Beard length is pretty much meaningless. Toms need to be kept away from hens if you want their beards to grow.
My hens keep the tom's beards trimmed very short.
Sweetgrass will likely never be recognized by the APA because they are so varied in color. I personally prefer the ones with more white on their breasts.
I am trying to select for ones whose tail feathers do not carry the speckling. I am having better luck finding that in the hens than in the...