CSU - Chicken State University- Large Fowl SOP

[fowlman01]

I would also like to see this. I'm very visual and pictures (or seeing a live bird) helps me see what I might be missing in text.

Long and broad have always been hard to visualize. The SOP uses words added to some of the description in an attempt to help describe. like long, moderately long, rather long, short, etc, but until you see it it is hard to know what long or wide really is.

Walt

 

[LisaBeth]

Have not noticed if the cushion in the topline dissappears when her tail is held higher but will see if I can get a picture of her with tail up and examine - thank you for the good words on the cockeral...only problem is...still very little comb and wattle...has anyone on here had their cockerals mature (comb/wattles) really slowly? Is there anything I can do or feed to help with that? (is it okay to ask that in this forum?)

 

[EweSheep]

Im a visual person too! And sometimes cockerals would shed or thinning out their neck feathers, making it appear very LONG back. Someone mentioned you need a bit of slope on the back instead of STRAIGHT like RIR.

I thought Happy Chooks' Moose had a good example of a back length, not so long, not too short but moderately long. And a good depth of girth/chest.

If you question about a bird's width and depth, would hand feeling the bone structure and muscles would verify how "wide" or "how short". A bird can hide some conformational defects with fluff. Keel bone is another one, the bird might look fine but upon feeling it, it was twisted or deformed...surely not the kind you want to pass it down.

Pay attention to the legs and gaits. I've been seeing some "knocked kneed" or cowhocked birds a time or two, more predominately in Leghorns and "lightweight" breeds.

 

[fowlman01]

Im a visual person too! And sometimes cockerals would shed or thinning out their neck feathers, making it appear very LONG back. Someone mentioned you need a bit of slope on the back instead of STRAIGHT like RIR.

I thought Happy Chooks' Moose had a good example of a back length, not so long, not too short but moderately long. And a good depth of girth/chest.

If you question about a bird's width and depth, would hand feeling the bone structure and muscles would verify how "wide" or "how short". A bird can hide some conformational defects with fluff. Keel bone is another one, the bird might look fine but upon feeling it, it was twisted or deformed...surely not the kind you want to pass it down.

Pay attention to the legs and gaits. I've been seeing some "knocked kneed" or cowhocked birds a time or two, more predominately in Leghorns and "lightweight" breeds.

If you are experienced you can feel the difference in a wide bird, but that takes a bit of bird handling experience. You can feel the defective keel if you just run your finger down the keel. If it drops into a depression or you can tell that it is not straight....that is a big problem. Look for distance between the legs. If they are side by side in an adult bird you will eventually end up with knock knees. The distance between the legs is indicative of the birds capacity for the internal organs. If everything is squished into a too small area, the bird will be unproductive.

Good point about watching the birds gait. I will always make a bird move and check that. Some chickens have a gait like a nazi soldier (goose stepping) and that is usually because of some developing problem. The Wellies have a tail that is not very well spread, so don't take that as a pinched tail. The tail in the male and the female is 60 degrees, which is higher than most chickens. Watch for it being too high though.

Walt

 

[Matt1616]

This is a picture of what I would consider to be a pretty good Welsumer pullet. Not my bird but since you guys were talking about them I thought I would post this.





Matt

 

[fowlman01]

This is a picture of what I would consider to be a pretty good Welsumer pullet. Not my bird but since you guys were talking about them I thought I would post this.





Matt

Yes, this is a good female. It has some faults, but all chickens do. Overall this would be close to what you would want to see. It has a minor cushion in the picture and I worry about the color of the ear lobes, and you could always find some minor color faults, but overall this is what you want. The legs could be brighter etc, etc, but if you had this bird you would do well in shows. This is the best one I have seen.

Good find Matt.

Walt

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: I think it most always that way with new animal breeders. It is easiest to learn the fine points of a breed. Most usually, I think other breeders teach newcomers by fault-finding, using the minor hallmarks as examples. So the newcomers start out with wrong thinking, both fault-finding ( instead of virtue -appreciating) and studying the minor hallmarks ( instead of the balance and symmetry of overall breed type).
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

New question. If cushions show up in the juvenile plumage, are they apt to get smaller in the adult plumage?
Thanks,
Karen

 

[EweSheep]

That why my Light Sussex have no roosts. I don't want them roosting and they don't miss it at all. They just snuggle down in the chips. I don't want the yong birds getting crooked keels from roosting when they are young and by the time they are old enough to roost, they don't miss it.
Best,
Karen

Gladly I don't have that issue with my Wellies but had some Spitzhaubens with that problem from a different breeder who I will not mention on here, and got rid of them pronto. It was awful! They had so many faults and I assumed it was from so much inbreeding or lack of proper care of the parents. The chicks had the best feed and I had two different breeders. The other group of Spitzhauben chicks did just fine, no development problems at all and laid well with no wrinkles or deformed eggs like the other deformed Spitz group did.


All my birds like roosting, so the flat end of the 2 x 4 on 4 inch side is where I let them perch and plenty of calcium. And the best feed I can get!

 

[fowlman01]

 That why my Light Sussex have no roosts. I don't want them roosting and they don't miss it at all. They just snuggle down in the chips. I don't want the yong birds getting crooked keels from roosting when they are young and by the time they are old enough to roost, they don't miss it.
 Best,
 Karen

All my birds are on roosts. Crooked keels are not a problem here.

w.