Sumatra Evaluation**Picture Heavy**

[Wolf-Kim]

These six Sumatra are from chicks I bought in April of this year. There are three blue, two black, and a splash. If you have/had raised(or even judged) Sumatra please let me know what you think of these individuals. All the birds of the same color have a different color band. Also, these pics were took mid-day so the sun was pretty bright.. I know, I know, heavy light isn't ideal, I got impatient..

These are the questions I really want answered, but would still really want to hear your evaluation on the birds.

What sex do you think each one is?
Which Blue is the best blue?(color wise)

The Splash (I'm pretty sure he's a cockerel, due to pointy saddle feathers) Still let me know what you think about him.

The Orange Black-(I think it's a cockerel due to pointy saddle feathers)

The Red Black- (I think she's a pullet, no pointy feathers yet) She seemed very photogenic..

The Orange Blue ( I think it's a er...what do you think? it's got rounded saddle feathers but they're quite long)

The Red Blue (I'm guess pullet.. She's a squirrely thing, she did NOT like being in that box..)

The Blue Blue.

These are my Sumatra babies, let me know what you think. I won't be offended if you point out flaws, that's what I want. The good and the bad.

Thanks a bunch!

-Kim

 

[Kanchii]

As far as the blues go, the orange one is the best because of its darker blue and heavier lacing, also has nice pretty dark skin on the face.

The first one, the splash, has a red face, not even purple, far to light to be shown or breeding quality, which is a bummer since it i a nice splash, los of color, which mean it'll throw darker blues if bred to a black.

The red black seems to be your nicest bird over all. Good type, shiny and vigorous looking, very showy, and completely black dark skin, very nice! If you could only show one of them, I'd go with her!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I know, the light skin on the Splash's face was really upsetting. He is very pretty in person and by far my friendliest of the bunch, doesn't even flinch when you reach down to pick him up. *sigh* I'll do some small controlled experimental breeding with that one before I cull him.

I really like the way the Red Black looks too. Now, if only I could tame her down some so her beauty can be admired in person and not only through the camera...

Thanks for pointing out the skin on the Splash. I knew that with Sumatra you want the skin as dark as possible, but I always excused his lightness to him being a Splash.

**Are light colored nails a negative? I've looked at pictures on the internet, but I can't get a good look at the nails. I really need to buy me a Standard book.

-Kim

 

[silkieluvr]

In regards to the light skin on the splash sumatra, I wouldn't be too quick to cull. I have seen at a show where a nice typey red skinned sumatra beat out a less typey dark skinned one. It surprised me too, but if he has nice type consider keeping him to show but possibly just not breeding him. JMHO and enjoy you're lovely birds!

 

[laughingllama75]

I know nothing about Sumatra standards, but just wanted to to say those are some nice looking birds. I love that red black hen, too bad she is so flighty.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Thanks Alicia. She's not too bad, she is just use to running around in the yard. Our county fair is in September, so she may get some training and special care between now and then. We'll get her settled down and use to handling and she'll be good to go.

The lighter blue look better in person than in the pictures. They were just so upset about being caught, tagged, handled and photographed today that they either fought me or went limp. LOL

Two of the six tried to size me up for a bite, but didn't follow through. Silly birds.

Thanks everyone for your imput. It really is greatly appreciated.

-Kim

 

[laughingllama75]

well, by September, she should be good and tame. Just pen her up, and carry her with you whenever you are out in the barn. I have gotten lots of show roosters tame that way.. its never a good thing to fly up in the judges face and try to peck thier eyeballs out, LOL. good luck,

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Overall the splash stands out the most. He has a great tail, it is long and well spread and its not droopy yet. The bad thing about him other than the red face is that his neck is kinda short.
In our experience with sumatras the males with long high tails tend to be the better birds a couple years later because the sickle and lesser sickles weigh the tail down alot so if he had a low tail it would be below horizontal. We have been breeding blue sumatras for about 4 years and all of the splash birds we get all have red faces. We kept a few hens for breeding and they ended up getting some darker faces and threw normal blue chicks. Remember you need to build the barn before you paint it. In other words type is most important, color should come second.

I dont care much for the black cockerel he has nothing going for him and his tail isnt that good.

The black female is good but her head looks weird I think it is the placement of the eye, it doesnt look natural.

The blue male is ok. I dont like his back, it goes down and there arent enough saddle feathers at the tail so the line is sharp if you know what I mean.

I think I like the first blue female, she is nice and long and has a good tail.

The second blue female looks small and cobby.

A few things you should look at on your sumatras are the bottoms of the feet. They are supposed to have bright yellow bottoms and many of them dont, they have pink feet or pale yellow. Another thing is the spurs, almost all sumatra breeders think single spurs should be a DQ, we breed for type first then color then spurs. One thing I noticed on your birds was the comb, I didnt see three distinct ridges on the comb. The combs on your birds look more strawberry or cushion like which I see alot in sumatras and there are some breeders out there that have birds with great pea combs.

That is what I think about your birds, lol.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Thanks FlyingMonkeyPoop, I'll have to take a good look at their feet and combs. Maybe I'll work with them all a little more and get better pictures of them. They must have thought I was going to eat them, they were all pretty frazzled about being messed with. As they get older, I'll be sure to take some more pictures of them.

-Kim