CSU - Chicken State University- Large Fowl SOP

[cbnovick]

Sometimes it is because the birds are hot. I had thought split wing was caused by a missing feather, but one of my Barred Rocks has split wing on one side only. He has all the correct number of feathers, but wing looks like photo posted above. I took him to a show just because I wanted a professional opinion on him and sure enough, the judge said split wing.

I would agree with the 'hot' reason... when my dotte (BLRW) gets hot, she's got lazy wing carriage...smart and fast way to cool off (-;

 

[Robert Blosl]

Thank you Fred. I apologize for the poor qualityof the pictures. A camera phone in the snow with busy hens scratching is a tough combination.


They are about 36 weeks old. All of them have what I think is pinched tails. The one who is showing her fuzzy butt has the largest width in the tail area. And the one in front here is the 2nd largest tail area.


A side top view of 3 of them.


Another view from top of all 4. I see the lines for the traingle in all of them indicating pinched tails. I understand its common in hatchery breeds. I dont plan on breeding them. They havent had a full molt yet. Will their tail feathers change when they molt again? I understand the structure of the hens wont change just thought they would get more tail feathers?

I have them for their eggs and for meat when they stop laying.

A little background: They just started laying the beginning of December. One lays daily (the smallest hen) and the other every other day. I more often than not get 2 or 3 eggs a day. At least every week or 10 days I get 4 eggs in a day. The month of December I got 44 eggs......This month I have gotten about 54 eggs so far. I understand its winter & laying is down. I just keep track to see how often they lay. I pretty much know which egg 3 of them lay. They are great foragers in their large penned area. Snow/rain/wind doesnt deter them. They are much happier digging thru the veggie garden and the grass than eating their FF. Full crops at night. No illnesses/lice/mites, etc. I think I really lucked out as they are my first chickens. (And thats because of the OTs on here )

I llok forward to your comments

Where did you get your Partridge Rocks from. There are not a lot of sources left of this color pattern.

Look forward to your reply.

 

[armorfirelady]

I purchased them from a lady near me who had posted them on Craig's list. I am very pleased with them. They are much happier foraging in the yard then being in the coop. Very vocal towards visitors and very alert to predators. They have also done marvelously in the sub zero temps we have had.

They are not any where near SOP but I don't plan on breeding them. Besides the pinched tails 2 have combs that have a kink in them. But I would have no qualms breeding them just as mutts since they have done so well for the purpose I have them for. They started laying the 2nd week of December and 1 lays daily and the others almost every day. I get an average of 3 eggs a day from them. Even with a late start of laying in December I got 41 eggs for the month of December

 

[buffalogal]

I would agree with the 'hot' reason... when my dotte (BLRW) gets hot, she's got lazy wing carriage...smart and fast way to cool off (-;

The difference between a hot bird and one with incorrect wing carriage is that the hot bird will not only hold it's wings down, but also out away from the body. The bird with split wing or simply poor wing carriage will be holding their wings against their body.

 

[Robert Blosl]

If you have no idea who they came from then they would do more harm trying to help out the strain in Mich. They are a pretty good strain right now and if you introduce near Production type blood into them it would take ten years to bring them back to this level. Thanks for the input maybe there is someone else out there that's has Hortsman or some one elses line.

 

[12321]

Thanks for the thread. I'm an avid lurker/learner. I'll be looking to replace my barred rocks and welsummers with much better representation of the breeds in a month or two. I got what was available locally which turned out to be from people that bred hatchery birds....I didn't know what to look for. You are all helping me a lot! Looking forward to when Welsummers make it onto this thread.

 

[johnlogan]

This is a great thread. When will you do Leghorns?

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Thanks for the thread. I'm an avid lurker/learner. I'll be looking to replace my barred rocks and welsummers with much better representation of the breeds in a month or two. I got what was available locally which turned out to be from people that bred hatchery birds....I didn't know what to look for. You are all helping me a lot! Looking forward to when Welsummers make it onto this thread.

Awesome! Out with the old, in with the new.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Class Section III

Wyandotte
​

All varieties are welcome to be displayed and discussed. Remember. This thread is dedicated to standard bred birds, thus all posters, discussions and critiques should remember to reference the APA Standard of Perfection for the breed. Technical drawings, plates, diagrams and historical background on the breed are not only welcome, but highly encouraged.

 

[Texasmja]

I asked for permission before posting these pictures. These are taken from a book called "The Wyandotte Standard and Breed Book, 1919"