Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[Lacy Blues]

Yes, the hackles flow down over a flat back and then the tail swoops up out of it. In the standard, doesn't it say a leghorn's back should be flat? I remember because it talks about tail angles of different breeds coming off a flat back. I've puzzled over it because my Andalusians are to have a sloped back (don't know the exact degree and my standard isn't unpacked yet) and I've wondered how to measure the tail angle if the bird didn't have a flat back.

I could be mistaken.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

From the Standard of Perfection: 1996:

BACK: Rather long, moderately broad its entire length, slightly rounded at shoulders; slightly sloping downward froms houlders to center of back, then rising in a gradually increasing concave sweep to tail.

Saddle Feathers: Long, of good width, abundant filling well in front of tail.

TAIL: Large, well-spread; carried at an angle of 40* above horizontal.

If the back is completely horizontal, it isn't a good thing. You have to "imagine" a horizontal line from the base of the neck to the base of the tail. A Leghorn shouldn't have a "break" in the back where the tail meets the back. It should be a nice, flowing swoop. The direct quote was just an excerpt to give a definitive answer, not meant to rub the wrong way.


On an Andalusion, the back should slowly slope to the tail. And then be at a 40* angle from the horizontal. Judging from the photo on your avatar, your birds look to exhibit the desired slope and the angle to the tail.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thank you for the clarification. I thought the tail was to be 40* but didn't want somebody jumping on me for being wrong. (I know you did not do this). I do appreciate the quote.

About the yellow fading from beak and shanks... isn't that a function of hens which lay well?

I'm having a hard time seeing spurs, I enlarged it and still see only cockerel sized spurs, so must be a young one?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Yes, usually hens will take the yellow from their legs, feet and beaks to supplement the color for the yolks. Birds that are fed a high level of corn or marigold will "sometimes" not lose the yellow from their legs.

Old males can lose the color as well, especially if a diet lacks in the yellow coloring or even through genetics. To me, it seems a very fine line. Kind of darned if you do, darned if you don't.

Feed too much corn to a white bird and the white can turn yellow. But, you need the yellow legs...That's where genetics is a plus.

 

[Robert Blosl]

This is what you are dealing with with rare breeds. Ask yourself how many buff leghorns and even worse Buff Miniorcas are alive in the USA today 100. Lots of hatchery birds. I think this is a picture I saved from Germany or Holland a few years ago.

 

[fowlman01]

The flat sloping back also gave it away. I wonder if it has the size.

Walt

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

The only good Buff Minorca I have seen was, I believe, Dan Honour's from forever ago. I could definitely be mistaken as it may have been one of his excellent Leghorn males. It has been so long ago since I have seriously looked into the Minorca or Leghorn breeds.

 

[15littlem]

If they are in the old APA standards they are heritage birds. Red Caps and Butter Cups are good old breeds but not many folks breed them and when you order them from sources manly hatcheries you get stuff that are the best that is around. Red Caps have not made it to Champion Row in a long long time. There is nothing wrong with breeding them I was talking last night about Silver Dorkings. We have a few who like them but only one source who has them and they all are kind of stuck in the type they have but pretty good color.

Maybe this week I will post pictures of breeds that I have and see if any one has them and can tell us if you have any of them.

One reason we talk about dual purpose birds alot on this thread is the people want eggs and meat. Here is a great old large fowl the Buff Leghorn. Not many people have them any more but what a pretty bird. I saw some pretty even colored buff Orpingtons last night. Great all around bird.





I like any old chicken that grandma use to rasie as long as it was around in the 1940s. bob

What are leghorn roosters like, personality wise.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

It varies on the bird, most birds are psychotic. Bouncing off the walls bonkers. Others who have culled against that and have heavily handled their birds have very calm males that are less likely to tear the crap out of their tails and combs in the show room. Then there are those that like to have an all-out flog fest each time you walk into the pens.

 

[fowlman01]

It varies on the bird, most birds are psychotic. Bouncing off the walls bonkers. Others who have culled against that and have heavily handled their birds have very calm males that are less likely to tear the crap out of their tails and combs in the show room. Then there are those that like to have an all-out flog fest each time you walk into the pens.

I have never been able to tame a LF brown leghorn of either variety properly for show. They prefer to hang upside down in the cage so I don't raise them anymore.

Walt