The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[delisha]

Quote: I understand the top is shafting..is the bottom also shafting?

 

[BamaChicken]

I don't believe the blue is shafting. This is out of show birds inEngland and was sent to me for an exhibit of great lacing on blues.
I blew the photo up on the GL and the shafts of the feathers are white running down the center of the feather.
I hear folks talking about shafting in their american lines of buffs so wondering if that is what is happening with them. Do they they have the feather shaft that is white instead of buff colored out to the end of the feathers.?

 

[thedragonlady]

I understand the top is shafting..is the bottom also shafting?

OK, you have the lacing , which is as it should be. Do you see the darker line down the center of the feather? That is DARK shafting. On GLOs it shows as LIGHT shafting on the central shaft of the feather. Shafting is also seen on the wing feathers of other colors. In Buffs, it shows as the primary and secondary feathers fading to white at the root of the feather.The standards call for EVEN color to the roots, without lighter, or darker middle shafts of feathers.The shaft is the trunk of the tree/feather, the webs are the branches.All should be the same color.

 

[thedragonlady]

I don't believe the blue is shafting. This is out of show birds inEngland and was sent to me for an exhibit of great lacing on blues.
I blew the photo up on the GL and the shafts of the feathers are white running down the center of the feather.
I hear folks talking about shafting in their american lines of buffs so wondering if that is what is happening with them. Do they they have the feather shaft that is white instead of buff colored out to the end of the feathers.?

Buffs get a little more complicated than laced breeds, if you can believe it. A Buff Orp is really a wheaten bird whose feathers have been bred to show one color and sheen. As the feathers get ready to molt, you will see this even on really good colored Orps. The wheaten concentric markings will be visable on an old feather.They look very faintly laced in the wheaten pattern with concentric circles on the feathers.The trick is to breed all those circles into one color and sheen.

 

[galanie]

I don't believe the blue is shafting. This is out of show birds inEngland and was sent to me for an exhibit of great lacing on blues.
I blew the photo up on the GL and the shafts of the feathers are white running down the center of the feather.
I hear folks talking about shafting in their american lines of buffs so wondering if that is what is happening with them. Do they they have the feather shaft that is white instead of buff colored out to the end of the feathers.?

Buffs get a little more complicated than laced breeds, if you can believe it. A Buff Orp is really a wheaten bird whose feathers have been bred to show one color and sheen. As the feathers get ready to molt, you will see this even on really good colored Orps. The wheaten concentric markings will be visable on an old feather.They look very faintly laced in the wheaten pattern with concentric circles on the feathers.The trick is to breed all those circles into one color and sheen.

... something that is making my brain hurt as I research Buff. Good golly. Glad I have half a brain, wish I had a whole one!

 

[thedragonlady]

... something that is making my brain hurt as I research Buff. Good golly. Glad I have half a brain, wish I had a whole one!

Just be aware of it, and use your eyes ! This does NOT apply to baby feathers on Buffs ! At 8-10 months you have a pretty good idea, and if those birds go through a molt without showing any wheaten mrkings, you have hit the gold jackpot.

 

[thasista]

Thanks for this great discussion on "shafting".

 

[aveca]

I don't believe the blue is shafting. This is out of show birds inEngland and was sent to me for an exhibit of great lacing on blues.
I blew the photo up on the GL and the shafts of the feathers are white running down the center of the feather.
I hear folks talking about shafting in their american lines of buffs so wondering if that is what is happening with them. Do they they have the feather shaft that is white instead of buff colored out to the end of the feathers.?

Julie ,The over all quality of your birds is so good and a little shafting is not a huge deal..its quite common..they will choose the house over the color..You can see some feathers without any and a few with some ...you never seem to see it in the blacks .

.the Buff that just won a big award was all shafting when you look at the photo, even from a distance you can see it, but the over all bird was so good in quality they couldnt deny it.he had lot of bells and whistles.... then when you look at that farthing buff..you cant see any shafting ..it might be there but just so faint that you cant make it out..at least I couldnt..

For some reason, I could NOT find one single feather on the Roger Rebel Yell babies that had shafting..I thought how important his birds are .

Vickie, you just answered so many questions for me about the wheaten color..I would love to more even more about that..I have notes in Kindle..

 

[deek]

I've mentioned that there are two chicken nuggets that I've been madly in love with since day one. Can momma hens have favorites? I finally took a picture of one of them. She acts like a girl, but...



Here's the other one that I've been so in love with since day one

I named her Kay and I think she's definitely a pullet, so Kay it is. This is today's picture of Kay at 5 weeks. Every feather of this beautiful little baby is laced from day one.

Sadly, one of the lines is only producing 50% laced babies from first feathering. The lacing continues to come in, but I want it NOW.

 

[thedragonlady]

I've mentioned that there are two chicken nuggets that I've been madly in love with since day one. Can momma hens have favorites? I finally took a picture of one of them. She acts like a girl, but...



Here's the other one that I've been so in love with since day one

I named her Kay and I think she's definitely a pullet, so Kay it is. This is today's picture of Kay at 5 weeks. Every feather of this beautiful little baby is laced from day one.

Sadly, one of the lines is only producing 50% laced babies from first feathering. The lacing continues to come in, but I want it NOW.

Both cuties.Patience Dee! Remember the 10 month mark.....