Bantam Partridge Wyandotte EXPERTS needed!

[WooingWyandotte]

I have recently acquired a BPW pair, I'd like your input on them, even though they are only 16 weeks old. They come from a line (don't know the name) that has downy feathers in between the toes. None are on the pullet, but the cock has some, I pull them out of course. Here are pictures:

Thank you in advance!

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Too young to tell but the wing carriage on the male does not look good. They are still sporting juvenile feathers.
The small feathers on the shanks and toes are called "stubs" and are a DQ if the judge finds them. So they are carefully and completely plucked out so the judge dosen’t find them. That is called conditioning.
Those little feathers are a remnant of their Dark Brahma ancestors.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

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Hm, interesting. At least they can be pulled out! What is the proper wing carriage? His wing carriage is looks gamey, right?

 

[punky rooster]

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Hm, interesting. At least they can be pulled out! What is the proper wing carriage? His wing carriage is looks gamey, right?

Wing carriage should be horizontal. Many bantams are like this...
Also remember that offspring from these birds will likely have these stubs also. Select birds that don't have this, or even you could do an outcross to another Partridge line.
Mitch

 

[sjarvis00]

Wing carriage may improve a bit with age and excersize, he is still young and may not have had adequate room or conditioning to build his muscle correctlt yet. place a roost pole out in the pen about 18-24 inches off the ground, place a hanging waterer within reach of teh perch. He will have no option but to fly up and down several times a day to drink. This helps build out breast muscle and will lift wing carriage if it is not a breeding fault.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

The lady had him in small cages all his life. This is the first time he's ever really had room to breathe. And yes, he has a perch in his cage right now, but as there is going to be a wedding in a couple days on our property I don't have time to make a proper coop for any of my poor birds.
Another thing, what lines don't have the feather stubs in between the toes? I'd rather not have that in my birds. How does the pullet look? She has no feather stubs in between her toes, but I have yet to really know.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

What I've used when I have had problems with wings is to put in swinging perches. A simple way is to use baling twine on the perches and hang them. When they go to jump on the perch it moves and to balance themselves they flap the wings. I learned it from an old game breeder but have used it with all birds from cochins to sumatras.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

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That's nice, I'll have to try that.

 

[GotGame]

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I have seen swinging perches used to condition game cocks, but only in pens with 1 bird, not pairs or trios, due to birds knocking each other off while getting on and off the roost.

 

[Lovesdisney]

I don't know squat about them, so I have no real opinion. My daughter just got a pair Sunday.... and I had never seen them before. I just posted a thread and then I saw this one. I love the coloring of these birds!