can you show with spurs removed?

[rodriguezpoultry]

Wow! Such a short span on OEGB! I don't consider any of my birds in their "full glory" until around 3 years old. They are finally finished growing and are filled in. Once I get a barn built for my show birds, they will be force-molted for show season...as of right now, I'm at the mercy of the seasonal molt.

 

[cbbantams]

Usually thats all we get out of males.Females on the other hand can be shown sometimes up to 6 or 7 years old.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Is it only because of the feather quality going downhill that you have to stop showing older males?

 

[sunket77]

wow, this turned into a good conversation : ) lots to learn! Well, I have no intention on fooling any judge. As a matter of fact I don't know how old the bird is I never found the owner who put the trio in auction. I am still trying to find info on the breed but not having much luck on finding a standard for them. Since we have the luxury of a trio I would like to know what to breed toward. I have not had the rooster very long and he is still in quarantine in one of my brooders. So I have not put him in the pen and not had much time to see if he is mean. Is culling mean birds something breeders will do if they have a lot of breeds they are working with? I am just concerned because we are up close and personal with our chickens and the kids do a lot of the chicken chores and he turns out mean, it would be to late before someone gets spurred. Since they are so sharp, I had a young cochin roo turn mean and his spurs where fairly small and he did some damage. We just weren't expecting him to attack. We have had great luck with all our show roosters, Japanese and nankins. I would not try and pass this cock off as a cockerel, he is obviously not young he is very filled out. I really don't think it would fool a good judge. If anyone has any ideas where I can get more info on the breed that would be awesome!!! thanks!

 

[cbbantams]

Thats usually the first thing to go.I am sure there are exceptions.We do have a bb red line that the males are at their best shown as 2 year olds.The tails on most older males usually become over spread and the main tail feathers wont overlap the way they should.Our blacks and blues though are done showing by 2 years old.

 

[gumbii]

wait... how does potato work exactly...?


i have a roo that has one spur longer than the other... how do i start them over with potato...? hot potato...? or what potato...¿

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

sunket77, I cull for conformation overall. Once I have the best birds, I go by temperament. If a bird is an attacker, I will breed (if he is the only male I have) him to my females and keep the best of his cockerels. He is then replaced and is soup.

As of yet, I have never had a cockerel from an attacking sire become an attacker. It could be luck, but it seems to work so far.

cbbantams, is it because the follicles tend to loosen up as the bird ages? Causing droopy tail feathers or feathers that are too wide-spread?

 

[cbbantams]

You know I really never have had anyone say what actually causes this.Sometimes if you have a cockerel that has too much tail he will come back as a first year cock bird and be about right.I believe alot of this goes back to the intense breeding that this breed has gone through over the years.The Old English of today doesnt much resemble the OE of 50 years ago.Not by the american standard anyway.Alot of people I know even switch out their breeding males every year.I dont.I had a man tell me as long as the well aint dry dont change it.This is one reason we dont breed from cockerels.That way you can see how he cocks out and sometimes you can get a little extra show time for his offspring.

 

[cbbantams]

Quote:
One of the best books I have is called (Old English Game Bantams as bred and shown in the United States)by F.P Jeffery and William Richardson.This book is full of information from breeding to standards in OE.Smiths game bird supply has these.You can also check out breed clubs like our (Old English Game Bantam Club of America.)

 

[sunket77]

gumbii- you take a hot baked potato and cut in half, you may want to wear gloves b/c the potato need to be fresh out of the oven. Then you hold the bird and gently take one of the halves and put the spur into it and hold it there a little while. Then remove the potato and twist the spur and it should come right off with very little blood. No tools needed. It doesn't hurt the chicken, it's like cutting fingernails. Although you may want to have some styptic powder on hand in case. I did this with a cochin and he bled like crazy, my guess is it's because he was a cochin and they have a lot of blood flow going to their feet to produce feathers? I ended up having to put bandages on his legs. But from what I have seen and read that's a pretty rare thing to happen. As far as the science of it, I have no Idea what it does accept maybe make the tissue near the spur soft. ...but thats not an educated guess.