A Couple of my Africans - Page 2

Yes, that is the male. I know in the second picture from the bottom the knob looks like it has that little bit of orange on it, but I think that is an illusion from the poor lighting and background.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by flaming007 

Is it the male with a little bit of old frostbite on the nob?

Sure.

Those are "decent"    "hatchery Africans".   I say decent, because most hatchery Africans lack the dewlap. If it does not have a dewlap, it is not an African. The African Geese that you can order from places like Cackle and Meyers are actually Chinese geese.

Your geese resemble the breed, and will no doubt do well for you with your purposes... Now, if you were to want to show Africans, that would be entering into a totally different realm. If you hatch their eggs and keep some babies, keeep the largest ones with the largest dewlaps.

Since you live in Oregon, Holderread's has got to be a very convenient choice for you, but honestly they are not what they used to be in Africans, specifically. They kinda reached their peak in the 90's, and have been going downhill ever since. Granted, their birds are leaps and bounds better than any hatchery stock of any sort, but if you want something that is going to win a show, go with a private breeder. Holderread's sells birds off their name. They also price birds off the name. A good friend of mine bought and "elite sq" gander from them once, and it was disqualified in the show ring. He has also sold "elite" American geese that had dewlaps....

SO, for the cheapest, safest bet, I would suggest trying to look elsewhere for Africans.

If you want to order birds for show, don't order from a hatchery. That said, many breeders have developed a good line of birds out of Holderread's birds.. So if you go hatchery, go Holderread's. But the absolute best way to get the best birds is to go to a decent sized show and talk to the winners. That is how I got to where I am now. I would go buy birds out of the show, and also talk to the breeders, network, and therefore find people!

I can't comment on their ducks, but since they don't cost too much as ducklings and shipping would be minimal, that may work out ok for you. I never buy birds sight unseen, but that would be an economical choice for you. If you want to be a powerhouse at the shows and get the best possible start don't do it, but if you just want to get your feet wet and see how you like it, Holderread's is a great choice.