Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[gallorojo]

LOL ,I figured as much!!

 

[saladin]

gallo,

There exist in the USA several distinct strains of Cubalayas from several different imports that were made between the 1920'-1950ish.

In my research all these imports were to northern ports. I can find no strain that came through southern ports. Each of these imports probably originated from different parts of the Island; thus, the basic type but stylistic differences. You have a very good eye.

It was DaveK that first taught me about some of these different strains and how to tell them apart.

 

[saladin]

gallo,

How much do your cock birds weigh?

I'd be interested to hear from others as well.

The Standard is our guide and it says they should weigh 6 lbs. I tried to produce a larger cock as my primary brood cock to keep the size and weight up.

 

[gallorojo]

The old man weighs in at 4 1/2. The older golden is 5 lbs. I have yet to hatch a pure male that ends up any more than that. My older hens are 2 1/2 lbs. This years pullets are about 2 3/4, almost 3 on the largest, so, I made some small progress there this year. I would love to see some 6-7 pound birds in person!! 6 pounds is a nice sized bird, for my purposes, anyway. All the birds I've ever seen in PA or MD at shows were not significantly larger than mine.

 

[saladin]

I would think that Jim Zook or Billy Bender have some standard size birds.

It is always easier to get size up through hens. If you can locate some larger hens: even hens that are too large and utilize them you will see size increase dramatically.

The whole weight/size issue was always my primary battle: type has always been good. I still have plenty of birds that are too small.

 

[DaveK]

Quote:
Being close to but not all on the same bullseye so to speak is very much a Cubalaya thing but also exists in many other breeds, possibly most. Certainly there are breeders who walk up to a group of birds and ask "Are these old so and so's?"

because they have a certain look to them. This isn't always a bad thing if the subtly different types represent different strains and options for breeders working with that breed.

 

[DaveK]

Quote:
YIKES! That's one full blown introduction. Now that I'm over my shock and have figured out who we're talking to here I guess I'd better introduce myself. I'm Dave Kozakiewicz and I'm from the north - Michigan. I first became well acquainted with the Cubalayas through Linda Bayliss and her stock which was very densely linebred from the birds she obtained directly from Horst Schmudde. Amongst other things she had the brightest, most fire colored cocks I have ever seen. I also knew the late John Castagnetti and his birds. John was a marvelous human being who loved his birds as well as his fellow man. His were another line; the old Harry Adriance birds from Massachusetts which were of the Finch line and type. He'd also introduced golden duckwing through birds from Danny Padgett which typewise fit right in though I've no idea the breeding. A friend had had wheatons from Danny though that were different than these duckwings. I've only handled two birds bred by Sam Brush but there were tight connections to the Bayliss stock. The two I handled were both cocks and were like the bird posted by Saladin. At present we have no chickens though thoughts of once again living with Cubalayas are never far away. This is a really neat breed.

 

[cubalaya]

lot of good information there. i need to learn as much as i can about cubalayas.

 

[saladin]

I forgot to mention: Dave is also one of the humblest men I've ever had the pleasure to know.

I'm glad to see you join this thread Dave. If you have a chance all of you need to join the old and rare thread too.

 

[gallorojo]

Saladin- some point within the next month or so I intend to get out to Jim Zook's to look at his birds, I had gotten in touch with him here very recently. Makes sense, as he is within a reasonable drive from me. So, we will see how that goes. Thanks also for the tip on the larger hens.
Any ideas why too small a size is so much of an issue? Is it as much of a problem within other breeds?

It's nice that there are the different strains out there, that can be eyeballed right away. I'm surprised in some ways there still is so many differences this long out from the original importations.

All of my goldens are as yet out of one silver hen, and every one of the males ( goldens) out of that hen shows an extreme slow feathering trait. A higher percentage of the goldens have tails of a shape I don't like, but, some have nice tails. These are all out of one hen, so, hopefully, at some point I can get ahold of a better silver hen, or breed a better silver hen.