| Author |
Message |
jaydee67
Moderator
Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 4766
Location: Shetland Islands
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:31 am Post subject: Eggs wanted 2008 |
 |
|
| New year, new thread. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ashley.crowther
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Posts: 367
Location: Shropshire, UK
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I have seen some shetlands on the forum and wondered if anyone had any of those??? It can probably wait til later on in the year though... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Birdxman
Joined: 17 Nov 2007
Posts: 32
Location: Lincolnshire
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Ashley--Ive seen some of those on E-bay if you are interested in buying from there? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ashley.crowther
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Posts: 367
Location: Shropshire, UK
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I saw them too, but already have something in the bator  ... I will look again later on in the year... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jaydee67
Moderator
Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 4766
Location: Shetland Islands
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Once my birds are laying better, remind me Ashley and I'll send you some to try. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ashley.crowther
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Posts: 367
Location: Shropshire, UK
|
| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
helena
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 68
Location: north wales
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I got my Shetlands off ebay, all fertile, 4/6 hatched under broody. 3cocks 1 hen, keeping all unless they get naughty with me  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 389
Location: Shetland
|
| Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
>sighs long-sufferingly!< guys... they're not a real breed, just a mongrel achievable by crossing any of the blue egg laying breeds with a tinted egg layer. Female offspring lay green-shelled eggs. For khaki eggs, cross blue with dark brown.
Don't get hung up on the idea of having to have "Shetlands" - there's no breed type, not even up here in the land that gave the "breed" it's name, and you can get suitable fertile mongrel eggs easily enough. Ashley, I see on the "eggs available" thread you have mixed colour Araucanas - you just have to run the hens with a non-Araucana cockerel, hatch their eggs, and hey presto! you have green egg laying "Shetlands". Job done!
Attila |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
helena
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 68
Location: north wales
|
| Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Just my luck !!
I thought I was being so clever having Shetland sheep and Shetland hens.
You have burst my bubble.
Next you'll tell me that I don't have fairies in the fields? 
Well who leaves the rings !! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ashley.crowther
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Posts: 367
Location: Shropshire, UK
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I actually have an araucana cross and she does lay green eggs, It's just she looks completely different than the Shetlands I have seen. (A buff Orpington X so looks a bit like the colour of sick...) Ah well... back to the drawing board... - I know what you mean about the fairies helena, I have them too...  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Magpie
Joined: 28 Aug 2007
Posts: 541
Location: Norfolk
|
| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Would it be right to call Shetlands a landrace breed then? Landrace breeds don't have to adhere to a standard.
Tim |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Attila The Hen
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 389
Location: Shetland
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Magpie wrote: | Would it be right to call Shetlands a landrace breed then? Landrace breeds don't have to adhere to a standard.
Tim |
I see where you're coming from Tim, but I don't think they qualify even for that description. While landraces are not expected to breed completely true like standardised breeds, they nevertheless need to demonstrate some general phenotypic uniformity. How else to differentiate between a landrace and a mongrel? The following may help clarify a little:
"Landrace - primitive or antique variety usually associated with traditional agriculture. Often highly adapted to local conditions."
Source: Glossary of Biodiversity Terms
Here in Shetland I have seen 5 distinct "types" of hens kept by Shetland crofters, all of which their owners swear blind are 'proper' Shetland hens. Broadly speaking you have:
1) Multicoloured araucana-types (with ear muffs and head tufts) - see Jaydee's gallery
2) Single colour araucana-types (mainly ginger or white), with either blue or yellow legs
3) Black non-araucana-types (with no feather ornamentation on their heads), and whitish blue ear-lobes (rather like a Minorca)
4) Multicoloured non-araucana types (mainly ginger with black highlights, or black with silver highlights)
5) As per 4 above, but with feathered legs cf. a Cochin.
All the above lay mostly green eggs, but you also get a proportion (I reckon c.10% from talking to folk) that lay a conventional tinted egg. The genes are very scrambled and diffused indeed here.
Really, the only criteria for a hen being called a "Shetland" appears to be its laying a green-shelled egg. Outward appearance of the bird can be anything at all, as proved rather well by Ashley and his wacky Buff Orpington x araucana! There's clearly no adaptation to local conditions conferred by the wide range of 'types' of "Shetland" hen here, so I think one in all honesty could not describe a band of mongrels, which can be duplicated in one straight crossbreed anywhere outside of Shetland as a Shetland landrace of hen.
A good example though of Shetland landraces come with tatties and kale - we have Shetland Black potatoes, and Shetland kale. There is some slight variation within each breed - the tatties for example vary in their blackness, the depth of their eyes, their shape (i.e some are kidney-shaped, some not) - but they do share a distinct set of general characteristics - all have distinctly black skin (not the sad royal purple of the supermarket "Shetland blacks"), all have the internal dark purple ring in the yellow flesh, and all are adapted to grow well in Shetland's shallow soil and short cool growing season. Far better than more standardised breeds! Once you've got Shetland Blacks in your yard here, getting rid of them is the devil's own work - they keep coming back year after year!! So you have slight variation within but general uniformity to a type, evidence of local adaptation, and a breed that cannot be readily created anywhere else - a classic landrace.
As for the fairies - we have trows here... like fairies, but with added attitude. Distinct enough I'd say to be defined as eldritch landrace!
Attila |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jaydee67
Moderator
Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 4766
Location: Shetland Islands
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I have birds that match Attila's descriptions of 1, 3 and 4. Most folk I know would prefer their 'Shetland' hens to have 'tappit' or tufted heads, but as Attila says, the only real criteria seems to be they lay green (ish) eggs. Mine lay eggs of shades of green - and even have one that lays a pinky beige. Most of my birds are black with some colouration around the neck feathers - usually ginger and I have a real soft spot for the 'tufties'. Doesn't matter to me as I keep them for their eggs and as I have said before - they almost definitely have araucana in them somewhere back when. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Magpie
Joined: 28 Aug 2007
Posts: 541
Location: Norfolk
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Okay, thanks for the clearing that up! I have mostly seen araucana types described as laying green eggs so I assumed that was "normal" 
cheers
Tim |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ure-croft
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 1
Location: Eshaness, Shetland
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Jaydee67, do you have any Shetland hatching eggs available yet? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
