Improving The Molt

[Tailfeathers]

Ok, I'm just throwing this out there because you don't get an answer if you don't ask the question.

First, just a quick bit of background.  I've had a closed flock of LF WBS for over a decade.  Perhaps my greatest frustration with this flock is the length of time I go without ANY eggs due to a molt that literally lasts for months.  Some on here know that I ran into a recessive yellow-leg gene popping out 3yrs ago (I think. Maybe 2) and in an effort to get to a homozygous leg color state I crossed my W rooster that I thought might be to some Buckeyes.  Simultaneously starting a project to develop a Red Variety.

I currently have my Buckeyes in a hard and fast molt.  Which got me to thinking... what if the project Red birds wind up having the hard, fast molt too?  So, with that foundation laid, here's my question...

Once I get the project Red birds breeding true to Type & leg color, supposing they have a fast, hard molt, would it be a wise thing to try and breed them back to being Wheatens to bring in the fast molt gene or would I be better off trying to 1) Wait to see if I ever get a fast molting bird of my own, or 2) if it comes to the place I'm fairly certain I don't have the gene(s) to then search for a WBS family that does have it, or 3) bring in some of those exceptional bantams & cross them to my LF and then breed back up for size, or 4) something else?

[Russ Blair]

Royce I would personally look for someone with large fowl Wheaten/Blue Wheaten with the trait you are looking to improve. Having played with a few projects I can tell you it is very time consuming to get back to breeding true. While outcrossing to another line can produce some unwanted characteristics and sports. It truly is a faster way to get back to where you are, in a round about way. At least from my experience I should say. My greatest example would be in the bantam silver variety. I kept them closed and tried for 8 years to get a really nice comb on my males while eliminating shafting in the females. Mike Gilbert just got what I consider as good as they will ever get without an outcross at our national meet. It has become evident my line lacked something to get the nice tight comb. All the breeding in the world could not create the gene necessary or the one I lacked unfortunately.

[Mike Gilbert]

Russ, the cockerel I got from you still has a very small comb.  Of course he is still young, and that could change, especially in warm weather.  But his comb does have the three ridges which is what I was looking for.   And the females have some shafting, but just a minimum amount.  So I think you made some real improvements.   And, I was able to acquire a Silver Dutch bantam to cross in, as the Silver's are supposed to be the same color as Silver Dutch.   We'll see what happens over the next few years.