Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Wisher1000]

Quote:
LOL!!! I'm glad you clarified that! I was planning to give the girls naked butts from tail feathers to shanks and didn't even think of trimming the cock!

GAWD, what a noob...............

 

[RedRidge]

Ok... Any bird that is that high maintenance would NOT be a good fit here. My husband is laughing hysterically at the comments. ROFL

 

[thedragonlady]

LOL!!! I'm glad you clarified that! I was planning to give the girls naked butts from tail feathers to shanks and didn't even think of trimming the cock!

GAWD, what a noob...............

At the risk of having all the fluffy butted Orps catching their death of cold, let me clarify trimming for fertility some more.Leave the main tail feathers alone. Trim very closely ( think breeding porcupines here. Ouch !) the soft feathers around the vent in an area about the size of a biscuit. If you trim , instead of pluck, the feathers will be slower to grow in, but you cannot show a trimmed bird. You can show one with a small amount of plucking. The males need to be trimmed about an inch below and around the vent, and the females more above the vent. All my breeders are trimmed, and it is barely noticeable.

All my girls are wearing hen saddles now too.I had to make them as I couldn't find any wide enough for my girls.If you are not using saddles, cut, and file the rough edges off your cock birds' toenails.They can slice the girls open under the wings, if you don't. Check for this if you don't use saddles, and you see feather wear. Some of these cock birds are agile, and some are klutzy.

 

[NanaKat]

On plucking the vent...i pluck instead of cutting the feathers and I leave a 1/4 inch ring of feathers around the vent on my Cochin and Wyandotte hens as sperm feathers...these are softer and shorter feathers. An old cocker advised me to do that so sperm could be left there by the cock as he withdraws....supposed to help insure fertility similar to artificial insemination.

 

[Wisher1000]

Okay, all done, How's she look?

 

[hellbender]

Okay, all done, How's she look?

Oh goodnesssss. What did you use, a weedeater?

 

[Wisher1000]

Okay, all done, How's she look?

Seriously, though, I was thinking a baseball sized (same as a biscuit, more or less) area around the vent on the hens, I just wasn't thinking about the cock. I thought I would trim it short close to the vent, and longer at the outside edge of the circle. I really wasn't too far off!

 

[hellbender]

Seriously, though, I was thinking a baseball sized (same as a biscuit, more or less) area around the vent on the hens, I just wasn't thinking about the cock. I thought I would trim it short close to the vent, and longer at the outside edge of the circle. I really wasn't too far off!

Perhaps more than you think!

EDIT:If I were a cock bird, I'm not too sure I'd find that too appealing. lol

 

[brahmabreeder]

Perhaps more than you think!

EDIT:If I were a cock bird, I'm not too sure I'd find that too appealing. lol

LOL, I'd be more scared than anything!

 

[hellbender]

Seriously, though, I was thinking a baseball sized (same as a biscuit, more or less) area around the vent on the hens, I just wasn't thinking about the cock. I thought I would trim it short close to the vent, and longer at the outside edge of the circle. I really wasn't too far off!

I'll be honest...just having fun with you. Having owned thousands of Australorps over the years ( kinda' heavily fuzzy butted), I've never resorted to such a trick so I really don't know what is right or wrong...but that poor hen does look a bit pathetic and even miserable.

I truly hope you get the desired results!