JRNash, Here's some good info regarding fat and feathers on Malines.
Appearance : In the first place the Malines is a very large and heavy utility bird with a long, broad and horizontal back and a deep well-fleshed breast. It’s remarkable size, huge volume and proud attitude give the Malines a very impressive appearance. An adult rooster weighs over five kilos and adult hens weigh 4 to 4,5 kg. The body is deep and rectangular. How deeper and how broader the breast, the better the bird. The head is rather broad and heavy, the comb is small and single, they earlobes are red and the eyes are orange. The color of the skin, nails and beak are white, a sign for superior meat quality. The tail is carried almost horizontally. The feathering is rather downy. Old writings find in this the declaration for the tasteful meat of the Malines. This down is believed to provide such a good isolation that the fat spreads into the meat and between the muscles which forms a tasteful juice when the bird is cooked. In birds that don’t have this extra isolation, the fat forms a distasteful layer between the skin and the meat. Typical for the Malines is the feathering on the shanks and toes. The outer toes are fully feathered, on the middle toes just a few stubs are sufficient.
Appearance : In the first place the Malines is a very large and heavy utility bird with a long, broad and horizontal back and a deep well-fleshed breast. It’s remarkable size, huge volume and proud attitude give the Malines a very impressive appearance. An adult rooster weighs over five kilos and adult hens weigh 4 to 4,5 kg. The body is deep and rectangular. How deeper and how broader the breast, the better the bird. The head is rather broad and heavy, the comb is small and single, they earlobes are red and the eyes are orange. The color of the skin, nails and beak are white, a sign for superior meat quality. The tail is carried almost horizontally. The feathering is rather downy. Old writings find in this the declaration for the tasteful meat of the Malines. This down is believed to provide such a good isolation that the fat spreads into the meat and between the muscles which forms a tasteful juice when the bird is cooked. In birds that don’t have this extra isolation, the fat forms a distasteful layer between the skin and the meat. Typical for the Malines is the feathering on the shanks and toes. The outer toes are fully feathered, on the middle toes just a few stubs are sufficient.
