- Nov 22, 2011
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I know there has been some interest in working toward APA recognition of the Basque Hen or Euskal Oiloak (we should decide which name is going to be used and stick with it) and thought we should start a discussion thread for the SOP.
From working with the CCL group, I know we are going to need not only the written description of the ideal EO, but be able to breed close to that ideal in enough numbers to make a showing (in five-six years) for acceptance. Right now, I just don't see that happening.
Our draft standard states the hens should be as follows:
Comb, Face, Wattles, and Ear Lobes: Bright red.
Beak: Yellow.
Eyes: Brown.
Head: Golden-red.
Neck: Dark golden-red. Lower neck feathers with a black stripe, slightly and irregularly barred with white, extending down the middle of each feather. Front of neck similar to breast.
Wings: Front and bows dark golden-red. Bar and secondary’s golden-red. Primaries golden-red with lower web of first few primary feathers black transitioning to golden-red. Primary coverts black edged with golden-red. When the wing is folded in the natural position only the golden-red color shows.
Back: Golden-red.
Tail: Main Tails— black edged with golden-red. Shaft golden-red.
Breast: Light golden-red.
Body and Fluff: Light golden-red with faint and indistinct white barring. Stern irregularly and indistinctly barred with white and light golden-red. Fluff ivory.
Legs and Toes: Lower thighs light golden-red. Shanks and toes yellow.
Under-Color of All Sections: Ivory..
When I go back to the original translation of the Spanish Standard, the Marraduna variety is described as "The plumage of this variety is characterized by the presence of white stripes interspersed with colorful described in Gorria."
The color of the Gorria, as transcribed, is actually brown based like the German line New Hampshires.
Here is the translation of the Spanish Gorria color for reference:
2.4.2 .- Gorria.
a) Gallo:- The cape and caireles are red-orange, especially for his brilliance on the rest of plumage. At the end of the cape feathers presents in its center, a cutting edge black.
- In the wings, the bow and decks are brown tone. In the primary and secondary
predominantly brown, with reddish hue in this case, the black, valuing animals over the
more proportion of brown present. The 8-10 feathers which form the bottom row of
coberteras black flight.
- The queue is the pilothouse and sickles black with metallic green shine.
- The seat and back are reddish brown, like the arch and the roof of the wing.
- The front of the neck, chest, body and legs are dark brown. The cream is subcolor.
b) Hen:- The general plumage is brown tone.
- The neck is noted for its orange tint though not as pronounced as in roosters. At the end
of the neck have black-tipped feathers, and the pilothouse on the tail are black or
predominantly the black.
- Presents metallic sheen, but less than in cocks.
I'm not sure what crossed the Atlantic in the original imports, but I believe we inherited chickens that were not to this standard. Everything I've seen has been more golden buff or light red. Now I understand barring will dilute the base color, but I think we have something else going on. The only hens I've seen with what I would could true red color are the millefleur hens and they are NOT correct. Is there a way to use them and breed out that spangling?
The next most red or red brown hen I've seen is shown in posting 3454 in the Euskal Oiloa (Basque) thread by Flat Rock Farm. The third photo of three hens shows a reddish brown hen in the middle. The majority of hens I've seen are the rich buff or blondie color.
In my original group (6 from GFF and 18 from Skyline) there was one heterozygous barred male who produced a reddish hen which you can see next to the more typical blondie (with white legs) pictured here. This was late taken late summer as she was approaching molt...for some reason their feathers fade over the summer. Unfortunately, she also disappeared (we free range when not confined for breeding) a week after I set the last batch of her eggs.
Breeding the reddish hen back to my Golden Boy (homozygous for barring) produced this F3 generation now 8 weeks old. The pullets are pale amber and the cockerel in front is "blonde" barred.
and from the same breeding, two 12 week old chicks. The jury is still out on the one in front with such distinct barring. Not sure if it is a pullet or a heterozygous barred male. I'm leaning toward pullet based on its behavior.
They are the darkest so far, but still more amber than red or reddish brown. My concern is 1) are the genetics for red or reddish brown females available in NA and 2) if so, will we be able to get enough numbers of them to show for acceptance? The alternative is to prepare a SOP for what is available.
Happless Runner's VPBA cock entry has pretty nice color --- what is he producing in his offspring, particularly in pullets?
Is there anyone with true medium red or reddish brown hens that are NOT millefleur? Please post here!
Mature F2 EO hen
and her "baby" picture.
From working with the CCL group, I know we are going to need not only the written description of the ideal EO, but be able to breed close to that ideal in enough numbers to make a showing (in five-six years) for acceptance. Right now, I just don't see that happening.
Our draft standard states the hens should be as follows:
COLOR -- FEMALE
Comb, Face, Wattles, and Ear Lobes: Bright red.
Beak: Yellow.
Eyes: Brown.
Head: Golden-red.
Neck: Dark golden-red. Lower neck feathers with a black stripe, slightly and irregularly barred with white, extending down the middle of each feather. Front of neck similar to breast.
Wings: Front and bows dark golden-red. Bar and secondary’s golden-red. Primaries golden-red with lower web of first few primary feathers black transitioning to golden-red. Primary coverts black edged with golden-red. When the wing is folded in the natural position only the golden-red color shows.
Back: Golden-red.
Tail: Main Tails— black edged with golden-red. Shaft golden-red.
Breast: Light golden-red.
Body and Fluff: Light golden-red with faint and indistinct white barring. Stern irregularly and indistinctly barred with white and light golden-red. Fluff ivory.
Legs and Toes: Lower thighs light golden-red. Shanks and toes yellow.
Under-Color of All Sections: Ivory..
When I go back to the original translation of the Spanish Standard, the Marraduna variety is described as "The plumage of this variety is characterized by the presence of white stripes interspersed with colorful described in Gorria."
The color of the Gorria, as transcribed, is actually brown based like the German line New Hampshires.
Here is the translation of the Spanish Gorria color for reference:
2.4.2 .- Gorria.
a) Gallo:- The cape and caireles are red-orange, especially for his brilliance on the rest of plumage. At the end of the cape feathers presents in its center, a cutting edge black.
- In the wings, the bow and decks are brown tone. In the primary and secondary
predominantly brown, with reddish hue in this case, the black, valuing animals over the
more proportion of brown present. The 8-10 feathers which form the bottom row of
coberteras black flight.
- The queue is the pilothouse and sickles black with metallic green shine.
- The seat and back are reddish brown, like the arch and the roof of the wing.
- The front of the neck, chest, body and legs are dark brown. The cream is subcolor.
b) Hen:- The general plumage is brown tone.
- The neck is noted for its orange tint though not as pronounced as in roosters. At the end
of the neck have black-tipped feathers, and the pilothouse on the tail are black or
predominantly the black.
- Presents metallic sheen, but less than in cocks.
I'm not sure what crossed the Atlantic in the original imports, but I believe we inherited chickens that were not to this standard. Everything I've seen has been more golden buff or light red. Now I understand barring will dilute the base color, but I think we have something else going on. The only hens I've seen with what I would could true red color are the millefleur hens and they are NOT correct. Is there a way to use them and breed out that spangling?
The next most red or red brown hen I've seen is shown in posting 3454 in the Euskal Oiloa (Basque) thread by Flat Rock Farm. The third photo of three hens shows a reddish brown hen in the middle. The majority of hens I've seen are the rich buff or blondie color.
In my original group (6 from GFF and 18 from Skyline) there was one heterozygous barred male who produced a reddish hen which you can see next to the more typical blondie (with white legs) pictured here. This was late taken late summer as she was approaching molt...for some reason their feathers fade over the summer. Unfortunately, she also disappeared (we free range when not confined for breeding) a week after I set the last batch of her eggs.
Breeding the reddish hen back to my Golden Boy (homozygous for barring) produced this F3 generation now 8 weeks old. The pullets are pale amber and the cockerel in front is "blonde" barred.
and from the same breeding, two 12 week old chicks. The jury is still out on the one in front with such distinct barring. Not sure if it is a pullet or a heterozygous barred male. I'm leaning toward pullet based on its behavior.
They are the darkest so far, but still more amber than red or reddish brown. My concern is 1) are the genetics for red or reddish brown females available in NA and 2) if so, will we be able to get enough numbers of them to show for acceptance? The alternative is to prepare a SOP for what is available.
Happless Runner's VPBA cock entry has pretty nice color --- what is he producing in his offspring, particularly in pullets?
Is there anyone with true medium red or reddish brown hens that are NOT millefleur? Please post here!
Mature F2 EO hen
and her "baby" picture.
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