FrankPrize
Songster
- Jul 20, 2018
- 99
- 144
- 106
Having one feather longer than the others won’t hurt him in judging. Type will be the biggest challenge since he appears to have a sloping back angle rather than the horizontal backline required for Phoenix. His saddles look very short for 7 months, but sometimes they can hit a growth spurt in feather growth around 7-8 months old. You can also pull any dry tail feathers that are still his younger growth feathers so he can start regrowing more mature feathers sooner than they would if you let them moult out naturally.
For Phoenix you want to place well in shows, select and breed for long, horizontal backs, thin, sleek bodies, long legs set forward on the body, long, dense feathering in tail and saddles, and firmer feather texture in the tail. Good luck in your efforts.
Thank you for answering my question and raising some concerns; his saddle feathers are just starting to drag on the floor and I’m not so worried about his top line although I am definitely willing to correct any faults in the following generations. He’s not very fond of me so he tends to stand tall as a form of intimidation when I step inside his personal space although he’s already a big boy. My friend purchased him for me as a gift from Toni Rivers and she personally picked him out for me. I was informed that her roosters have a tendency to lean towards the larger side of the standard with most of her cocks looking very thick and broad while her hens are quite the opposite. I’m sure the hen I have from her will help correct any issues that the cockerel may pass on in terms of conformation. I have the SOP for the Phoenix and I know now that I will be referring to it on a regular basis in the coming years.