Glenda Heywoodo
Songster
Ralph Sheriff Sr before he passed away in December 2012
had 70 yrs experince breeding pure bred chickens
He was note for Black and BB Red OEG
BREEDING YOUR BIRDS FOR FEATHER QUALITY
Ralph Sheriff Sr, Piedmont Sc
When asked what qualities determines which birds we
keep, to this I reply:
When going over our birds to cull out the unwanted
ones for the seasons breeding, we look for:
(1) Good type (2) Good feather color (3) good feather
quality (4) good leg and feet color (5) Good eye color
(6) Good face color.
We begin the culling after 9 months growing off
period. As Cockerels and pullets our birds must fit
the ABA Standard for Old English.
If a bird does not meet these requirements they don't
last long enough to eat our feed or take the time to
care for them.
A cockerel to be kept to molt into a cock bird or a
pullet to molt into a hen must be strong in these
qualities with NO FLAWS or deviations.
If one doubts his own decision and keeps a bird that
has any of these qualities lacking, such as Off
colored face, toes, feet, leg, eyes, feather color,
which should be according to the ABA Standard called
for, then he is wasting his time to replace these as
breeders.
If you allow birds of serious defects,
lacking good qualities to become breeders in your
stock, you are headed for trouble. One little defect
and it is gone. We don't maintain a flock of MAYBE'S!
We only maintain a flock of birds that will pass
muster to become show quality winners!
We want our selves and our customers to be proud of
the birds that we or they are breeding out of our
stock.
Fir instance if a cockerel has poor eye, leg, feet,
face color, feather color, or lacks feather quality,
they are not worthy to become breeders. The birds must
have these excellent qualities, as a cockerel or a
pullet, before we keep them to make excellent breeders
as year old cocks or hens.
Another thing the sperm of the cock is stronger when
they are 12 months to 18 months old, and will produce
stronger better standard quality chicks. Cockerels
need to mature to be used for breeding good quality
cock birds.
Feather quality is the most important on our selection
of cockerels and pullets, for cock birds and hens. We
only breed from birds with excellent feather quality.
This fact alone is what we decide on when using cocks
and hens for our breeding pens. The other good
qualities are there after culling and keeping them as
cockerels and pullets. Thus when maintaining a line up
of cockerels and pullets we ONLY choose the best
feather quality birds available.
Culling birds that may be better than most people
keep is a great sacrifice that we maintain, the rasing
of many birds allows us this option. One small defect
of quality missing and the bird is gone to the sack.
Maintaining only birds with good feather quality from
year to year, proves to be a asset.
Why breed another breed in to get large tails of wider
feathers, when if one chooses the best feather quality
birds year after year, that you can raise, you will
maintain your own quality stock.
In 47 years of breeding, we have not ever bred another
breed of birds into our Blacks or BB Reds. By only
chosing breeding stock with good Standard
qualities,plus only the best in feather quality, we
have maintained a fine winning strain of Old English.
Feather quality will allow you to keep birds that have
all the qualities needed in Saddle, hackle, and
feather width.
We are proud to say we have had 3 Grand Champions of
Show, at the ABA Nationals and 2 APA Grand Champions
of Show,at the Nationals, and this we are proud of.
Also having numerous Reserve Grand Champions at these
shows. In 1981 we had ABA National Champion of show,
APA National Champion of show and the Old English
National Show Champion also. These wins speaks well of
our strain of Old English Game Bantams.
Any one needing some help with their culling of birds
may give me a call at 864-269-3465 after 7pm at night,
I will be glad to help them what I can.Also one has to
see how strict we cull our birds, you have to be there
at culling time.We have had folks ask us for the
culls, but if the birds are not good enough for us to
breed, we don't feel that others should have them to
breed either. We never keep birds just to see how they
will molt out. It is a waste of our time and feed. We
only keep birds of excellent quality to molt out as
cocks and hens.
A CULL as a cokerel in any little defect is a CULL as
a Cock. Likewise our pullets, only the best will do
for hens. Why waste your time and feed on it.
We have excellent records and toe punching system for
the blood lines, on the male line and female line,
thus knowing what birds will make good breeders in
each line. This is important in any ones
breeding,record keeping and toe punching is important
to success.
When you keep only good feather quality birds you will
maintain a good feather quality blood line.
Ralph Sheriff Sr
had 70 yrs experince breeding pure bred chickens
He was note for Black and BB Red OEG
BREEDING YOUR BIRDS FOR FEATHER QUALITY
Ralph Sheriff Sr, Piedmont Sc
When asked what qualities determines which birds we
keep, to this I reply:
When going over our birds to cull out the unwanted
ones for the seasons breeding, we look for:
(1) Good type (2) Good feather color (3) good feather
quality (4) good leg and feet color (5) Good eye color
(6) Good face color.
We begin the culling after 9 months growing off
period. As Cockerels and pullets our birds must fit
the ABA Standard for Old English.
If a bird does not meet these requirements they don't
last long enough to eat our feed or take the time to
care for them.
A cockerel to be kept to molt into a cock bird or a
pullet to molt into a hen must be strong in these
qualities with NO FLAWS or deviations.
If one doubts his own decision and keeps a bird that
has any of these qualities lacking, such as Off
colored face, toes, feet, leg, eyes, feather color,
which should be according to the ABA Standard called
for, then he is wasting his time to replace these as
breeders.
If you allow birds of serious defects,
lacking good qualities to become breeders in your
stock, you are headed for trouble. One little defect
and it is gone. We don't maintain a flock of MAYBE'S!
We only maintain a flock of birds that will pass
muster to become show quality winners!
We want our selves and our customers to be proud of
the birds that we or they are breeding out of our
stock.
Fir instance if a cockerel has poor eye, leg, feet,
face color, feather color, or lacks feather quality,
they are not worthy to become breeders. The birds must
have these excellent qualities, as a cockerel or a
pullet, before we keep them to make excellent breeders
as year old cocks or hens.
Another thing the sperm of the cock is stronger when
they are 12 months to 18 months old, and will produce
stronger better standard quality chicks. Cockerels
need to mature to be used for breeding good quality
cock birds.
Feather quality is the most important on our selection
of cockerels and pullets, for cock birds and hens. We
only breed from birds with excellent feather quality.
This fact alone is what we decide on when using cocks
and hens for our breeding pens. The other good
qualities are there after culling and keeping them as
cockerels and pullets. Thus when maintaining a line up
of cockerels and pullets we ONLY choose the best
feather quality birds available.
Culling birds that may be better than most people
keep is a great sacrifice that we maintain, the rasing
of many birds allows us this option. One small defect
of quality missing and the bird is gone to the sack.
Maintaining only birds with good feather quality from
year to year, proves to be a asset.
Why breed another breed in to get large tails of wider
feathers, when if one chooses the best feather quality
birds year after year, that you can raise, you will
maintain your own quality stock.
In 47 years of breeding, we have not ever bred another
breed of birds into our Blacks or BB Reds. By only
chosing breeding stock with good Standard
qualities,plus only the best in feather quality, we
have maintained a fine winning strain of Old English.
Feather quality will allow you to keep birds that have
all the qualities needed in Saddle, hackle, and
feather width.
We are proud to say we have had 3 Grand Champions of
Show, at the ABA Nationals and 2 APA Grand Champions
of Show,at the Nationals, and this we are proud of.
Also having numerous Reserve Grand Champions at these
shows. In 1981 we had ABA National Champion of show,
APA National Champion of show and the Old English
National Show Champion also. These wins speaks well of
our strain of Old English Game Bantams.
Any one needing some help with their culling of birds
may give me a call at 864-269-3465 after 7pm at night,
I will be glad to help them what I can.Also one has to
see how strict we cull our birds, you have to be there
at culling time.We have had folks ask us for the
culls, but if the birds are not good enough for us to
breed, we don't feel that others should have them to
breed either. We never keep birds just to see how they
will molt out. It is a waste of our time and feed. We
only keep birds of excellent quality to molt out as
cocks and hens.
A CULL as a cokerel in any little defect is a CULL as
a Cock. Likewise our pullets, only the best will do
for hens. Why waste your time and feed on it.
We have excellent records and toe punching system for
the blood lines, on the male line and female line,
thus knowing what birds will make good breeders in
each line. This is important in any ones
breeding,record keeping and toe punching is important
to success.
When you keep only good feather quality birds you will
maintain a good feather quality blood line.
Ralph Sheriff Sr
