Sumatra Thread!

[championsumatra]

I got some silver spangled hamburg bantams yesterday. 5 hens and two roosters.

 

[raph]

Very nice, what other breeds have you got?
Where did you get them?

 

[ramirezframing]

Dsfrango, how did the show go? Hope you had fun.

 

[championsumatra]

I have a lot of breeds, most of them are layers. I have show quality bantam white leghorns, and several colors in the old english, and large fowl phoenixes. I am not showing or working on them. A really good judge told me that having to many projects going at once is not good for the breeds you really want to specialize in. If you are only focusing on two breeds that really gives you the time and space to really improve and succeed with that breed, I totally believe him. So for me it will be the sumatra's and new hamburgs. I got the hamburgs from an APA licensed poultry judge who live down here, his name is Frank Joseph. They are really nice birds, but if you ask me the sumatra's are a lot nicer. (Not because they are mine) if you look at them a little closer there is still a lot of work to be done on the hamburgs. So tell me what do you guys see that needs to be improved.

 

[dsfrango]

Dsfrango, how did the show go? Hope you had fun.

Heyy, thanks for asking! I didn't do that well, I got 2nd in breed/variety and that was it...there were about 12 Sumatras total. 3 blues and the rest blacks. It was a great show though, huge of course, 375 registries so at least 1200 birds! I had the pleasure of meeting Robert McHatton from ME. He got BB & RB. This raised a big question for me though. The black roo that got BB had a very long tail that dragged a lot on the floor. I thought it was a 15degree angle and supposed to be held hovering right over the ground...and as for the hens, mine seem small compared to the better ones. I Know there was a big debate awhile back but the did look like they were about right maybe 4-5lbs most so maybe I need to increase my lines size just a little. I ended up buying a blue roo and black hen from Robert. Here's a pic of the roo...I think he looks great. At least 3 spurs and awesome yellow bottomed feet!

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

So glad you got to show your bird dsfrango. Hope you
will do better at the next show you go to but you know
a second isn't all bad. Congrats on the placing

the new bird looks nice but it is a bit hard to see him
well in those pics.....maybe after he settles in you can do more.

 

[ramirezframing]

Quote:Heyy, thanks for asking! I didn't do that well, I got 2nd in breed/variety and that was it...there were about 12 Sumatras total. 3 blues and the rest blacks. It was a great show though, huge of course, 375 registries so at least 1200 birds! I had the pleasure of meeting Robert McHatton from ME. He got BB & RB. This raised a big question for me though. The black roo that got BB had a very long tail that dragged a lot on the floor. I thought it was a 15degree angle and supposed to be held hovering right over the ground...and as for the hens, mine seem small compared to the better ones. I Know there was a big debate awhile back but the did look like they were about right maybe 4-5lbs most so maybe I need to increase my lines size just a little. I ended up buying a blue roo and black hen from Robert. Here's a pic of the roo...I think he looks great. At least 3 spurs and awesome yellow bottomed feet!



No the males tail is horizontal and can (should in my opinion) drag the ground. The hens tail is 15 degrees above horizontal. Hens are suppose to be 4 lbs cocks 5 lbs. Glad you got to meet some people and have fun and got some new birds to help you out.

 

[cubakid]

I have a feeling the picture in the standard had something to do with the hovering tail.

 

[raph]

I wouldn't know enough on hamburghs to give my opinion, what's there temperament like?

I wish we had more Sumatras in Ireland, I don't know if anyone in Southern Ireland has large blue Sumatras.

My plan is to get that Sussex cockerel back from England and start breeding light Sussex. My grandpa has large Phoenix, red saddled Yokohama,black Sumatra, black red Carlisle old English game, silver Dutch bantams and salt and pepper bantams. He said he would send me some hatching eggs. so in the long run I would like to breed, old English game, sumatras, yokohamas,sussex, Pekins, rir, and a few leghorns for eggs. And my choice of housing would be pheasant pens. But I'll need to save up to make pheasant pens.

Oh and I've pretty much finished my coop!

 

[ramirezframing]

Looking good Raph. Is this the one you were making for the broodies? If so I would recommend running hardware cloth around the bottom section of wire so the new chicks can't get through the chicken wire. Good luck.