Post Phoenix Pics Please

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I may have missed it somewhere on here but how do you who grow a rooster out (just for his tail) maintain good tail condition? I have read about many different methods and have always just kept them on a higher roost and just wondered what you all do and what has worked in your experience.

well I keep most of mine in breeder pens, which is a major no no if you want the best tails. But here's a good guide to go by in general

1) 1 bird per pen. This I feel is the most important. Other birds, excess poop etc will ruin tails and saddles. Other birds step on and either break or tather the feathers.

2) keep deep hay or shaving beds in all the walking area. Basically you dont want feathers on bare ground. Some go as far as to put a deep sand bed in first, then cover it with bedding. Be sure to maintain it, keep all the poop you can out, it's just as bad or worse than mud and dirt.

3) high roost, obvious reasons. Dont want the tail hanging in the roost poop over night

4) very important, Fully covered pens. Rain is a major no no on tails. Keep 'em dry or forget about perfect tails

5) similar to above, waterers, covered and or elevated. water is water, rain or drinking. You dont want them going back and forth in the pen all day and dragging feathers threw open waterers. I glue the bases of mine to concrete block. This has them at about head level . So they often just tilt over and drink. Or they hop up on the block, get a drink and jump down. Either way the feathers stay out of the water. Wet, damp and muddy feathers get dry a brittle very fast and will break off easily.

6) good diet of course, especially while in blood feather. During that time, extra greens and higher protein goes a long way to helping get better feathers.

7) of course not all lines are the same. Start with excellent stock that has good lenght and thickness ( fullness) going for it. You cant make a low quality bird into a show peice.

8) if you get down right serious about it and have non molters, go the ol tomebaku route

 

[onagadori]

well I keep most of mine in breeder pens, which is a major no no if you want the best tails. But here's a good guide to go by in general

1) 1 bird per pen. This I feel is the most important. Other birds, excess poop etc will ruin tails and saddles. Other birds step on and either break or tather the feathers.

2) keep deep hay or shaving beds in all the walking area. Basically you dont want feathers on bare ground. Some go as far as to put a deep sand bed in first, then cover it with bedding. Be sure to maintain it, keep all the poop you can out, it's just as bad or worse than mud and dirt.

3) high roost, obvious reasons. Dont want the tail hanging in the roost poop over night

4) very important, Fully covered pens. Rain is a major no no on tails. Keep 'em dry or forget about perfect tails

5) similar to above, waterers, covered and or elevated. water is water, rain or drinking. You dont want them going back and forth in the pen all day and dragging feathers threw open waterers. I glue the bases of mine to concrete block. This has them at about head level . So they often just tilt over and drink. Or they hop up on the block, get a drink and jump down. Either way the feathers stay out of the water. Wet, damp and muddy feathers get dry a brittle very fast and will break off easily.

6) good diet of course, especially while in blood feather. During that time, extra greens and higher protein goes a long way to helping get better feathers.

7) of course not all lines are the same. Start with excellent stock that has good lenght and thickness ( fullness) going for it. You cant make a low quality bird into a show peice.

8) if you get down right serious about it and have non molters, go the ol tomebaku route

I like to rear my roosters separately.. You can keep them in individual pens as Aubrey suggested.. I would however use shavings, not hay.. Hay can get caught in the tail and wadded up if the tail is very long.. This also only works if the tail is not above 5 ft or so long. when it gets longer, they can break feathers jumping up to the roost which will need to be high enough not only for the poop, but so they can't jump to the ground while their tail is draped on the roost and then jump back up on the other side of the roost.. Then they are tied to the roost by their tail.. "have had it happen".. I would suggest hanging feeders or waterers.. you don't want anything in the bottom of the pen that they can wrap their tail around.. Most importantly, like Aubrey suggested, start with good stock.. A nice calm bird that you have handled well.. If they go crazy and run into the walls, they can damage their feathers.. Stress can make them molt and being too active can also according to some breeders. Be careful with the greens.. Too many in the cabbage family can cause a low thyroid and kill the bird.. TOTAL AGREEMENT ON KEEPING THEM DRY.. You can also get a good whitening shampoo for horses at your local feedstore or Tractor Supply.. This will help if you have a white bird. Not as necessary on a dark tailed bird (duckwing for example).. Oil the feathers also. And like Aubrey said, If you are serious, Go the ol tomebaku route.. It doesn't have to be complicated, it just has to keep the bird from damaging his tail.. There are examples of tomebaku on the internet.. Study the pics and go for it! I have reared them on pvc stands with some success...

 

[dvang3]

IS ANYONE SELLING PHOENIX EGGS CURRENTLY ?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

every day dvang3
bantams and the imported large fowl lines here.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I like the PVC roost Mandy, that's a good idea.

I also have had them get tail wrapped on roost before, makes you sick dont it.
On the greens, I should have been more clear, yes cabbage can be a bad one. Lettuce and stuff along that line is good for them though.
A lot of it depends if they are just phoenix or NM birds too. Those NM birds need a little different diet than a normal phoenix especially the higher percentage onagadori lines

 

[onagadori]

I like the PVC roost Mandy, that's a good idea.

I also have had them get tail wrapped on roost before, makes you sick dont it.
On the greens, I should have been more clear, yes cabbage can be a bad one. Lettuce and stuff along that line is good for them though.
A lot of it depends if they are just phoenix or NM birds too. Those NM birds need a little different diet than a normal phoenix especially the higher percentage onagadori lines

Yeah, It is neat, I don't glue them, so you can take them apart and they are light weight.. Portable too if you needed to take a bird somewhere to display it..

OH man, Do I know that sick feeling.. I will never forget putting 4 roosters in a little pen waiting for the npip tester to come.. It took them 30 mintues to tie each other up.. LOL. Had one get stuck in a rose bush once.. he just kept running around it in circles till he was all caught up.. OH yeah, they love lettuce.. Yes, the nonmolting makes them require more care, and more nutrition.. Some of them can stay thin if you don't supplement.. I have even been known to put olive oil in their food for extra calories.. Doesn't seem to hurt them.. Makes the feathers shine..

 

[Uriel]

interesting to see this discussion today because last night my favorite phoenix 'the Flying Dutchman" somehow got his three longest tail feathers wrapped around and pulled out on his roost. one was a little bit bloody on the tip. poor fellow im going to try the pvc roost for him tonight.

Dutchman:

struttin. theyre free rangers and always slopping around in the mud. somehow he is always pristine and shiny.


Diamond and Bean - all 3 are 9 mo. old

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Yeah, It is neat, I don't glue them, so you can take them apart and they are light weight.. Portable too if you needed to take a bird somewhere to display it..

OH man, Do I know that sick feeling.. I will never forget putting 4 roosters in a little pen waiting for the npip tester to come.. It took them 30 mintues to tie each other up.. LOL. Had one get stuck in a rose bush once.. he just kept running around it in circles till he was all caught up.. OH yeah, they love lettuce.. Yes, the nonmolting makes them require more care, and more nutrition.. Some of them can stay thin if you don't supplement.. I have even been known to put olive oil in their food for extra calories.. Doesn't seem to hurt them.. Makes the feathers shine..

we've got some thorny vines that grow wild here. I had a spare parts free range one do the same thing on one of them. Got to looking for him and couldnt find him. He was on a fence row tied all the way up to his butt on the thing. I swear it's like they try to find ways to do it some times.

On the diet I saw David gives his birds cranberries and cayenne pepper too.

 

[onagadori]

we've got some thorny vines that grow wild here. I had a spare parts free range one do the same thing on one of them. Got to looking for him and couldnt find him. He was on a fence row tied all the way up to his butt on the thing. I swear it's like they try to find ways to do it some times.

On the diet I saw David gives his birds cranberries and cayenne pepper too.

LOL..

Yep, cranberries are good for anioxidants and for alkalizing. And cayenne pepper keeps circulation going to the feathers better.. Also, cayenne pepper has healing properties.. Both work good on people too.. I often will put garlic or ginger in their food too.. promotes general health and ginger protects against sickness and works to improve immune function..

 

[dvang3]

SON


DADDY