Sumatra Thread!

[championsumatra]

Quote: Oh sorry, what I am trying to say is that your birds have narrow heads and long beaks which makes them look like they have a snake head. You want a round short head with a short beak. # 2 hen defiantly has a more of a developed head but it is still narrow and it should be bigger for the breed. what I like about your birds is they have nice dark faces and all the colors look spot on. The neck looks good, the back also looks good too.

 

[NYREDS]

I've had sumatras for over 10 years but until now have not been selectively breeding them per-se. I have never shown birds but am planning on showing sumatras for the first time next year. I had thought that the heads of my birds were a little large and I bought some MMcM birds to help with that. Next year I will breed 2 lines of hens (or 3 if I can still get some eggs from my oldest birds) including the MMcM hens and evaluate the offspring.

I would like your thoughts on the following birds, each are my own, focusing on critiquing the heads (feathers are still growing in from the moult). I know a while back we had this discussion and I'm not interested in starting an argument it would just be great to have your insight on my birds, I'm hoping to learn something and I will not disagree with you or push my own opinion, thanks!



Hen 1



Hen 2


Hen 2 close up



MMcM pullet close up


Here I've posted a Jungle Fowl hen for referencing what a wild birds head looks like. If the sumatra is supposed to be a close derivative of jungle fowl or a modern descendant of an extinct race of jungle fowl I just assumed that hens heads should look closer to this but I'd really love to hear your thoughts.


Grey Jungle Fowl pullet

The heads on your Sumatras are too small. Also, absolutely DO NOT breed them to a male with a longer beak, not if you want to improve them. if anything the beaks should be shorter & heavier than they are.

 

[ST3PH3N]

Quote:
Thank you NYREDS!

 

[dsfrango]

Hey, that was me!
The hen that ended up winning was seperated from the other Sumatras for some reason. Found her when I started judging the English Class so had to go back & redo the Sumatras. She was a far superior hen size was  right & the other hen was quite small. As to all the comments about head size/shape & beak length/shape. Read the Standard-it's pretty specific about the Sumatrs beak. & head. "Short, stout,well curved" for the beak Short & round" for the head".

Haha that's too funny, well I'm glad I said nice things about you! very helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to show me personally. I have a couple more things to look for when picking and choosing which of my hens to show.

 

[championsumatra]

Quote: I agree to that. ST3ph3n You should also try to find a male with a more rounded large head. Sorry if I am adding on NYREDS but I think that will also help out a lot.

 

[championsumatra]

Well I am off to the show wish me luck!

 

[dsfrango]

Good luck champ! Take pics

 

[4Hgirl]

Well I am off to the show wish me luck!

Good luck! Have fun and enjoy

 

[championsumatra]

I am back! I got a very nice black male from James Smith at the show. My birds did well considering they had half there feathers not grown in, I am very shocked and happy this girl who I sold a sumatra to last year won the AOSB class. I did not win anything but I had fun with all my friends. It just shows you that you can't win every time. I asked the judge what he thought of all my bird and he said he really liked them. I sold two birds a splash cockerel and a splash pullet. My birds will be ready in January.

 

[raph]

Roughly how much did you get for the splashes?
Make sure you post pictures of your new cockerel.
My Araucanas are looking nice at the minute.
And as of an 1hour ago I dropped my drawings of for the art exhibition.

There's some photos of the sketches with frames on and off, there's also one more I drew recently.