The Poultry Keeper

Wilt · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject:

I'm not really a Wyandotte person, but here are some young growers.

rwood · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 2

Hi to all you Wyandotte breeders!!

I am a newbie here, first post. I breed Blue Laced Wyandottes in Australia, where the colour is quite rare.

At our national show last year there were NO ENTRIES in the Blue Laced Gold Wyandotte category (I wasnt ready to show mine, shame I would have cleaned up Very Happy

).

It would be good to note here that we have a different line down here in Australia. It is different from your northern hemisphere lines as it is technically a blue laced GOLD (BLG), whereas you would have what we would call a Blue Laced RED (BLR).

Some of the pictures in this thread are oviously of the dark (RED), like those posted by Bluelace, some are more like our GOLD, like the first couple just posted by Wilt, the cockerel in particular is like mine.

I am trying to create the Blue Laced RED (Here-after called BLR) by removing the diluters we have here, (Di at least) and adding red enhancers;

Mohogany, (Mh)
Autosomal Red (Ar)
Extended Black (eb)

Any ideas you northerners might have would be much appreciated. I am using a rooster that is 1/4 Rhode Island Red, 3/4 Wyandotte, who is very dark red, and has Black Lacing (he has a double dose of Rose comb, so no single comb offspring).

He is going over my BLG hens, and I have hatched 100 chicks so far, with only a couple that I would call a Blue Laced Gold/red in this generation.

I am finding the ground colour diluters (Di) to cause an amazing range of colours in the ground colour, from straw, through orange to ginger and some dark red (Very much like the group photo by Wilt, minus the silvers Very Happy

). I am also finding in this first cross that the blue is very dark. Only a couple of lighter blue chicks so far, obviously no splash yet. ALso the darkest reds seem to have black lacing, so am wondering if Blue affects ground colour at all in your exerience.

This year I will be keeping only those that have the darkest ground colour (only 20% have the colour I want), best lacing (only half of these have good lacing), Blue, (even fewer are blue) and best type, should I be lucky enough to be so picky. Hopefully next season I will have more to choose from.

As I said, any help would be appreciated in this. Anything you note regarding the diluters or the red ground colour or enhancers would be good to hear, as I have very few people to discuss this with here in AUS.

Regards
rwood

BLUELACED · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 68 Location: Leicestershire

The naming of our colours is not logical in my opinion, and it would be alot more ideal and less confusing to new comers, if we used the term blue laced red! It's difficult really, if you lived closer I would lend you a gold laced cock. He is from a blue laced to blue laced mating and has a very dark ground colour (mahogany) He is too dark to be shown, but ideal for breeding. I am putting him to my buff laced (splash) pullets to try and improve the ground colour of my Blue laced birds. I also have 100% blue laced breeding pen,but always aim for the dark ground colour as that is what is desired over here. The best person you should speak to is Richard Rowley, he is in my opinion the best blue laced breeder in the UK and he has some amazing birds. If you want I will PM you his number.
You may also find the following link very interesting
http://www.sedgwickcommon.co.uk/sedgwick_breeding.htm

Wilt · Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject:

That's a fantastic article You should get a load of gold stars for that! Wink

Thank you very much.

Here's a possibly idiotic question. What would be the likely out come of putting a BLW coq to a SLW hen? Would it give sex linked off spring the same as Gold (black laced red) on silver?

Tim

rwood · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 2

Tim,

Yes it would still give the sex linked cross, however, Blue would also have a 50% chance of showing up in both male and female. 100 if you use splash gold.

Therefore, you would get some Blue laced Silver offspring in the mix. These are called Violet Laced Silvers I beleive. Cross these back into your pure silvers for the start of a Blue Laced Silver line.

Bluelaced - Thanks for the link. I wish we could send eggs, but alas, not possible/legal without the involvment of quarantine and lots of $$$$.

I will read through the link and get back to you with any questions.

Cheers
Raf

SkyChild · Joined: 18 Nov 2008 Posts: 18

Hi, I am new to chicken keeping. I really liked the look of silver laced Wyandottes, and wondered if they were a good breed for newbies to start with? I was hoping to start a small flock next year. Also, does anyone know of anywhere in Scotland I could purchase Wyandottes? Obviously I will learn more about them before I buy.

Wilt · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:22 am Post subject:

There is a lady in the Orkney isles that sells the birds and hatching eggs.
I'm not sure where in Scotland you are but there are a number of shows and sales they could be available. Peebles has both

HTH

Tim

BLUELACED · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 68 Location: Leicestershire

Yes they are an ideal breed for newbies. They are calm friendly birds, easy to handle, lay well, pretty, perfect Laughing

SkyChild · Joined: 18 Nov 2008 Posts: 18

Hi there, thanks Tim, I emailed that lady about maybe getting some chicks or eggs. I just wondered, is there anywhere that would be likely to list local shows etc, like a magazine or a website?

And I'm afraid I don't know who peebles is...?

I'm glad they are friendly as well as pretty. I couldn't keep anything grumpy, no matter how wonderful it's colouring!

Guess that's settled then. Wyandottes, If I can find them.

Sylvia · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:26 am Post subject:

SkyChild · Joined: 18 Nov 2008 Posts: 18

Ah! Of course, geography is not my strong point! Anyway, good thread! It's convinced me.

rlucas · Joined: 21 Oct 2008 Posts: 4 Location: N E Fife

Here's a Scottish Wyandotte breeder:

http://www.dtrbp.co.uk/

Wilt · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject:

Is this chap worth keeping?

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 1011 Location: Cambridgeshire

Wilt · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject: