Peachecker,where are you??? Here is my Bronze 4 year old male named UPS. He was in a pen inside all winter with 3 other hens.The pen was roughly 8'x6'. I know that sounds terribly small but housing peas in the wintertime serves as protection from the elements and maintaining the birds health and getting them ready for spring breeding season. The metal roof he is sitting on is 3' above ground,and you can easily see his train touching the ground,and actually bending back as it lays on the ground. I know its close to 5' in length because I had to catch and carry him to this pen yesterday and it was almost impossible to open a doorway and get thru it without his train getting caught. You can bet I will get better pics but heres one example you do not need to pen off acres of land for only a few peas. I also discovered tonight one of his offspring from last year appears to have a white flight and a throat patch. Someone here is hiding something very good!!
Bronze have long been a favourite of mine, and my guy looks the same, 5+ foot tail. I have some offspring from my midnight bs and my charcoal that also have shown up with some white flights even though neither parent has any visible signs. I too am looking forward to seeing what genes they end up carrying!
Here is my Purple b/s silver pied male Phonecian. His train is wet but still for a 3 year old it's over 4' long.He was in a 10'x8' pen all winter with 5 other purple hens.
Now for the Taupe pics. Not very good at all since this group os still inside and it was getting dark and he kept moving around on the perch so a few missed his head altogether but you can get an idea of his throat-neck color
Here is the Taupe male again with his head over the back of the 3yr old Taupe hen, the two other hens in his breeding pen this year are both black shoulder silver pieds.
Build a pen Mmmaddie. I'll get better pics when they are outside but I'm sure a few were thinking I was playing an Aprils fools joke when I said I had a pair and no pics forthcoming.