Well, I guess I need to practice some more on the gender guessing, I was supposed to have all hens.
Well, I guess I need to practice some more on the gender guessing, I was supposed to have all hens.
Thank you for clearing that up!
Now I barely have any hens left to work with, I had a few with bad combs and bad feet that I won't keep. At least my little Monika(named after my mom, hatched on her birthday) is still looking good
I knew Dick created them. I just think he sold the flock when he cut back some time ago and then somehow ended up getting some more mahoganies. I think he hatched them from someone. Not sure though I am sure they are gone now as he is cutting back this spring. I agree about the color though. I mis spoke when I said firery red I just meant that is the color I have seen on them. I agree if they are going to be called Mahogany Faverolles they should be a deep rich red. More like the red you find in dark males wingbows. That cherry/ mahogany/ dark red whatever you want to call it. Not orange.
I agree with Elias and you will find that this is the consensus from much more experienced faverolles breeders then anyone on this thread. Both Dick and Peter have said combs are one of the last things to cull for. Your population of birds has to be able to support your culling methods is what Peter says. So if most of your birds have 7 or 8 points and only 1 or 2 have 4 or 5 you will have to use birds with incorrect numbers of points and get the type right first. That is just my two cents. Nothing new as I feel I am for sure not experienced enough to give advice. Just passing along things Peter and Dick have said to me and posted on this thread in the past.
if it was me the combs would be one of the last things i culled for... they are not that hard to correct down the road... as for the feet i would be more carefully but still as long as they have 5 toes i would consider them for breeding... body size and type is much more important in the long run... just my 2 cents lol... Elias
Well if everyone is giving their two cents worth... here is mine!
I will add, comb is the last in any breed to cull for when working to improve type and size. Some top breeders, with a strain/breed they have had for 40 years, will use a magnifying glass and cull everything without 5 points on the comb from the incubator. With Faverolles, it should be the fifth toe. If a chick hatches without a fifth toe, either "cull" it then, or offer it locally as a backyard bird. No reason to waste feed on a cull. The combs can be worked on later when you have better quality birds and more of them.
On another note. I am going to the APA National in Lucasville, Ohio next month. Anyone that wants me to transport birds back or to just PM me. If you have a bird you would like to send Jeremy, I know he would appreciate it.
I'm sorry that I have so many questions, I am just a complete noob when it comes to picking out good foundation stock and I figured here would be a good place to start since there isn't that much reading material out there for this breed.
I used to show oriental cats and the first thing to look for was the ears and length of appendages, body shape usually came a bit later. If I was to pick out my breeding stock without outside help I would end up with this
