Redcaps

[Redcap Farm]

Hi All

Here are a few pictures of my Redcaps. They are close to being 5 months old.

Here are a couple of pictures of a nest box I made this weekend for my Redcaps. I can gather their eggs without having to go inside their pen and bother them.

Redcap Farm

 

[Redcap Farm]

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Hi All

I am still waiting on them to start laying. I have a golf ball in each nest to give them a ideal were to lay.


Redcap Farm

 

[bantiebabe1200]

Your birds are looking good. I love your nest boxes.

 

[saladin]

That cock-bird looks excellent.

 

[Redcap Farm]

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Hi bantiebabe1200

Thank you very much for the good words on my birds & nest box.

Redcap Farm

 

[Redcap Farm]

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Hi saladin

It makes me very proud of my Redcap male to get a compliment like that from someone as honorable as you. Thank You!

Redcap Farm

 

[saladin]

There is more to a chicken than his comb, but that cock-birds comb looks excellent. I wasn't aware that any in the US had a comb that large and well-defined. I think he is a quality bird. I hope he is able to reproduce more just like himself or better.

 

[Redcap Farm]

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Hi Saladin

I am very proud of his comb for a bird a little over 4 months old but like you said there are more things to look for than just a large comb. I got very lucky with him because he is in the breeding pen for being the largest in body size of all the males I have. For the first few years I will be breeding to incress the body size & weight in my Redcap flock. When I get their body size & weight were I want it I will then start breeding for larger comb ( if needed ) & more correct color pattern. It looks to me that the female Redcaps here in the US are darker ( having more black and a darker brown ) than the ones in the UK. It looks like I have years of work ahead of me to get my Redcaps to the Standard were I want them but in the end the reward will be worth it.

Redcap Farm

 

[Redcap Farm]

Hi All

I have been looking over my Redcaps and have noticed that my Redcaps have a green sheen. I think I have read that in the Redcaps it is best to have a blue or purple sheen in them. If anyone knows or has any information on what the color sheen should be please let me know.

Redcap Farm

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Yes, according to the Standard, the sheen is supposed to be blue, but don't worry about that yet. It's cool. Focus first on the body and shape, the breadth, depth, and length. I, too, was pleasantly surprised at the photos of your cockerel. He's still going to keep developing, of course, Watch your females, in the next weeks their combs are going to redden and they will come into lay. Watch their abdomen development.

It's not, of course, that blue sheen isn't important; it's rather a question of how important is it in relation to other things. The Redcap is in such critical need of preservation, and your unique focus on them as a breed is a boon to the breed as a whole.

A gentle suggestion would be that at this point you might want to be most focused on breeding schemes/patterns and on what is need to enable you to hatch in number. On so many levels, hatching in number really is the key. It allows you to cull meaningfully, truly selectively. I'd imagine that finding your blue sheen comes on the other side of hatching in number.

Keep it up! They're a great beginning!~