Breda Fowl thread

[Sylvester017]

Does anyone know what you have to have when you show Breda fowl at poultry shows to prove that their a actual breed because their not recognized by American poultry association

Just enter them as Breda . It is allowed . Part of the process of getting them recognized is showing . Plus it can create interest in the breed .

I believe it takes around 5 years of continuous showing following certain guidelines for a breed to become recognized by the APA. I love the breed regardless of any APA approval but thanks to people like you for wanting to show and get the word out about this unique, friendly, outgoing, curious, non-combative breed (at least that goes for the Blue/Black/Splash hens IMO). I haven't had this good a laying breed since we had our White Leghorn. The Breda eggs are MED to almost LG and very consistent layers. I have a Blue that layed for 10 consecutive months her first cycle.

 

[Sylvester017]

Updated pic on Spike...he is a mottled Breda/Black split so not many body feathers are white but the mohawk is just too much

,
My split mottled group just started laying. Nothing so far from the Cuckoos. They are a bit different from the Blues imported from Greenfire, which I also have. They are all heavier and taller overall. The vulture hocks are more pronounced, as are the leg and feet feathers, and most have this silly set of cresting feathers on their heads. I am hoping for some great results this year. I don't see near so many "horns" in the combs. I will post pics when the incubator starts chirping!

Talking about your Cuckoos - this is the Cuckoo juvie we got from you a couple weeks back - she is gorgeous with more massive vulture hocks and toe feathers getting longer each week - but she's more shy than the outgoing fearless Blue personality we got from you last year. I LUV the Cuckoo's high-stepping flipper-feet:




We lost your lovely Blue this week for no apparent reason - not even 2 yrs old yet. She was bouncing around normally at dawn like the clown she was - eating and foraging and by 11 a.m. sat down for midday rest and died in her sleep. Her little Silkie companion was sitting next to her unaware the Breda was gone. Here were my last photos of her with her Silkie companion the day before our sweet Phaedra passed - she layed a soft shell the day before she died. We're guessing (only guessing) her laying was so prolific for 10+ consecutive months it may have exhausted/contributed to her early demise. I really wish Bredas would go broody to give their little bodies a nutrition-replenishing break because we lost one of the best, kindest, comical hens we ever had in this girl:



Various photos of Phaedra being the inquisitive camera hog - I swear she'd smile for the camera if she had teeth!





I swear these Bredas love to pose for pics:



My favorite all-time pic of Phaedra straddling a plant container busily foraging for juicy weed sprouts while other hens just foraged normally on the ground. She certainly kept us amused:


P.S. In hindsight talking with the vet in the past, when our two Bredas were shipped to us with CRD/MS/MG issues that had to be treated with Baytril, it is a latent carrier malady that can later cause a seemingly healthy adult chicken to drop dead suddenly without warning - although I did notice our Blue girl scratching at her cavernous nostrils for a couple days, layed a soft shell egg, and just didn't put 2 & 2 together since those are such occasional normal chicken things usually. I'm kicking myself for not thinking about CRD to start a Baytril treatment. I'm kicking myself for not being more keenly aware. CRD doesn't always display symptoms before taking a chicken's life, although I have one Silkie that does display symptoms yearly anywhere from mild sniffles to severe wheezing so that we can treat her asap. I just never expected our active normal-acting Breda to be gone so abruptly without any signs of illness like loss of appetite, lethargy, fluffing out, etc. CRD can be such a silent killer with USA backyard flocks carrying it and not aware of its prevalence. I mean, I didn't do a necropsy but what happened is so identifiable with how CRD/MS/MG can affect a bird and CRD issues are associated with Breda. CRDs are commonly in 98% of flocks but hardier chicken breeds are not likely to ever display symptoms or die from it. I'm certain diversified Breda breeding has improved with each generation. This breed is too wonderful not to keep improving its hardiness. Our Cuckoo arrived with no respiratory issues compared to the previous two Blues that had symptom issues so I'm hopeful for the hardiness of the Cuckoo variety. Thank goodness for breeders keeping only their hardiest birds from generation to generation - keep it up and TY for your efforts!

 

[RFR of CA]

Sorry for your loss

I know how much you care for your birds. Losing a favorite is always so hard....
My Breda group are my hardiest breed right now so I am surprised, but you never know with chickens! I do have mottled, if you would like to try one of them sometime. I sold off my cuckoo and blues.

Rare Feathers Ranch


PS: I have several nice 6 month old cockerels if anyone would like to start their own group of mottled. You can take black bredas and breed to one of these guys if you only have Blues. PM if interested. For faster reply go to my Facebook page as I am not in here often. Below is their father and one of my hens. Love the flashy feathers

Thanks

 

[Sylvester017]

Sorry for your loss

I know how much you care for your birds. Losing a favorite is always so hard....
My Breda group are my hardiest breed right now so I am surprised, but you never know with chickens! I do have mottled, if you would like to try one of them sometime. I sold off my cuckoo and blues.

Rare Feathers Ranch

Our Blue girl's sudden loss may also have been from fatty liver as it can be a malady of a prolific layer and can exacerbate Mycoplasma as well. That poor sweetie layed for 10+ consecutive months since POL! FLHS is often a silent unexpected killer and happens in prolific layers. For whatever reason it has not stopped me from loving this beautiful breed. This has been the most fantastic non-combative breed we've encountered in all the breeds we've tried. We are very much enjoying our Cuckoo although she's not quite as outgoing or active as our Blue. Perhaps that is a good thing. The Cuckoo is lovely, stately, and very much knows how to let us know that she wants a fresh feed refill even though she has a dish-full already LOL! She is maturing slowly and wattles are still not discernible but her foot feathers are growing long and pretty. I have Mottled in mind for future but will also seek out another Blue so I can identify the different Breda at a glance. Our SoCal summer sun is brutal on black feathers as it turned our Black Silkie's feathers to rust; otherwise I'd get a black Breda too.


Our sun is brutal on black feathers turning them to rusty red on our Silkie. The black didn't return til her next molt.


Someone is sitting on Mom's bench!


Vulture hocks and prancing feathered feet!

 

[RFR of CA]

This year's boys...I'm just keeping 3 so lots available.

 

[Sylvester017]

This year's boys...I'm just keeping 3 so lots available.

Your boys' neck hackles look like beautiful waterfalls!
Our Cuckoo pullet from you -- her wattles are growing in slowly so it will be awhile before she's at POL. The last few days she has been getting pesty-friendly! She is trusting to eat out of our hand now and jumping into my lap for some evening socializing before trotting off to her den kennel for the night. A real sweetie who is gradually getting curious, outgoing, and following us around the house. She is a gentle soul -- sometimes spooking her ownself but immediately settles down as if nothing happened. Breda are funny that way. She is always moving deliberately around the house. Like Phaedra used to do, our Charlotte likes to pose for the camera and the flash doesn't bother her in the least. I swear these birds love to pose! A lot of her feathers are still growing in. Much of her chick down and white toe/leg feathers have been replaced by firmer Cuckoo-patterned feathers. There are a lot of juvenile feathers everywhere LOL! LUV the pesty-friendly gentle personality of these birds.

 

[RFR of CA]

She looks great I am happy to hear that she is coming along better. I have so many cockerels to choose from right now, but I need to narrow it down to three... decisions decisions...

 

[SilkiesForEver]

She looks great I am happy to hear that she is coming along better. I have so many cockerels to choose from right now, but I need to narrow it down to three... decisions decisions...

I know I keep saying I want a cockerel from you, but I really do mean it!

I just haven't been able to schedule it in quite yet, so if possible, I'd love to know when they are available.

 

[Sylvester017]

She looks great I am happy to hear that she is coming along better. I have so many cockerels to choose from right now, but I need to narrow it down to three... decisions decisions...

Which cockerels to keep? Why ALL of them LOL!!! My personal favorites are not too overly white or too overly black but just the right mix of mottling with not too many large solid patches. Of course type is probably at the top of the list and go from there. I LUV the white waterfall hackles over black background feathers on the boys. How they stand, pose, and carry themselves is another real winner. But really, I love ALL of your birds!

 

[Sylvester017]

Some new pics today of our Cuckoo from @RFR of CA -- she is seriously growing-in her adult feathers with juvenile feathers molting all over the floors! She has lost most of her white toe feathers to be replaced by more Cuckoo feathers -- she has small wattles and not anywhere near POL so we get to enjoy her a few more weeks in-house before integrating her outdoors! We are so thrilled to have her come up to us asking for seeds -- @GaryDean26 was right about Breda always seeking a handout and not afraid while at it! She loves her mirror "friend" and was very agile today catching and eating an escapee cricket! Hard to get a good shot of her beautiful vulture hocks. Breda remind us of the Alfalfa kid from "Spanky and Our Gang" with the cute spiked triangle crest on the head where no comb ever grows. This girl has been excellent at posing -- never bothered her one bit while I took over 20 flash shots of her today.

Wish we had the zoning for a yard full of these beauties -- a Blue Breda was one of the gentlest, non-combative, most outgoing pesty-friendly breeds we've ever had. Quite the opposite of the sweet but very timid, cautious, wary temperament of the Blue Wheaten Ameraucana we had and we loved them both. The two breeds were sweet docile birds but where the Ameraucana never got over her jittery cautious nature, the Breda was totally unafraid to go nose-to-beak with the neighbor's dog, or run up to visitors in hopes of a treat, or accept a new flock as if she always belonged there, never afraid of an outstretched hand ready to pet her. We're watching this Cuckoo develop into a similar friendly girl like the Blue was.