I have to talk POLISH!

[TNBarnQueen]

I know someone here mentioned plucking crest feathers for showing. Can someone give me an idea on what and how...or could you refer me to a link that has the info.
Thanks!

 

[Moonchild]

There's something right behind me, isn't there....

Actually there is something looking at you in the window.....just sayin.....(psss do you see it?)

 

[ChicksNherps]

Actually there is something looking at you in the window.....just sayin.....(psss do you see it?)

hahaha that's a little lamp post with a snowman, the light is reflecting in the window to make it look double.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Actually there is something looking at you in the window.....just sayin.....(psss do you see it?)

 

[calicokat]

I know someone here mentioned plucking crest feathers for showing. Can someone give me an idea on what and how...or could you refer me to a link that has the info.
Thanks!

It was explained to me, that on a White Crested bird, say WC Black, you want only about a small butterfly of black feathers up at the front. So any stray black feathers in the rest of the crest would be plucked out. Then look at the hen from the front and pluck out those black feathers near the front to take it down to what looks like a butterfly wing out to the left and right.

Look online at some pictures of show winners and you'll get a feel for what you are going for. If there is a lot of black in the crest you may not be able to groom it down to a small butterfly, you'll have to use your own judgement based on what will be left of a crest on your bird when you are done. And if there is a lot of stray black in the rest of the crest, you will also want to look at how full a crest you will be left with after removing the stray black feathers. Might be better to choose another bird if you will have to do too much plucking on this one.

My DD gets cranky with me for doing this, she says it hurts the hen. I figure it's like when I tweeze my eyebrows - after a little tweezing the area gets a little numb or something, anyway, it starts to hurt a little less, LOL

 

[ChicksNherps]

It was explained to me, that on a White Crested bird, say WC Black, you want only about a small butterfly of black feathers up at the front. So any stray black feathers in the rest of the crest would be plucked out. Then look at the hen from the front and pluck out those black feathers near the front to take it down to what looks like a butterfly wing out to the left and right.

Look online at some pictures of show winners and you'll get a feel for what you are going for. If there is a lot of black in the crest you may not be able to groom it down to a small butterfly, you'll have to use your own judgement based on what will be left of a crest on your bird when you are done. And if there is a lot of stray black in the rest of the crest, you will also want to look at how full a crest you will be left with after removing the stray black feathers. Might be better to choose another bird if you will have to do too much plucking on this one.

My DD gets cranky with me for doing this, she says it hurts the hen. I figure it's like when I tweeze my eyebrows - after a little tweezing the area gets a little numb or something, anyway, it starts to hurt a little less, LOL

Yeah my friend was DQed for not plucking the crests on her WC black cocks

 

[TNBarnQueen]

OK...here is a pic of my roo.....he actually looks as if he has been plucked some. I have a son to him with a big crest though which would defiantly have to be plucked! But the one in the pic...I wonder if possibly his crest is too short. It does seem like they are getting longer and fuller in the next generation.

 

[Vcomb]

OK...here is a pic of my roo.....he actually looks as if he has been plucked some. I have a son to him with a big crest though which would defiantly have to be plucked! But the one in the pic...I wonder if possibly his crest is too short. It does seem like they are getting longer and fuller in the next generation.

He doesn't have much size or shape to his crest. Plucking isn't to reduce the size of the crest but to eliminate the colored feathers from the white area and the white feathers from the colored front. looking at the amount of color in this bird's crest I would say that he probably is a non-white crested variety or has some w.c. genes showing but not enough to want to take him in that direction as far as broodstock. Would it be possible to post a pic of the top of his head from the back and a picture of the full body? And of the next generation for reference. The amount of gold in him makes me think if you show him to do so as a crele rather than a cuckoo. crele's are not yet a recognized color though due to the huge variation in them. your rooster is also split for bearded and non bearded so you can choose which direction to go.

 

[Vcomb]

TNBarnQueen - I went back through your posts and saw this rooster of yours:

<a href="https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/353354/lightbox/post/10154045/id/4993256"><img src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/image/id/6653260/width/400/flags/LL"></a>

If you are wanting to breed creles, this is the pattern you are after for Polish. Go more towards red than yellow/buff and you want as much of the red in the saddles as what you see in gold in his hackles in this pic.

The hen in that pic is a buff cuckoo, not crele.

These hens are closer to what you are after:

<a href="https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/353354/lightbox/post/10154045/id/5412852"><img src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/image/id/8788051/width/400/flags/LL"></a>

<a href="https://www.backyardchickens.com/g/i/5247195/a/6259248/i-have-to-talk-polish/sort/display_order/"><img src="https://www.backyardchickens.com/image/id/7882734/width/400/flags/LL"></a>

Select for the cuckoo body and reserve the gold color for the head and hackles.....a little in the breast is ok.

 

[seminolewind]

VComb, Lucky me, I have a "Crele" hen just like the one on the left. Anyone have a picture of to breed her to?