yet another Sumatra question lol

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

I said on this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=83659 that I wanted to breed white Sumatras, but after finding out that they already exist, I started to think different.

I need your suggestions for a new color of Sumatra. Here is a link to Sumatras on feather site so you can see what they look like http://feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sumatra/BRKSumatras.html .

I thought that lavendar would look pretty good. I also thought of buff. Possibly speckled but probably not.

Yes I do like Sumatras a bit too much and if you don't want to fuel my passion don't post, but I think that 4 colors isn't enough for them so post what colors would look good

.

 

[Shaffer]

Kurt,
White Sumatras are not that common. I know of only 5 people that have them. One fellow only has a rooster, another only has a hen and some split chicks, another fellow bought all I had and there were only one rooster, and about 3 hens, and the other fellow had a website but needed new stock which I alread sold. So your quest for white is not that much in vein. They are difficult to find. Oh, there is also someone selling eggs on eggbid but only 6 eggs at a time.
As far as Lavender, I have a pullet that would fit just fine for breeding to a Sumatra but I am using her for my Araucana project for rumpless tufted Lavenders in the future.
Buff will be very difficult because black and buff gives you an extreme amount of culls to dispose of or eat which is the best way to get rid of culls. That project will take some time till you can get some buffs. When you do please post pictures. HS

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
I vote Ginger, Brassy back, or BBR, would be best for the sumatras i think, color wise.. just my opinion though

-Daniel

 

[turtleblossom]

I say any of the birchen colors. One thing I really like about Sumatras is there dark faces.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

OK thanks guys for replying. Birchen would look intersting on a Sumatra but I'm not sure if I could work with it. I like DT's idea of BBR. I could use, a Cubalaya? Right?

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Quote:
the Sumatra breed isn't that common either

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
cubalaya would be the best to go with i think

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I'd recommend you find a long-tail project breeder who's got black skinned crosses (wclawrence). The Cubalaya will do two things - mess up the skin coloration and tail formation for several generations. Cubalaya tails are different from Sumatras in that they start out being below horizontal. The feathers overlap each other, like scales.

I mean, yeah you could steel the BBR coloring from the cubalaya but you'd be making a mess of your sumatra doing it.

 

[wclawrence]

White is a heck of a challenge! I wanted to give you a few things to think on.
The Sumatra is extended black, "E". So best bet is to stick with that e-allele.
Extended black birds must have extra melanizers to make them completely black. The ones that do not have these usually turn out to look like a birchen. They are not in fact birchen, they are extended black, lacking an extra melanizer.
So there is that.

Another thing, there are a lot of things to breed for when making a new color for Sumatras.
It takes two copies of Gypsy to make a rooster's face black.
Sumatras are supposed to be yellow skinned, with black shanks.
They need to have at least three spurs on each leg.
If you loose the tail or saddle length, you loose the essence of the Sumatra.