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They get more spots each time they molt, through maturity. By a year old you can pretty much tell how spotted your mille fleur will be. And as they age, they get more white in them, which is undesirable. Would be nice if they molted into their set colors at 6 months and STAYED that way, would be much easier for us breeders to make up our minds on who to keep for breeding. Soon as I think I have a pretty hen she changes. And when I think I have a bad looking juvenile, it turns out to be a decent hen. Rule of thumb is hold on to as many as you can until you're for sure you don't want certain ones. Ones w/o a beard, or wattles too big, or off coloring are easy to eliminate.
Off topic: I would really like to see what the hatchery's stock birds look like. Anyone know of a way to find out? Wish I knew someone that worked in one.
I know teddy got her stock from a hatchery. I have some of her chicks that are about 6 months old now. I'm new to this breed and am trying to figure out the traits that are desirable, I have one rooster from Garbard Farms. And one chick from him and pullet before she got ate by a coon. My others are from teddi.
In comparing my breeder stock, my stock from Ugly Duckly had very crisp markings in terms of the white tipped Mille fleur porcelain pattern, whereas the hatchery stock I kept had skinnier necks, and not as crisp or even color patterning. The hatchery stock did have good foot feathering, or at least I kept the ones with better feathering. The hatchery hens had fair beards in the porcelain but excellent beards in the Mille fleur pattern ( comparing Ugly Duckly stock to Ideal). The roosters I kept from Ugly Duckly had much better combs , with the right number of points, and nice tiny wattles. One did have a wattle that was bigger on one side than the other. I am really downsizing my number of porcelains now that I have quantity and are trying to focus on quality in a smaller group. I just sold two hens and gave some cockerels to a gentleman who is really enjoying how friendly they are.
