Tan Silverudd’s Blue (Isbar) hatching eggs

[PNWskye]

Hi! I bought some hatching eggs that are labeled as Isbar (I know they’re Silverudd’s Blue now) that are tan. See pic, they are all the way to the right. They should be green. I contacted the seller, and she said it’s genetics since they added a new generation to help with respiratory issues found with the 1st generation of SB.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

We just candled and most of the green SB are not viable, so I’m a little disappointed too. The tan ones look good so far.

Is this breed difficult to hatch or did I get a bunk collection of eggs? The BCM and Blue Andalusian don’t even look like they were fertilized in the first place.

Thanks for any tips/advice/experience

 

[coloradowildflower]

I am inclined to think you got a bad batch of eggs. I've hatched Silverudd's Blues/Blue Isbar and always had great luck. Good fertility, vigorous development, and healthy chicks. That being said, the hen who laid those brown eggs is not a good choice for breeding stock, and the chicks you hatch may or may not lay the green eggs you're hoping for. (I've quoted a great discussion of the chances below--not mine, but very well-written and informative!)

They are beautiful birds, though, and mine have docile, quirky personalities, which makes them really fun to have in the flock. So if you're a backyard hobbyist not trying to breed SOP birds, it's probably not something to worry too much about. It will introduce some fun variety into your flock!

Still, I understand your disappointment, and I personally don't think they should have sent the brown eggs when they knew you wanted Silverudd's Blues. Having so many other duds, too, makes it doubly frustrating.

Good luck with your hatch! I'll be crossing my fingers that you get green-egg-layers!

Isbars are still very much a work in progress.

Both brown and blue egg genes are required to make green eggs. Brown egg genes are very easy to come by and actually difficult to get rid of once introduced, so no worries about losing those in the Isbar. Some Isbars may be heterozygous for the blue egg gene, meaning they only carry one copy. The eggs will still be green with only one copy of the gene, but if you breed 2 heterozygous birds together, the chicks they produce will be 25% homozygous (carrying 2 copies) for the blue egg gene (green egg layers), 50% heterozygous chicks (green egg layers), and 25% absent any blue eggs genes (brown egg layers). If you happen to have a rooster that is absent the blue egg (something that can only be discovered through test breeding), then pairing him with a homozygous hen will produce all heterozygous chicks. Pairing him with a heterozygous hen will produce 50% heterozygous chicks and 50% chicks absent the blue egg gene.

Even in Sweden, I understand they are still working on getting the Isbar flocks homogeneous for the blue egg gene. So while a brown egg laying Isbar is unfortunate, it is not totally unexpected. Last fall, I received a brown-egg laying Isbar as a chick directly from GFF in my package of 2nd import Isbar chicks. She is now happily laying eating eggs for a wonderful family.

It would take a huge amount of test breeding to remove all the heterozygous birds from the breeding pool of the Isbar. And with all honesty, that would make a dangerously small gene pool in this country even smaller. It is just not feasible at this point. All we can do is remove the pullets/hens that lay brown eggs from the breeding pool, as well as replace cockerels/cocks that produce them.

I applaud alchemist farm on her willingness to give BerkeleyChick another pullet to replace the brown egg laying one.

As breeders we strive for perfection, but it is often a long and bumpy road, especially when starting with a small gene pool that was not perfect to begin with.

 

[PNWskye]

I am inclined to think you got a bad batch of eggs. I've hatched Silverudd's Blues/Blue Isbar and always had great luck. Good fertility, vigorous development, and healthy chicks. That being said, the hen who laid those brown eggs is not a good choice for breeding stock, and the chicks you hatch may or may not lay the green eggs you're hoping for. (I've quoted a great discussion of the chances below--not mine, but very well-written and informative!)

They are beautiful birds, though, and mine have docile, quirky personalities, which makes them really fun to have in the flock. So if you're a backyard hobbyist not trying to breed SOP birds, it's probably not something to worry too much about. It will introduce some fun variety into your flock!

Still, I understand your disappointment, and I personally don't think they should have sent the brown eggs when they knew you wanted Silverudd's Blues. Having so many other duds, too, makes it doubly frustrating.

Good luck with your hatch! I'll be crossing my fingers that you get green-egg-layers!

I really appreciate your long response and quoting another post. I do want to breed these sweeties eventually. I don’t want to cull chicks that may or may not lay green or tan eggs themselves. I’m inclined to grow them out as egg layers as well. I will need to designate them some how from the others (leg bands). Then, even breeding them to a roo that comes from blue-blue will still give a 25% chance of a tan offspring. Sounds like I need to get some more eggs and start fresh. I’m happy to hear yours are healthy and hatch well. Thank you again!

 

[PNWskye]

Just an update. One green egg and 4 tan ones hatched. 3-4 cockerels, including the green egg. The one definite pullet has mottling, which is unfavorable. I plan to grow her out as a layer and hope she lays lovely speckled, green eggs even though she’s from a tan egg.

I did get a few more eggs from a different breeder and have 3 new babies (pic). Hoping they’re all or mostly are pullets!!

 

[PNWskye]

Just an update. One green egg and 4 tan ones hatched. 3-4 cockerels, including the green egg. The one definite pullet has mottling, which is unfavorable. I plan to grow her out as a layer and hope she lays lovely speckled, green eggs even though she’s from a tan egg.

I did get a few more eggs from a different breeder and have 3 new babies (pic). Hoping they’re all or mostly are pullets!!

My recent batch were all pullets!

 

[PNWskye]

Another update: from the original batch of eggs, only one pullet (hatched from a tan egg). She luckily lays green. She is heterozygous and has blue and tan genes. She’s in my layer pen, and her name is Marceline (the Vampire Queen due to her red leakage as a baby).

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Another update: from the original batch of eggs, only one pullet (hatched from a tan egg). She luckily lays green. She is heterozygous and has blue and tan genes. She’s in my layer pen, and her name is Marceline (the Vampire Queen due to her red leakage as a baby).

Congratulations! Marceline is beautiful, as are her eggs.

 

[coloradowildflower]

Gorgeous eggs! Good job Marceline!