Sumatra Thread!

[championsumatra]

that is true I hate it so much when they kill them just because they did bad. is so sad

poor chickens they don't even have a chance the chickens don't mean to be like that.

 

[championsumatra]

hey nerds can you tell me what you think of my hens and roosters.
I think this rooster is my best one. he has done the best for me so far. he may not have good lacing. but I like him.

 

[zach N houdan]

hey nerds can you tell me what you think of my hens and roosters. I think this rooster is my best one. he has done the best for me so far. he may not have good lacing. but I like him.

I like them as for the 1 male I like him but I would want darker lacing darker face and a little bit longer in the overall tail. As for the next blue,black,an splash I love ! The blue has excellent lacing and they all have nice overall types. As for the last hen she has an amazing tail but her body is a little small for what I like in Sumatras If I were you I would start breeding your 3 middle hens with you best cockerels.

 

[Infnityhrt]

I have heard some horror stories about the games and how quite a few judges don't want to judge them, but that is what I was going to finish saying before, but I had to leave for work... I think that it starts with the breeder and if the standard is in place to preserve the breed, then its us as breeder's to breed to the standard. Why do so many breeders think larger is better.. drives me crazy, Is weight a disqualification? or point deduction? I have seen many games with white earlobes, but because they get dubbed, the breeders don't care.
Isn't it our responsibility as breeders to know our standard.. I think so. That is why I might question someone to read it and question something. I know quite a bit is interpretation, but its not rocket science, try and not bend it to fit our birds, but create our birds to fit it. We should not be presenting the judges with birds more than 1lb above or below the standard. Make sure your bird doesn't have any general disqualification, wrong comb type, color where it should be, I believe we all have a responsibility both as breeders and judges, but it should start with the breeder. The Sumatra started out as more of a fighting bird, so I would think that it should be smaller, tighter, muscular and long and lean,, not fat and short.
Maybe my mentality of showing came when we started, we knew nothing, not even of the SOP. my son loved Sultans, that is what he chose as his show bird.. well.. must say not the best choice, but he loved the breed. First show, he got a first placing, of course he was the only one, but second show, he was DQ'd because of white earlobes, So we asked, well how do we know what the bird is suppose to have? So that is when we found out and got our first SOP. oh well that makes it easier, and we began looking for Sultans with red earlobes, to this day.. we have not found one, but we don't breed them because of that, if they don't meet the standard, don't show them. My son kept his pair and enjoyed them as yard birds, he showed BEI's and Polish instead. If a judge has to disqualify a bird for not meeting the standard, don't be mad at the judge, he's doing his job. The frustration comes at seeing birds that are too big or small or something obviously not with the standard placing above one that is.

 

[championsumatra]

oh thanks Zach N houdan I like them a lot the black you where saying that is small she is really big in real life she is one of the more bigger hens I have but I can see why you said she looked small she looks small in the photo. I have some black cockerels they are still young so it is hard to tell whether or not they are as good as my other males. lets just say I have a lot of cockerels right know!!

 

[dsfrango]

That is very agreeable infnityhrt and makes complete sense. Now you got me wanting to get a proper scale and weigh allll my birds!! i dont think the scale in my bathroom will work Haha

 

[Infnityhrt]

That is very agreeable infnityhrt and makes complete sense. Now you got me wanting to get a proper scale and weigh allll my birds!!

i dont think the scale in my bathroom will work Haha

I have a baby scale like they use in the doctors office, LOL, works pretty good, my son likes to hypnotize them on their backs on it

 

[4Hgirl]

I have a couple of Roo's I am not using,  The one I am thinking of is from Richard Schrock lines, I am kinda busy with a sick foal and work, so might not be able to get pics till Sunday, but would give him to you free if you pay shipping.  I will take pics of the others also and you can choose.  Let me know if you would be interested and I can email you pics

Really?! Omg my daughter is screaming with joy!

 

[4Hgirl]

I

True, maybe I am, I do think its all based on individual interpretation and I understand that, I am lucky that we have always had pretty good luck at poultry shows, but I have shown dogs, goats, horses my whole life, and I don't get upset if I don't place well, I know that its one persons opinion.  I have shown birds for a few years, mostly with the kids, then we took a few years break and now getting back into it,  I have, with the same bird, at a double show taken Ch AOSB under one judge and then under the other placed 2nd in hens under the other.  I have also had a judge place a hen, that I didn't mean to take because she had pink bottoms and was in our laying flock but had somehow gotten into the show bird pen, and I grabbed her and didn't realize it till I got to the show then thought oh well, not going to do well and she ended up taking Best of Breed, so I guess you never know.  But I do think that it should be more specific, as in the tails.. why would it say well spread under the Leghorns, but not the Sumatras if that is what they are suppose to have?  and I see the tails getting thicker and heavier on the males, and thebacks getting shorter, but that is not really what it says either, it says long and flowing, but not really thick and flowing. and it does say long back  The birds are changing from what they were, and it doesn't make sense, then we lose what makes a Sumatra a Sumatra, I see birds getting heavier and heavier and not just in the Sumatra, The Sumatra is not a huge bird, weights on cocks are 5 lbs, but I have seen  7lbs or more,  In the standard it does say to take off points for that, so that is why I started questioning more,  Its kind of like the AKC for dogs.. when they wanted to accept Border Collies there was an uproar and many breeders still refuse to register a dog in AKC because people would begin breeding dogs for a certain look, not what the dog was bred for and it would ruin the breed.  I use to show and breed Quarter Horses, back when one horse did it all, you could show in Halter, then race and ride, jump the same horse, conformation was based on balance and symmetry, straight legs and soundness.  Now days it is very rare to have a QH that shows well in halter be able to ride, they are so heavy and on little stick feet they don't stay sound, now it there are 4 types of Quarter Horses in one breed, so maybe that is why I am more passionate about change or wanting lack of it just for beauties sake.  Sorry, got on a ramble again. Different opinions are the spice of life, guess it would be pretty boring if we all thought the same and were like robots  

I see what your saying. I also have shown horses all my life-still do too. (Too bad my daughter isn't interested she likes chickens better lol) I now have a paint horse that looks like a warm blood x TB, and a QH who is stock bred. They look so different in confirmation. Different purpose defines how people breed them.

 

[Infnityhrt]

Really?! Omg my daughter is screaming with joy!

Yes, really I am at a poultry show today, but heading back home tomorrow and I will try and get pics. One is an older roo or i have one of his sons that will be a year in July.