Wyandotte Questions

Ok I have about 8 BLRW roosters I need to pick through and find the best 1 or 2 to keep. My issue is this.
I have one with a perfect comb, nice point to the end, nice and flat and no divit in the middle. But he is one of the smaller roosters. His tail set seems right, and his feet and toes look right, just his size.
I have another rooster that is very bulky, very nice coloring, tail and "type" seem correct as do his feet and toes. But his comb is very bumpy, has a large divit in the middle and doesnt taper to a nice point but rather seems to have two points on the back.
So where do you give? Do I cut the larger one slack on his comb or the nice one slack on his size/weight? Or do I keep them both?

The other 6 have other faults and such I don't want to deal with so they are butcher material. I have 2 younger ones still growing that are splash in coloring and have decent combs so far so they will stay for now as well.

I think I would go for the nicer comb and work on the size later. Since I had the roo with the telescoping comb I have become a bit of a 'comb snob', although I never did end up breeding him it was so tempting because he was so nice and big but I just couldn't see myself perpetuating this in the breed. Were these any of the chicks from me? I have seen a few of MrBumblebees chicks (the father of the chicks I brought you) and the size of them was quite impressive. Just curious.

XOX Monika

These boys are all from you Monika, of the 12 babies I got 10 roosters. Like I said some have very nice size to them but lack the combs, this one with the really nice comb is from you, nice and dark blue, nice lacing, and just small. It could be a bit of a pecking order issue and maybe now he is in with the group of girls in the hen house he will add some size?

1000% go for the size. There is nothing wrong with a 'bumpy' comb, theyre not supposed to be smooth. Type is the msot important part... and wyandotte is supposed to be BIG.

If you have the room, keep them both and pick the girls that suit each one the best. You can always use one first on the girls you choose, like the good combed one on you biggest girls and then get rid of him after a hatch or two. You will have his genetics then and if it worked you can keep his offspring and if it didn`t it is good you didn`t keep him.
Same with the iffy combed guy. Give him the girls that have the neatest, tiddiest combs.
Just one way to go about it.

DoubleSSRanch is right there is nothing wrong with a bumpy comb they are suppose to be bumpy but you had also mentioned that there was a divit and that is not good! I can't remember the tech, name for the divit but I believe it is a disqualification. It goes back to what you are trying to achieve with the breeding. It has been said that a bad comb is hard to breed out so if its show quality that you want to achieve I personally would not breed a roo with a bad comb. If its size you want for meat, then it may be a different story. Mine is a personal choice not to include any birds with obvious disqualifications in my breeding program. I am going to go now and find the pictures of that comb with the divit.

XOX Monika


https://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t1451-telescoping-comb-pictures

This link is a previous discussion on combs, in the second set of pictures I posted there is a cockerel with a hollow/divit that Viczoe explained is not acceptable in the SOP and some breeding opinions. Information/knowledge is a good thing to help us all make our personal decisions.

Hidden, I was having the same kind of dilemma with my blues. Now after reading coopslave’s advice, I know exactly what I’m going to do and who shall be paired with who come breeding season. Thank you coopslave! And for what it's worth, I'd keep both boys if you can. You can always change your mind later and not include one boy in your breeding program, but if you sell him now, he's gone and your choice with him.

Island Girl, you’re not alone in your 'comb snobbery'. I know there are so many important things to watch out for when selecting breeders and type always comes first...yet my eye goes straight to the comb every single time. Sigh. A nice comb just looks so good. And a not so nice one stands out like a sore thumb.

I've been making some rooster decisions lately too. Which roosters to keep and grow out more, which go right to the freezer, where to find a new rooster with the traits I'd like boosted up in my flock...
I'm thinking along the same lines as Coopslave that it is just as important to look at the hens you have when deciding. If your hens have good size and shape, then they will (hopefully) pass some of that along to the chicks. The rooster with the good comb but slightly smaller stature might be a good choice then.

When I start putting breeding pens together I'm going to review an article I read by Dr. Everett, SPPA secretary/Treasurer. It was called Culling to the Standard and offers some basic, but wise bits of advice:
#1 "never cull too early".
#2 "Type comes before color."
#3 "Be very careful not to breed two birds with the same fault because if you do you will set that trait in your line."
There is lots more of course, but for me the "KISS" approach is often best! (KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!)