I wanted to show off some of this years hatch :) unfortunately my health has not been the best so I will not be showing this year--but I'm still enjoying them!
Thank you!! As far as a mentor goes--no, I really don't. I've never met anyone close enough to home. I'll be looking for advice here :)
I'm so happy :)
I know!!! A breeder up here had to sell her whole flock of --I was told about 50--birds. A couple of judges separated out the best birds and one took them home. I was lucky enough to get the birds he culled from the ones he took home. I met him at the show I went to last month.
She had bought...
OMG---look at my new flock!!! Somebody pinch me!
You can critique them if you want--but love is blind!
(Just kidding--my birds are always open for critique :))
The pictures aren't the best--I was running out of light.
Brian sold his whole flock last fall. (He's from Quebec) There were two pullets decended from his birds but they did not do well at the show. There were very few SS this year. Mine placed 1st and 2nd for pullets and 1st for cockerel--but there really was no competition. It was disappointing not...
I'm just following up to say that it was a natural discolouration--nothing sinister :)
The picture does look like his toes are red inbetween but I think his hormones were just kicking in. That happens with the white feet.
I rubbed olive oil with oregano oil on his feet for days with no change...
That would be great! Thanks!
The show I'm attending had a SS win champion of show in 2013 and another SS reserve champion in 2014 --by different breeders! I expect the SS are my real competition.
I don't expect to win anything. I just hope my birds are worthy of showing beside those others!
And...
These are two of mine also hatched in May--near the end. The cockerel is 8 1/2lbs and the pullet 6. I don't plan to breed him with all that white but I will show him.
Do you know the weight of the monster?
I was aiming for the SOP weight of 9lbs --but I've been told by quite a few people they feel that the larger birds beat out the smaller ones consistently --even if the larger bird is overweight. Not fat--but big. My largest breeder is 9lbs.
When I see SS...
If you haven't tried putting a chicken in a dark pillow case--you should :)
Not one bird moved a muscle inside there. It was weird. Like holding a bag of sand.
And my birds will break out of boxes too--but apparently not pillow cases.
I put them in upside down so they lay on their back.
It...
Wow! They're gorgeous! Such nice deep colour. How old are they? And do you know the weight of the cockerels? I'm only just starting to keep accurate records for weight.
Thanks for sharing that :)
Thanks, Indy :)
I've heard that before about pulling the feathers but never tried it. I have noticed with some of my older birds that sometimes they moult into decent colour--but sometimes they grow a white feather out of the blue. I guess I don't really have a reason to pull it unless I wanted...
Thank you so much, Ace! I never stop to see my flock as an inspiration. I'm always too busy looking at birds I wish I had.
I'm going to weigh that guy tonight. I know he's smaller than the others-- but I just realized my 5 1/2 month old cockerel that I'm planning to show already weighs 8...
I kept this guy as one of my breeders last year. He had no white at all--although he moulted into a bit this fall. His ground colour is just too light overall and he's a bit of a flyweight. I penned him with my heaviest female--also with good colour and so far their offspring are looking pretty...
My birds don't like being handled either but they went limp in the dark pillow case. And they are as big as yours. I just put holes in the case near the top and put the hook through. It was really easy! I wish I did this year's ago.
That's so great! I can't wait to see what you do with your new birds. I had a terrible time finding anything decent. It took years to gather what I have. But now I do know a breeder up here with amazing birds and I'm sure hers are Overton. The best quality birds I have came from a farmer who had...
Now I get it!
Would you say the girl on the right has a split breast--or front--I'm not sure what term is used--or if it's even a condition? I've read about it but can't find anything in the SOP.
Is it bad that her feathers stick out there? I had an experience old breeder here today who said I...
Ahhh--I think I get it--maybe. The girl on the left is spangled (extremely) and the right is speckled. And a speckle is a small spangle.
While I have your attention--would you say the one on the right has a split breast?