Bruce - A Whole New Chicken Breeding Programme for 2018

This is Bruce.

Earlier this year, as part of my YouTube channel I ran a series called 'Chick Check' where I filmed a group of chicks from hatch to maturity. The girls would be sold and the boys would go to the freezer. As it happened, the majority of chicks did end up being hens and I sold all of them earlier this year at various poultry shows. I was then left with 8 boys, of which Bruce was one.

Now, most YouTube subscribers became quite fond of Bruce due to his beautiful markings. In fairness, he was my favourite chick from the outset too. But now, what to do with him?

Bruce at one day old - back

It was then suggested that I breed him back to a silkie. Bruce is a Silkie/D'anver cross. He's smaller than a Silkie and lacks the dark walnut comb and wattles. BUT, he has the lovely silkie fluff and this gorgeous colour. And so yet another breeding line begins!

2018 is going to be a hectic year for the incubator. I have my rare breed Ixworths, and two colour lines of Barbu d'Anvers. I have my pet quality Polands that I want to have a few babies from, and I'm breeding a new colour of Silkies - white with a toasted marshmallow hue. Now, I'm going to be crossing Bruce with Gertrude (my white silkie and his grandmother) and see what comes of that! HOPEFULLY I can get his colouration back into a standard looking silkie.

In addition, though the Silkie/d'Anver crosses were actually a complete accident, customers LOVED the pullets so I may well end up doing a few more of those two. There's going to be incubators and chick pens ALL OVER THE PLACE.

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