CSU - Chicken State University- Large Fowl SOP

[Fred's Hens]

Ross, I thoroughly enjoyed your power point presentation on the breed. You've so much to share with those who are just getting started with the Campine here in the States. There is a dearth of good breeding help for a lot of these folks. I sure hope the people above take the time to read through your presentation. It is written and presented in a very readable style. Thank you for sharing it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u.../Campine Presentation Notes FCAQ.TextMark.pdf

 

[ramirezframing]

Thanks for posting this link Fred's Hens, just a quick look and It looks really good on the feather pictures. Can't wait till I have time to sit down and read it. Thank you Ross for doing this up.

 

[lawatt]

Thanks for posting this link Fred's Hens, just a quick look and It looks really good on the feather pictures. Can't wait till I have time to sit down and read it. Thank you Ross for doing this up.

x2!!!!

 

[pysankigirl]

after reading this, I wish I knew where to get a couple...sound like a great breed for eggs for decorating and quite attractive birds! how big are their eggs usually?

 

[stvnschnell]

Couldn't agree more. Ross, I read the article n it was extremely helpful. I am just starting out with my Campines, they are hatchery chicks, and I've already began making some decisions using just my APA standard of perfection book. My concern is this: while I can easily pick out certain cosmetic flaws (comb, barring, eyes) the description of body type seems to leave a lot to interpretation. Do you know of any websites that may have photos that demonstrate an ideal body shape vs. non-ideal?

 

[1muttsfan]

Thank you Ross for joining us and for sharing that amazing presentation. I would like to encourage you in your book-writing, you have a fine turn of phrase and a clear way of stating things. One of the more valuable sources of information we see here is the books that were written many years before - I could see your book being consulted 100 years from now when folks are trying to keep the Campine as it should be.

 

[RossAussie]

G’day and thanks for the kind words about my papers on the Campine.

The main advice that I can give anyone on Campines is to read your standards, identify your faults and try to improve them. The next advice is try to stick to a good line. I appreciate it is difficult to source these fowls, as it is all over the world, but one of the most important aspects is to stick to single line of pure stock.

I fully appreciate how frustrating it is when you think you have the chest barring right, only to have the tail barring not sufficient, then the primary wing feathers might be all over the place. But that’s the fun of breeding and enjoying such a unique fowl. The key is never give up on striving for perfection.

At one stage the Campines in the USA were considered the most prolific and best in the world as forward thinking breeders like M. R. Jacobus imported them from Rev E. Lewis-Jones in Great Britain. Breeders in the USA like Phipps, Platt, Sewell, Kennedy, Schilling, Hering and many others were part of the Campine Club of America and the fowl had a potential future to be a show and laying force. This was also the same in Australia.

The two world wars saw the demise of so many young men and women and these disastrous factors wiped out many fanciers who simply weren't there after 1945, therefore the breed declined.
It is wonderful to see a resurgence in the breed in the USA as it is also on a resurgence in Australia, albeit very slow and exasperating.

I am afraid that I am going to upset one of your favourite judges and mentors in this forum by showing you my post in the Campine Section of BYC.
Below is the cut and paste in italics.

G'day,
This is the post #295 in the Campine Section where I added the link to my paper called "The Charm of the Campine". In there I mainly cover my involvement, the Australian Standards (which is basically similar to the British Standards and very similar to the American Standards) some feather identifiers to check male hen feathering against normal males feathers, and many other minor aspects.
I just tested the link and it works fine but as it is an 8 x A4 page paper it is 6.59mb, so be patient while it downloads.

It has been suggested to me that I also seek to join the CSU forum, but then I read that someone in there reckons he can teach anyone to judge Campines in an hour. I've kept them for well over 50 years, on and off, and have judged them all over Australia, plus the USA and have seeked them out in Belgium and the UK and I'm still learning how to judge them.

A few years ago we had a group of American poultry enthusiastic visit breeders and shows here in Australia and several visited our farm to look at the Campines (and other breeds). They all wanted to take back fertile eggs to the USA, but of course that is illegal.

Down here in Australia I've also participated in "Breed The Breeds" as a speaker where we discuss the Campine (and other breeds) in a seminar situation using Power-Point presentations. That paper that you can download is the one we handed out earlier this year. One of the others speakers and I are booked for a weekend in August 2014 to do a Seminar presentation and then judge the next day at a very big show in the ACT.

The only thing I can say on that statement is, “Where do I sign up to learn how to judge the Campine in one hour as I’ll book the flight tomorrow”

Good luck with it and kind regards,
Ross

 

[campinechickens]

Okay, Fred said that without discussion, this breed would be closed and we would move on to something else. He also said he wanted some breeders to weigh in and to ask questions. I can't offer expertise, but I can sure as heck ask questions!

One of the first things I see that we need to be working on is size. The roosters are supposed to be 6lbs and the hens are supposed to be 4lbs. I have never even seen an American pic of a Campine that was close to that. In my limited knowlege, that is an easy process, you select the largest of the birds you hatch to use for breeders (as long as they have no DQs.) I understand the concept of "build the house before you add the paint" so I think that is one of our main areas of concentration, being careful not to sacrifice any true to type qualities that we already have.

The "good" Campines that I have seen (which is more accurately described as "best available") have a pretty good handle on earlobe, leg, and eye color. There are groups of Campines that are showing the side sprigs that Stvn mentioned, which is a DQ. Those all need to be culled. The combs without the side sprigs just need some tweeking for size and shape, but there are plenty that provide something to work with in that regard. I have seen tails on some of the roosters that are showing more sickles and saddle feathers than are desireable and hope that we will pay particular attention to retaining the hen feathering that is unique to this breed. The tail set is in need of attention, but I think that is an ongoing process in many breeds. Lastly, the barring is the area where I think the most work is needed. We are nowhere close to SOP on the feathering in terms of the correct ratios of black to white in any of the parts of the bird's body but especially in the tail, flight, and breast feathers.

What I really need (what I need some expert guidance in) is to learn to recognize the correct body shape (according to the SOP which I have read, but don't feel confident that I understand) and in determining which aspects of that should be given priority when selecting next year's breeders.

I have been hanging on Bob's everyword and know that I need a plan. My plan at this point is to hatch as many chicks as possible, provide them all with the best nutrition possible, cull all DQ's, then select the largest that have no glaring faults like saddle feathers, red earlobes, knock kneed, etc.

Any suggestions?

I have not weighed my birds, but I know they are too small. Like you said, the way to fix that is breeding the biggest birds you have until they reach the proper weight.
I think the biggest problems with Campines today, other than being too small, is the tail angle and tail barring. Those are my biggest problems, and in the last two years I have tried to breed my birds with the best tail angle and barring. I have also started selecting for the width between the pubic bones and abdominal spacing. These qualities will (hopefully) improve egg laying ability in the hens and will improve type all around.

Most birds that I have seen have a pretty good handle on type, with the occasional DQ like sickle feathers or sidesprigs (oh, I could tell stories about sidesprigs!) but the biggest problem needing work is the barring, (in my opinion).

I have been breeding my Campines for about 8 years now. The last 2 years since we moved I haven't been able to really breed do to a lack of space. What I have hatched has been pen matings under broody hens, but I am seeing some really nice birds coming up in this years crop.

I have pictures to post, but my camera is dead and I will be getting batteries this afternoon, so please don't close the discussion before I can get my pictures up?!

Love seeing everyone's pictures, great looking birds! I don't consider myself an expert on Campines, but I have been breeding them a long time, so if you have any questions I will try to answer them.

 

[3riverschick]

Looking forward to more Campine pictures. What a lovely breed. Too complicated for me, smile.
I can do two color variables, but 3 is too much for me.
Best,
Karen

 

[nyanamia]

Clueless lurker here... do breeders have to double mate Campines or is it possible to get well marked birds by single mating?