Sumatra Thread!

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

That's the joy/curse of genetic variation. Sometimes we get a cool and unexplained mutation/deviation from the expected that we utilize and other times we get a "Crap, how the heck did that happen"?

very true, not all of us breed for shows, we breed for what WE like to see in a bird and enjoy the genetic diversity that comes with it. Also as I mentioned earlier, Europe judges on a different standard on many breeds. There are 3 tail carriages I have seen from birds there, one from Germany is very high just like these birds. Sort of leghorn looking almost, another is low and flat like ours calls for, and other is hard to explain, sort of an in the middle version. Just remember when critiquing others birds, they all aren't going off the American standard. In many cases, the American standard is nowhere near what the country of origin goes by, so in those cases, who's right? Our standard we made up, or the ones from the point of origin?? See we as a nation too have taken breeds and bred in what we liked, then call it standard...

 

[phoneman]

right at two yrs. old

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

i am new to the samatras. i got a pr this past summer,.her first eggs was laid about a month ago.i checked for fertilety after being in the bator for 10 days and from what i can see not one egg out of 12 is fertile. can someone help me with this problem thanks alot

the time of year is most likely your issue. Is your male in a molt? Often fertility will drop a lot then, if not go away totally. Were they out at night before collection where they could have been exposed to freezing temps? That'll do it too.
I'm only getting 1-2 eggs a week right now off mine, it's just the wrong time of year for them is most likely the main problem. By March you should be in good shape. If not, then you may have to get a new rooster to go with them.


ETA:

Just kinda read over your post and wanted to ask one thing too. You said the first egg was laid over a month ago, and of the 12 none appear fertile. Just curious, how long did you collect them before putting in the incubator? Up to 7 days is fine, from there on it starts to effect it also. 14 days would be the max, beyond that, none would be much good. Just checking to cover all the bases.

 

[phoneman]

the time of year is most likely your issue. Is your male in a molt? Often fertility will drop a lot then, if not go away totally. Were they out at night before collection where they could have been exposed to freezing temps? That'll do it too.
I'm only getting 1-2 eggs a week right now off mine, it's just the wrong time of year for them is most likely the main problem. By March you should be in good shape. If not, then you may have to get a new rooster to go with them.


ETA:

Just kinda read over your post and wanted to ask one thing too. You said the first egg was laid over a month ago, and of the 12 none appear fertile. Just curious, how long did you collect them before putting in the incubator? Up to 7 days is fine, from there on it starts to effect it also. 14 days would be the max, beyond that, none would be much good. Just checking to cover all the bases.

i set my eggs every 7 days. 8 eggs was put in 2 weeks ago and 5 was put in 1 week ago

 

[timatato]

im not sure of the standard here as i dont show my birds.they are all nice to look at whatever way they are made up well to me that is.there are some realy nice birds on here.i lost a rooster 2 years ago to a fight with 5 other roosters he met his match but he had 6 spurs on each leg and a tail that would sweep the ground would you believe i never took 1 photo of him thats just the way it goes but the birds i have now are totally out of his league.he was more of the american standard and a big bird aswell.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

i set my eggs every 7 days. 8 eggs was put in 2 weeks ago and 5 was put in 1 week ago

I got ya, well that's not the problem then

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

timatato,
as long as you enjoy them, that's all that matters in my book!

 

[ramirezframing]

im not sure of the standard here as i dont show my birds.they are all nice to look at whatever way they are made up well to me that is.there are some realy nice birds on here.i lost a rooster 2 years ago to a fight with 5 other roosters he met his match but he had 6 spurs on each leg and a tail that would sweep the ground would you believe i never took 1 photo of him thats just the way it goes but the birds i have now are totally out of his league.he was more of the american standard and a big bird aswell.

lol sounds like me, as I have never done shows either. In fact I had never been to a show til last month, it was something else to see people spraying their birds with what looked like hair spray lol. I do try to keep to the standards but I have the sumatras because of one bird. I got a lot of 6 black chicks from a lady and they were all suppose to be black sex-links. Well I didn't notice the rose comb one til he crowed. After a few years of falling in love I figured out he was a single spurred sumatra, but couldn't find any hens for him. I lost him when he was 9, than I found the ones I have now, which are pretty good for the US standards.

I do think its neat to see the different standards for different countries for different breeds. Most look the same but with slight differences, but the araucanas here look totally different than over-seas (they look like silkie crosses to me)

Good luck with your birds, and keep enjoying them

 

[timatato]

timatato,
as long as you enjoy them, that's all that matters in my book!

im the same im not in them to compete just to enjoy

 

[timatato]

another two hens