Since we're posting pics of projects (yours are BEAUTIFUL Karen!) I thought I'd post a few of mine. My birds are nowhere near show quality, and I don't ever plan on doing any showing with them, but I do plan on working toward improving their type as well as patterning/coloration. Right now I'm just happy to have friendly feathered flowers roaming around my yard and being entertainingAlmost all of the birds in these pics are on the young side too, and are not yet mature.
A couple of my Mille Fleurs/calicos. I will be getting some additional birds from Roslyn Pickens in a month or two, and have a few more that I don't have pics of, so hopefully I'll be able to use them to improve patterning and type as well. A few of the chicks that I've gotten from other sources lately have turned out to be solid partridge
Polito - he's been getting some additional mottling in his chest feathers and feet, but the only place he's got the black tips are on his hackle feathers. I know he has a lemon blue look to him, but he came out of a pen full of nothing but calico/MF birds!
Carmella - Looked like a full blown MF as a chick, then lost nearly all of her patterning
Camo
Here's my barred pair, they're a recent acquisition. I hope to improve type (especially foot feathering) and also the patterning. I want to see more BARRING like other breeds instead of cuckoo. I've been trying to get in touch with some of the more well known breeders of this variety in the hopes of purchasing some stock from them, but nobody will respond to me at all.
I've got some young blue and black mottled birds that I'll be working with, but they're not much for "smiling for the camera" and it's impossible to get a pic of what they really do look like. Seems like all of my pics turn out with them looking like feathered giraffes....long necks, no cushion, etc.
And finally, the start of a chocolate project. I REALLY like the color/pattern on the cockerel, but he's got a ways to go regarding type and foot feathering. Same with his girlfriend. I've been reading a lot of the chocolate project threads on here and would like to acquire some nice black birds to work on improving this variety.
Thank you for letting me share! If anybody has any ideas on birds to help improve the barred and chocolate varieties in particular I'd like some input. I know that better barred bantam cochins exist, but if I can't get a response from their breeders when I want to buy birds from them, I'm not sure how I'd get my hands on anything.
mottled is E, Columbian could be eWh or eb... I've seen some breeds mention one or the other.Originally Posted by Chelsey
A couple of my Mille Fleurs/calicos. A few of the chicks that I've gotten from other sources lately have turned out to be solid partridge
Some breeders have heavy partridge in their birds wanting to improve pattern. Ki4got correct me if i am off on genetics but the columbian x mottled lines should be a wheaten base and produce a solid yellow chick right?
