Russian Orloffs

[vtguania]

Cknldy wishing you luck on your upcoming hatch & congrats on the ones you already hatched. My 3 hatched are looking good so far & still with the broody momma. So far it looks like 2 cockerels & 1 pullet although still early to tell. Just put a dozen eggs in the bator & hoping for a better hatch this time around. My 3 hatchery pullets now about 5 months old are doing good. 1 of them has really pronounced brow & wide head like Russian stock description. Might use her to experiment next year when she's matured some.

RiddleMe would like to see some pics of the cockerel.

 

[RiddleMe]

Cknldy wishing you luck on your upcoming hatch & congrats on the ones you already hatched. My 3 hatched are looking good so far & still with the broody momma. So far it looks like 2 cockerels & 1 pullet although still early to tell. Just put a dozen eggs in the bator & hoping for a better hatch this time around. My 3 hatchery pullets now about 5 months old are doing good. 1 of them has really pronounced brow & wide head like Russian stock description. Might use her to experiment next year when she's matured some.

RiddleMe would like to see some pics of the cockerel.

I need to get some actual pics of the cockerel, the only one I have I snapped when I was inside a breeding pen taking pics and he walked by. But I think you can see what I like in this pic. First, here's the father, I love his width and overall heft, and the fact that he was a fast grower. The things I don't like are his wing carriage, I like that he carries his shoulders high but would prefer the wings to be a little more horizontal. I also would like a longer more rounded back with a little more angle (less flow) into the tail. His station is ok though it could definitely be more upright, and his feathering could definitely be tighter. Neither is horrible but I really want more of the game bird/Malay look.





The cockerel (he's 4 months in this picture) is showing the same rate of growth, width through back and tail and has a higher wing carriage and longer back. Additionally, he's actually showing some mottling on his chest, something the cock doesn't really have, though right now color is absolute last on the project list. Although I don't actually plan to use this cockerel, he will be my first orloff dinner. He doesn't have duck foot but he has a "weak" toe on the left foot that doesn't sit as far back as I want. And that is something I promised myself I would not tolerate going forward.



This 4th pic is my other cock, you can see they have some significant differences. This bird stands almost two inches taller than the first, longer neck, back, and legs, and more upright station. He has slightly more horizontal wing carriage, but doesn't have the width or depth of chest of the first cock and he took the full year to fill out just to where he is now. And that's kinda a flattering picture, he's pretty relaxed here but if he's at all excited and drawing himself up he looks really flat through the chest. And he also has more fluff, which I don't like though he does have longer thighs and tighter feathering there. But I'm using him this year just to see what I get, maybe I will be surprised.

 

[gander007]

I need to get some actual pics of the cockerel, the only one I have I snapped when I was inside a breeding pen taking pics and he walked by. But I think you can see what I like in this pic. First, here's the father, I love his width and overall heft, and the fact that he was a fast grower. The things I don't like are his wing carriage, I like that he carries his shoulders high but would prefer the wings to be a little more horizontal. I also would like a longer more rounded back with a little more angle (less flow) into the tail. His station is ok though it could definitely be more upright, and his feathering could definitely be tighter. Neither is horrible but I really want more of the game bird/Malay look.





The cockerel (he's 4 months in this picture) is showing the same rate of growth, width through back and tail and has a higher wing carriage and longer back. Additionally, he's actually showing some mottling on his chest, something the cock doesn't really have, though right now color is absolute last on the project list. Although I don't actually plan to use this cockerel, he will be my first orloff dinner. He doesn't have duck foot but he has a "weak" toe on the left foot that doesn't sit as far back as I want. And that is something I promised myself I would not tolerate going forward.



This 4th pic is my other cock, you can see they have some significant differences. This bird stands almost two inches taller than the first, longer neck, back, and legs, and more upright station. He has slightly more horizontal wing carriage, but doesn't have the width or depth of chest of the first cock and he took the full year to fill out just to where he is now. And that's kinda a flattering picture, he's pretty relaxed here but if he's at all excited and drawing himself up he looks really flat through the chest. And he also has more fluff, which I don't like though he does have longer thighs and tighter feathering there. But I'm using him this year just to see what I get, maybe I will be surprised.

# 4 is a grand looking Rooster you must be very proud of him

 

[vtguania]

RiddleMe I agree with you. The father does look like he could use a bit more angle on the tail and a bit more upright stance. Sometimes it's hard to really tell by pictures as the angle taken and what they are doing at the time affects how they look. I don't know if it's the way he's standing but does look a bit short necked & too puffy at the bottom of the neck. Again the picture isn't always a good representation of the bird. I definitely like the cockerel, nice looking chest color, upright stance, yellow shanks, tail angle looks good for the posture you caught him at. The 4th pic definitely with ganderoo7, nice flow from neck throughout back to tail, good looking boule on neck, nice looking brow and good color overall IMHO.

 

[RiddleMe]

@gander007 I like the bottom cock, I always have, even when he was in his really gangly, ugly teenage stage. He's been the one I've watched for the last 8 months hoping... and he's definitely proof some of them need time to mature as a teenager he was all long neck, flat chest and fluff, giving him a really bad elongated triangular shape. But I've always liked his station. The below pic is him at ~ 5 1/2 months.




@vtguania Yeah, the father is just a little too generic large fowl shaped, not horrible but just... But I kept him because of his growth rate, heft, and temperament, and if I can get a few more offspring like that cockerel, I will feel like I'm moving forward. It's one reason I am going to single mate, I want to know exactly which combinations click. For comparison, below is the first cock at 5 1/2 months, this is his typical stance. You can see he had a lot of hackle/saddle even then.

 

[ashandvine]

You want to keep the first. He is wide, dark, heavy and overall very good. Your assessments of his wing might be the moment of the pic but its so slight when we look at how his type and overall development 'score.' You DO want that fast developing genetics, especially when it results in such a thick bird. THAT is the key to a good table and egg bird. Its something that my current line does not appear to have. Yes, his back is a little short but when weighing out his other qualities he is the bird to keep imo.

 

[RiddleMe]

You want to keep the first.  He is wide, dark, heavy and overall very good.  Your assessments of his wing might be the moment of the pic but its so slight when we look at how his type and overall development 'score.'  You DO want that fast developing genetics, especially when it results in such a thick bird.  THAT is the key to a good table and egg bird.  Its something that my current line does not appear to have.  Yes, his back is a little short but when weighing out his other qualities he is the bird to keep imo.

Ash, that's why I kept both. They each have something I really like, so now it's up to the girls to see what they add to the mix. I have one hen in particular I want to see how/if she clicks with either cock, she has a nice full chest, good back length, and was a fast developer. All my hens actually matured at a good rate, laying right around 5 months.

 

[ashandvine]

My post is unclear. I meant the first in your long set of pics. They are both nice but that WIDE boy is where I would go all out, especially since that nice open tail would help fix the MANY MANY pinched tails I not only have but see on RO. Would you pm me some more information on where your stock came from etc?

 

[RiddleMe]

My post is unclear. I meant the first in your long set of pics. They are both nice but that WIDE boy is where I would go all out, especially since that nice open tail would help fix the MANY MANY pinched tails I not only have but see on RO. Would you pm me some more information on where your stock came from etc?

Understood. I agree with the tail issue, I see both that and duckfoot in a lot of the pics of ROs that I see people posting.

 

[Embuck]

Hope I'm not breaking in on any discussions

. Could somebody give me a short, concise description of this breed, please? I've only read briefly about them in the Backyard Poultry Magazine. Thanks.