Sumatra Thread!

[championsumatra]

Quote: Well isn't that more closer to what standard says? I would think so. I am not just talking about the backs of a sumatra it has to do with improving your stock so that you can do well against top breeders. No one I know is going against the standard. sure they may have their own opinions but that is why you correct them and of corse they will oblige that you where right. Now I am not saying to do it with every breeder just do it with some breeders who know what they are doing so that you can improve in areas. One thing I have learned about breeders is they aren't going to tell you their secrets. So you have to take it in your hands. There is nothing wrong with getting some wiggle room in there. especially when you are doing well.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

Hey everyone! I'm Tani, I have one sumatra, a GORGEOUS splash hen from Champion Sumatra Farms. She's a sweetheart, rides around the yard on my brothers shoulder, enjoys pancakes and cuddles, and her coloring is great! Sorry, I geek out about chickens a lot. Anyway, how is everyone?

Congrats on your hen and so happy you enjoy her.

 

[championsumatra]

Quote: Hey it's good to hear from you again! Thats great I am glad she is working out well for you!

 

[Tanichca]

Quote:

Hey it's good to hear from you again! Thats great I am glad she is working out well for you!

Yeah, it's been an entire hour since we last talked.

 

[ramirezframing]

Hey everyone! I'm Tani, I have one sumatra, a GORGEOUS splash hen from Champion Sumatra Farms. She's a sweetheart, rides around the yard on my brothers shoulder, enjoys pancakes and cuddles, and her coloring is great! Sorry, I geek out about chickens a lot. Anyway, how is everyone?

Don't worry about the "geek out about chickens" most of us could talk for awhile about birds. Glad you and your brother found a buddy.

 

[championsumatra]

BgMatt Luckily I know what the fads Are For Sumatra. All the Advice I have told you guys Is Not a fad. Just so that You know.

 

[ramirezframing]

First off, I'll say that I am pretty sure that we all can agree that no bird of any breed or gender should be crow headed.

When it comes to the head of a sumatra as stated per the SOP (at least my 2010 edition) it says
Head- short, round
Beak- short, stout, well curved

Where does the "big" come from? From the pictures posted and from what was written, one might think that we should be breeding sumatras with a cornish head, for which the cornish SOP reads
Head- moderately large, short, deep and broad, indicating great vigor, skull flat, broader at front than rear......
Beak- short, very stout, well curved

Since there is no size reference in the SOP of the sumatra's head (Examples- big, small, narrow, broad). Unless one uses short as a size, but then this normally is interpreted as not big. Why is the biggest head and shortest beak possible the best? As I see it, when you increase the head size, to keep the head in proportions with the body (so the head doesn't look like a big ole rock head) one must increase the size of the bird's body. With a bigger body comes a heavier body weight, and SOP listed weight for sumatras are 5 lbs for a cock and 4 lbs for a hen and dq-able once the bird is over the 20% mark (6 lbs for a cock).

I think a round head that is broad but short (from the point where the beak meets the head to the back of head or top to bottom of head) with a beak that's short, stout, and well curved (but doesn't instantly put someone in the mind of a cornish head) is more of what the SOP is after.

So I ask where does the biggest round head with the shortest beak possible (that puts at least me in the mind set of a cornish) come from?


I am not trying to be confrontational and hope that its not taken that way, I am just trying to figure out where the big heads come from. Thanks for any input on this matter.

 

[championsumatra]

Short or round does not mean small or medium either. It will make sence hopefully to you when you Read on page 21 And 22 It will tell you The Desirable head and body Characteris You should be looking for In all Breeds of chickens. One thing it says Is to look for width in the skull. So that doesn't tell me That it shouldn't be large Unless it states small or Medium.

 

[NYREDS]

Well isn't that more closer to what standard says? I would think so. I am not just talking about the backs of a sumatra it has to do with improving your stock so that you can do well against top breeders. No one I know is going against the standard. sure they may have their own opinions but that is why you correct them and of corse they will oblige that you where right. Now I am not saying to do it with every breeder just do it with some breeders who know what they are doing so that you can improve in areas. One thing I have learned about breeders is they aren't going to tell you their secrets. So you have to take it in your hands. There is nothing wrong with getting some wiggle room in there. especially when you are doing well.

Again, I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

 

[Infnityhrt]

I think first and foremost it should be about balance and symmentry when breeding birds, the head should fit the body. I think that you have to look at the whole bird. I am not sure how to describe it myself but they "fit" everything needs to flow, If the head is too big it would be just as bad as having a head to small, it has to be on each individual bird, personally I wouldn't want it to look like a big ol' tennis ball sitting on the bird, a tennis ball is what, three or four inches across? way to big for any head on a chicken LOL. I do like width between the eyes and understand round, it would be pretty much as broad as long and wide, but it should fit the bird. I do like a large dark eye also, with a little spark in it
I think that if you begin just focusing on one thing you begin to have birds that begin to look like they are pieced together.like they might of been made in frankenstien's shop.