Please rate my Polish

[k0r1nag]

I am hoping to get some help in assessing my Polish birds for their show or breeder potential. I have been to many threads and looked at tons of photos, but sometimes photos of winning birds are so different in characteristics that I am still at a loss for what to look for. I do have an SOP and have been looking over my birds for flat out defects, but reading about what something should look like and being able to see what something should look like are very different things. I have started going to shows and have acquired some chicks from some award winning breeders as well as some chicks from some local enthusiast who do not show in order to watch them grow and develop side-by-side in order to more fully understand what a "quality" bird looks like from its chick stage on up. I hope to have some birds that I can show this Fall.

So please let me know both the good and bad about some of these birds.
And I apologize in advance for the quality of the pictures - they just don't want to stand in a show pose when I'm out snapping photos.

The hen is from a hatchery and the cock is from hatching eggs from BareGretchen. I actually have two males, one has some missing toenails and more wattles than the other.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions with a newbie!

 

[bryan99705]

I will admit not knowing much about Polish, but those are some beautiful birds!

 

[muddyhorse]

we really need side shots so we can see tail angle and wing placement.

 

[awesomefowl]

They are beautiful!!!! I'd LOVE to hatch some egg from them! The hen looks just like my lovely Alice!

 

[snazzyboots]

i don't know the answer but they sure are good lookin.

 

[k0r1nag]

Quote:
I am afraid these are the best I can get for side shots. The roosters all begin to crow when I show up and everyone starts begging for treats

Thank you to everyone who said I had nice birds. I love the buff laced and am using these birds as a learning project so that I can begin acquiring better birds. Maybe then I will be able to offer hatching eggs & chicks.

 

[k0r1nag]

The frizzle boys are supposed to be banties - and they are definitely smaller than the hen. But they are not nearly as small as another pair I acquired that are from a SQ flock.

Here is a photo of the roo named Lionel:

And here is the hen named Lucy:

Lucy is the hardest one to photograph. Sorry about the wet crest & dirty feathers - they are pastured and the morning was wet. She has a nice, full crest that is well rounded with no splits in it.

When I first got them, their coloring was incredibly close, but now that they have matured, his feathering has gotten darker.

I was hoping, if the frizzle boys were of good enough quality that I could mate her to one of them and hatch those eggs in order to have frizzled buff-laced banties.

Thanks!

 

[k0r1nag]

And here is another roo up for appraisal. He has definitely got problems but his coloring is gorgeous (Blue laced gold) and I am determined to work on this coloring in order to have a whole flock of these lovely birds.

This photo shows his side, beard, breast, but is not a good representation of the coloring.

This photo shows off the coloring better. His saddle is a beautiful deep red color as are his chest feathers

First off - his crest is not full enough and has white in it. He has some incomplete lacing. He has too much comb and it is lopsided (one side is higher). He could also be a bit broader across the chest I think. His tail is not usually so ratty, but he hassles the ducks and they retaliate

Any other defects or flaws I have missed?

He was a sport between a nice splash rooster and a gold laced hen. Currently I have eggs in the incubator from him and a nice silver laced hen who has no comb and a good stout body. I am still trying to find an adult female gold laced to put with him as well. According to the chicken calculator (in as much as I understand it) I will get a few blue laced golds out of the bunch. It is definitely a project and I know he is not great, but if the coloring theory works, then I can get some top notch birds and try it again

 

[QualityPolish]

The hen's crest (in the top post) is nice, not very lopsided

So thats good! Hmm, the body is hard to get a look at since it's on an angle which throws it off a bit. So I can't give you an exact rate on the body. As for the crest I'd give it....6-8 somewhere in there, maybe a little less since it's hatchery.
Good luck though, they're just darn right adorable!
QP

 

[chickendales]

Quote:
i love him