on them. The ones I just got. I'll be extremely happy if none have it. Pam

I hope they don't have them either.

I may need to get some new blood from you one day.

 

[Ron Skekel]

I like Wyandottes too. I have a few they are pretty on top of it. To the reason I loged on I got my first Marans egg from my green fire lines. Not as dark as I would like but I'm happy and can't wait to see the color of the other two hens and my other line.

 

[lakones]

I like Wyandottes too. I have a few they are pretty on top of it. To the reason I loged on I got my first Marans egg from my green fire lines. Not as dark as I would like but I'm happy and can't wait to see the color of the other two hens and my other line.

Nice! My maran hen started laying last fall, then not much over the winter. This spring her eggs were darker so maybe you will see the same.