A Heritage of Perfection: Standard-bred Large Fowl

[Fentress]

I think the thread petered off a bit because we need more lurkers to start asking questions and trying to work with standard-bred birds. When folk's are ready, we are

Here's one. What does "deep" mean? When the breast is described I think I know what broad and full mean, but how is deep different than those words. And, the other day I saw it used in connection with a different body part ( I forgot which one). I just can't picture it.Does it mean "low" that the breast is fully developed down to the body? Or is it the degree to which the breast projects out, horizontally?

Thanks

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Here's one. What does "deep" mean? When the breast is described I think I know what broad and full mean, but how is deep different than those words. And, the other day I saw it used in connection with a different body part ( I forgot which one). I just can't picture it.Does it mean "low" that the breast is fully developed down to the body? Or is it the degree to which the breast projects out, horizontally?

Thanks

Deep in breast is a measurement of "down". A breast might be well-rounded, like a good Ancona breast, but one wouldn't describe the bird as deep, per se:



A deep breast is on that shows greater length down from the neck to the tip of the breast. It would be particularly suited to a bird respected for meat qualities. Dorkings are broad, deep, and long, which corresponds to thickness, width and length of breast fillets. Here are a couple of birds that would qualify, IMO, as deep, not just well-rounded, but deep:





This is the result of broad, deep, and long. As a side note, I would also add, for those who believe through their inexperience that standard-based breeding is only about appearance, that these photos illustrate a different story. Moreover, the rate of lay on our Dorkings is quite strong, which is something that also corresponds to this body type.

 

[Fentress]

Thanks. That is a great response. Putting it in relative terms with the different breed pictures really helps toward knowing what the words mean. I love your dorking carcass, I hope my K's can come close to that in a couple of months. thanks again.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Greetings Angela!

...I am more interested in weight and type...If you have a bird with significantly better type or that is significantly weightier, or if it's a hen that is totally free from shafting, then it is probably worth it.

Thank you, Joseph.
All of these chicks are consistent in type, and the Urch birds were near Standard weight when thin. I felt like I picked up 2 bowling balls when I picked up the Urch birds Sunday to reorganize the pens, but did not have a scale nearby. They feel quite solid and heavy, so I feel sure they meet or exceed the weight standards now, and I expect their offspring will do the same.

I had to look up shafting to see what you mean. I think all my females have some degree of shafting. I really had not assessed feathering beyond watching for early or late development, and judging that all my birds are looking much shinier on the new feed.

Thank you for telling me to keep an eye open for shafting. I will add that to the pullet selection criteria, along with egg size and shape.

Best wishes,
Angela

 

[gjensen]

Ok, I've got one for anyone who might know the answer to. Right now I've got this plan to really improve the buff brahmas( LF ). Not enough good stock out there as far as the buffs go, so I'm using my lights to improve the buffs. Right now I've already done the cross and got the F1's bred them to a pure buff male and have my current chicks, the F2's.

Here's where I'm at. The type in general looks to be improving nicely. The coloring is where I need help. When I'm picking out breeders for next year I plan on doing one pen more focused on females and one more focused on males. That will make three breeding pens for the buffs, with one being a pen with a buff male and two light females from this year( these should add some serious type to these buffs ). The coloring though is all over the place. Some have too little buff, some too much, and some that appear to be perfect at the moment. I know how to pick out the females for the Columbian color pattern. Male pen will get females with lots of smutting in their back to give nice saddle feather coloring/diamonding. The female pen will get more SQ coloring in their females. My problem is I just don't know how to pick out the males as far as the coloring goes. Should I pick males with more black, or ones that are close to SQ for the males? Should I pick out males with more buff, or SQ coloring for the females??

p.s. I know the buff males will have white feathers for x years, but the pattern will look the same.

Post some pictures of the buff to include shots of the under color. You could get some help like that. Buff is a tricky color.

Post some good pictures.

 

[gjensen]

Thanks. That is a great response. Putting it in relative terms with the different breed pictures really helps toward knowing what the words mean. I love your dorking carcass, I hope my K's can come close to that in a couple of months. thanks again.

To me. Nothing ruins the appearance of a dual purpose bird more than a "cut off" chest. I am seeing more and more NHs with no depth. This problem with appearance does not go away when the bird is plucked. Joseph illustrated the points nicely. I hate to see a big bird with nothing up front, and no thighs.

 

[fowlman01]

To me. Nothing ruins the appearance of a dual purpose bird more than a "cut off" chest. I am seeing more and more NHs with no depth. This problem with appearance does not go away when the bird is plucked. Joseph illustrated the points nicely. I hate to see a big bird with nothing up front, and no thighs.

When I judge meat birds, no thighs is a common problem. They are too skinny in that area.....many times.

Walt

 

[Fentress]

I have started with BR and they are suppose to have a continous round line up front with no break between the breast and body. I know I won't get all of that, because I saw the stock before I got the eggs, but at least they will be wide and sturdy, quite unlike the hatchery stock I have now.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Thank you for telling me to keep an eye open for shafting. I will add that to the pullet selection criteria, along with egg size and shape.

Best wishes,
Angela

Definitely keep your eyes on the shafting. Beginners might say something like, "Oh that's only feathers" or randomly drop and expression they picked up like, "Build the barn and then paint it", but there are coloring issues that are more or less straightforward to sort out later on. However, others can be a bear to fix; shafting is one of them. Red Dorking females are shafted; Silver Grey females are not. They have already been allowed to acquire far too much shafting in general. It's important not to allow the problem to worsen.

I have started with BR and they are suppose to have a continous round line up front with no break between the breast and body. I know I won't get all of that, because I saw the stock before I got the eggs, but at least they will be wide and sturdy, quite unlike the hatchery stock I have now.

The traditional shape given for a Rock is a gravy boat. Indeed, they're much on the Dorking in general shape, but they're higher on the shank and more rounded on the edges. There is a distinct difference, though, between rounded and cut off.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Post some pictures of the buff to include shots of the under color. You could get some help like that. Buff is a tricky color.

Post some good pictures.

Will do.