Please critique my bantams PIC HEAVY!

[madgabmomma]

Hi

I'm just getting started with breeding bantams and I am really loving it so far. I'm not trying to breed for show quality but I do want too have nice looking birds with good personalities. I want to built up my reputation for having pretty birds. So I was hoping I could get some feed back on what I've got and maybe how I could improve. I've got a pair of cochins, 3 silkies, and 3 unidentifieds that I believe to be OEGB bantams but I'm not sure, so maybe someone could help with that also. I love the little OEGB looking birds so I really want to keep them and improve them. They are very small but have tons of personality and are very sweet and friendly. Thanks in advance!!


First up is my cochin roo Billy. Would his color be considered black, or something else since he has the white also?

This is my red cochin hen Crispy. (my 3yr old daughter named her

And just for fun here she is as a baby with my my baby. I love this picture so much!

This is Roxy my suspected OEGB hen. I think I like her so much because she is so small and she has lots of personality.

Here she is with her chick this morning

Drake my OEGB roo

Black silkie roo Coal

And lastly my 2 white silkies who are yet to get named. I think they are hens but they are still young so I'm not 100% sure. I'm also really hoping they look better once they are fully grown. They look kind of homely right now lol

 

[Poppafrog]

Good pics..............I like Drake

 

[sunnysongbird]

All are very beautiful chickens!! Drake has really nice feathers!

what are you going to name your Silkies?

 

[madgabmomma]

Quote:
I'm not sure what they will be named yet. My kids usually name them but since we aren't sure on their gender yet we're waiting too officially name them

We thought since they are white silkies if they are hens they need girly froo froo names lol

 

[Orpimom]

Billy is blue,not black. Very nice looking.The red cochin could have a bit more leg feathering and poofiness,but both look good. The black Silkie roo should be solid black.Too much leakage in the hackles. More partridge than anything.Better feathering than the whites.Feathering is the main thing to work on with these guys.Leg feathering and work on poof.Head crests too. That's the main things EVERYONE constantly works on.I am working on this with every setting.To get more true color you'd have to take him back over black hens.take the babies without leakage for breeding and cull the rest.Same with all the rest.Pick your best coloring and best feathering/type.All my OEGB are getting where I want them,except my projects. My cochins still need a lil feather work. White silkies for me tend to be the hardest to work with.It just seems the white is faulty.Always wants to be thin. My white showgirls actually come out better than solid white silkies..lol... On the OEGB suspects.... The hen lloks to have white earlobes. Where did you get them from? She really looks more dutch or serama cross to me.The male just doesn't really have the OEGB type.Kinda biggish.He has the red earlobes,but not right coloring. Are they hatchery birds are private? Something screams dutch even though the earlobes. All the babies are really cute.

 

[madgabmomma]

Quote:
Thank you so much for all the info! I am got the cochins from TS assorted bantam bin. The OEGB/Dutch birds I got from a private breeder. When I bought them last year it was the first time I had seen bantams and I just thought they were so cute. Once I decided too start raising chickens I called the lady to find out more about them and she just said they were not a pure breed but a project she was doing breeding for size and color. They are really small bantams. I actually thought they were dutch too at first but had someone else on here tell me OEGB so I've been confused ever since lol. I know the silkies need a lot of work and I'm trying to get my hands on some black hens and even considering getting rid of the whites all together. I'm just not crazy about them so far, but I love true black silkies. When I got my black roo the partridge color was not evident on him like it is now so I'm kind of dissappointed in that but I still think he's turned out prettier than my whites seem too be. Thanks again for your'e input!

 

[Orpimom]

Quote:
Thank you so much for all the info! I am got the cochins from TS assorted bantam bin. The OEGB/Dutch birds I got from a private breeder. When I bought them last year it was the first time I had seen bantams and I just thought they were so cute. Once I decided too start raising chickens I called the lady to find out more about them and she just said they were not a pure breed but a project she was doing breeding for size and color. They are really small bantams. I actually thought they were dutch too at first but had someone else on here tell me OEGB so I've been confused ever since lol. I know the silkies need a lot of work and I'm trying to get my hands on some black hens and even considering getting rid of the whites all together. I'm just not crazy about them so far, but I love true black silkies. When I got my black roo the partridge color was not evident on him like it is now so I'm kind of dissappointed in that but I still think he's turned out prettier than my whites seem too be. Thanks again for your'e input!

The cochins look really good for being hatchery stock(unless they buy from a private party like our local feedstores do.) In the silkies,you have to hold on to them a while before you know if their is gonna be leakage showing up.I even hold them awhile for the feathering. They are usually 6+ mos before I let them go,unless it's white.I have all white showgirls,and really don't like white chickens in general...lol... But I've been using them to start my showgirl project.I now have some blacks,blues,and reds in the showgirls. I will be bringing them back to silkies to work on the fluff..once I get the fluff going good,I will cut the Silkies down.
The bantams are just not in type or color for OEGB.They have more type towards Dutch in the breastiness and carriage.They are most probly a cross of the two or possibly more. But still beautiful.

Here's my cochins... You can see they still need feathering work,but I'm not even hatching from these guys because they are mixed colors.

Here's diff examples of the silkies..

The black SG needs work on the crest feathering/poof,the blue has good poof crest going,but the wing feathers need more silkie-ing,see how some are more solid feathery? The white SG is doing pretty good.Been producing better than himself so far.

Couple of OEGB that are more SQ....

See the difference in carriage? tail,body,type....

 

[madgabmomma]

I love you're black game bird, he is very pretty!! I can see what you're saying in the difference in body types and such. I am guessing mine are probably mixed with who knows what lol. I've had no problems selling their offspring though in fact the've sold really fast so I guess I'll keep them going

After seeing you're silkies I def know I'm not a fan of the naked neck lol Is that what you call a crested silkie? For me the more feathers the better

I think I'm going to try to focus on just breeeding black silkies and I'd like to get them too where you can only see the beak sticking out

I'm really pretty happy with my cochins too for being TS babies. I've gotta find some more though too improve the feet feathering. Do you know anyone in SE Texas or North Louisiana that breeds black silkies or blue and red cochins? I'm having a very hard time finding any which is why I picked up my two cochins at TS.



Quote:
Thank you so much for all the info! I am got the cochins from TS assorted bantam bin. The OEGB/Dutch birds I got from a private breeder. When I bought them last year it was the first time I had seen bantams and I just thought they were so cute. Once I decided too start raising chickens I called the lady to find out more about them and she just said they were not a pure breed but a project she was doing breeding for size and color. They are really small bantams. I actually thought they were dutch too at first but had someone else on here tell me OEGB so I've been confused ever since lol. I know the silkies need a lot of work and I'm trying to get my hands on some black hens and even considering getting rid of the whites all together. I'm just not crazy about them so far, but I love true black silkies. When I got my black roo the partridge color was not evident on him like it is now so I'm kind of dissappointed in that but I still think he's turned out prettier than my whites seem too be. Thanks again for your'e input!

The cochins look really good for being hatchery stock(unless they buy from a private party like our local feedstores do.) In the silkies,you have to hold on to them a while before you know if their is gonna be leakage showing up.I even hold them awhile for the feathering. They are usually 6+ mos before I let them go,unless it's white.I have all white showgirls,and really don't like white chickens in general...lol... But I've been using them to start my showgirl project.I now have some blacks,blues,and reds in the showgirls. I will be bringing them back to silkies to work on the fluff..once I get the fluff going good,I will cut the Silkies down.
The bantams are just not in type or color for OEGB.They have more type towards Dutch in the breastiness and carriage.They are most probly a cross of the two or possibly more. But still beautiful.

Here's my cochins... You can see they still need feathering work,but I'm not even hatching from these guys because they are mixed colors.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/99904_dscf0041.jpg

Here's diff examples of the silkies..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/99904_dscf8116.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...94725440_100002232118289_183596_3577531_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...37517899_100002232118289_218502_1082390_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...64184563_100002232118289_218503_2002554_n.jpg

The black SG needs work on the crest feathering/poof,the blue has good poof crest going,but the wing feathers need more silkie-ing,see how some are more solid feathery? The white SG is doing pretty good.Been producing better than himself so far.

Couple of OEGB that are more SQ....
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...91750767_100002232118289_158979_2324077_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...04754469_100002232118289_181687_7021280_n.jpg
See the difference in carriage? tail,body,type....

 

[Orpimom]

It really doesn't matter on the bantams.Lots of people just love cute lil ones,like you did when you saw them.My first OEGB were waayyyy off type /color/size...everything.But I still loved them.Matter of fa ct still have twin brothers with no hens...just love them and didnt want to get rid of them.I didn't get to the SQ until I got to know some good breedeers and show-ers.They taught me the ropes. Im working on my own silkies and showgirls,because it's so very hard to find anyone near with nice birds. I believe LAMike on here has Silkies,not sure if he is breeding or selling yet.He's gotten some ornamentals from me and I will be getting some silkies from him at a later point.Your cochins are pretty,feathering is a 'goal' to work towards with the babies.Same with the silkies.The naked necks on mine are showgirls...lol...my own projects. The crest I am talking about is one of the main things I am in serious need of work.It should be to the point of only seeing the tip of the beak...lol... that's what I'm striving towards.Basically colored cotton balls with feet....lol....
Here's a comparison(not my pics)...

 

[bigb-71]

your bantams look more like a dutch and serama cross . all very nice birds goodluck!