Houdans

[farmer boy]

Better ask someone else. Skittles is still not laying and she was born in March. Any time now..

kk well they will prob be laying by next year though so thats all good ... i will need to keep my houdan hen away from the other roos though

 

[ashandvine]

computer issue... sorry

 

[ashandvine]

Gigi mated Skittles for the first time. She was not impressed lol.

This sounds familiar for most species....

I always think its cheating to tweez feathers. I know its common but it shouldn't be. There are statements in the SOP that say if they notice feathers missing where a color would be a DQ or take points then they automatically take them. You'd think it would be common judging practice to look at the feet like that. Not that I am saying Gigi shouldn't win anything just that 'cheating' isn't a good way to win.

 

[Bentley]

This sounds familiar for most species....

I always think its cheating to tweez feathers. I know its common but it shouldn't be. There are statements in the SOP that say if they notice feathers missing where a color would be a DQ or take points then they automatically take them. You'd think it would be common judging practice to look at the feet like that. Not that I am saying Gigi shouldn't win anything just that 'cheating' isn't a good way to win.

This is an interesting quandary. I was given a book by a very good friend entitled, "The Art of Cheating" or something like that. It was written in the early 1900's and at that time they discussed this as cheating. Removing odd colored feathers, even washing and 'primping birds' I even recall a section talking about painting or polishing the hooves of livestock. Oh how times have changed. I believe most of the washing, spraying and polishing of legs and head would be considered cheating back in the day.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Yep!

Glad you got them too
Skittles had feather folicules in between her toes. Apparently this is very common, and is a DQ if you don't tweeze them prior. A very good breeder of white crested black polish explained it to me AFTER the fact. Gigi won Reserve Continental and beat out 4 polish and 10 SSHs

One hamburg beat him though. Ah well. I was proud either way

Next time Skittles is getting a good once over. She would have won Champion Continental if I had of known that!

Also I think at least 5 couples took down my number for Houdans come spring. If Skittles EVER lays.

Congratulations!!!!

I am going to have to look at my birds feet now. I have never noticed feathers around their toes

.

Be sure to let me know when Skittles lays. Spike was hatched mid-April and is showing the slightest pink now on her face. It was always white and black before so I am hopeing it is a sign

. Of course Zeus seemed to turn red overnight and promptly began to jump every girl in sight so I wonder if the girls change as quickly as the boys?

 

[aoxa]

This sounds familiar for most species.... I always think its cheating to tweez feathers. I know its common but it shouldn't be. There are statements in the SOP that say if they notice feathers missing where a color would be a DQ or take points then they automatically take them. You'd think it would be common judging practice to look at the feet like that. Not that I am saying Gigi shouldn't win anything just that 'cheating' isn't a good way to win.

That's funny, because the judge told me to tweeze feathers. There was only one little bitty feather. It wasn't even noticeable unless you looked very closely.

Can you see it? (it's between the toes). I even put Vaseline to shine her legs and missed it. I am going to ask Jamie Carson if tweezing the feet is considered cheating or faking. He's been judging for 25 years. I'll let you know the response.

 

[Bentley]

I have heard many judges say to tweez stubs out. Heard one judge at a big show tell an exhibitor immediately after judging his birds "Come on, you have been showing long enough to know you need to check for stubs and pull them out"

 

[aoxa]

I have heard many judges say to tweez stubs out.  Heard one judge at a big show tell an exhibitor immediately after judging his birds "Come on, you have been showing long enough to know you need to check for stubs and pull them out"

 

So do you consider it cheating?

Now I would consider pulling vulture hock feathers out cheating, but tweezing little feathers between the toes? He still hasn't replied to my email yet, but he's very quick normally. I bet he will say that it is not considered cheating. If you have a scraggly feather in the tail that is all battered, you would pull it out, right? Why would this be any different.. :/

 

[aoxa]

Okay so he replied:

EVERYONE does it.!!!!

From: Justine Lewis
To: 'JAMIE CARSON'
Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 9:15:05 AM
Subject:

About the houdans – would tweezing their feet from those feathers be considered cheating or faking?

He's very to the point

 

[Bentley]

So do you consider it cheating?
Now I would consider pulling vulture hock feathers out cheating, but tweezing little feathers between the toes? He still hasn't replied to my email yet, but he's very quick normally. I bet he will say that it is not considered cheating. If you have a scraggly feather in the tail that is all battered, you would pull it out, right? Why would this be any different..

If you pull out s scraggly feather in the tail or wing or on the hocks it s very noticeable that a feather is missing. Watch a judge at a show, they will spread the tail and wings, missing feathers are noticed and this in itself is detrimental to the show quality of that bird. Pulling an off colored feather of the back or stubs on the feet is not noticed on inspection of the bird. So, pulling that scraggly feather out of a tail whether it is cheating or not will downgrade your bird anyway so you really don't gain much.