You Be the JUDGE **PHOTOS**

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OK, I'll give it a go, I looked and looked and looked at the pictures of actual birds and looked at the pictures from the standard. I know nothing of the chantecler breed, nothing, but I'll just put my two cents in anyways.

Picture number one. Comb is cushion, so I am guessing chantecler. Variety, really, don't know anything about that. The tail looks long so it looks kind of like the picture of the chantecler

Picture number two. Does not have a single comb, kind of hard to see the comb, but I am thinking a rose or cushion comb. So definitely not Plymouth Rock. the tail looks shorter than the drawing of what the chantecler tail should look like , looks more like Plymouth rock or the wyandotte tailset, but I am guessing a chantecler

Third picture, I presume a chantecler, cause it is white and has cushion comb. so guess white chantecler.

I think, and only think, cause I know nothing of partridge colour pattern that they are all partridge of some sort.

Well, that is my two cents, or maybe only one cent. Interesting post. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

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Come on Tara, don't scare others off before they contribute. I have lots to say, but will hold my opinions for a bit. I am interested in what others have to say here for sure!!

I'm new-ish to chickens, but I'm an old hand at equine and livestock conformation and judging, so here's my stab in the dark at it ...

Number one looks like a Plymouth Rock/Wyandotte cross. The poofy feathers make me think Wyandotte. He is the most delicious looking of the three - there might be enough breast meat there to make him worth cooking. He has very pretty colours, nice shiny feathers, and looks healthy. I do wonder why they cropped his toes out of the photo, though.

Number two doesn't conform to any of the SOP drawings provided. Appears to have been put together by a committee. Not enough breast on him to make me want to eat him. Again with the toe cropping. His beak looks almost bantam-ish. Nice yellow shanks, looks like just a bit of duskiness on the top of the one visible toe. I can't tell what breed he is, though, so I don't know if he is supposed to have yellow shanks, or if that was a committee decision.

Number three looks mostly like an Orloff, but with a sloping back and tail set that reminds me a little of a Cornish crossed on a Leghorn. Does not appear to have any breast meat whatsoever. But at least they left his toes in the picture. He has nice yellow shanks. I suspect he is supposed to be a Chantecler, but he is too upright, too V-shaped, wrong tail set, and not deep enough in the chest. Nice small waddles, though.

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This reminds me of the episode of Frasier where the two brothers were competing to become head wine taster (or something like that) and had to detect what wines, and in what percentages, had been combined in a glass for them to determine.

No. 1 Partridge Chantecler
No. 2 PC bantam -bit hard to see
No. 3 White Chantecler

Just guess'in!

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Tara, have a look at the comb on your female Plymouth Rock Breed in Partridge Variety!
The shape is what made me look at the comb, just testing us, right?  

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I thought the hen in your first 'couple' picture was a good representation.

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It was more the back than the tail angle. I don't have the SOP here, still in a box somewhere, but I think the Rocks have a flatter back and don't angle up from the neck like a Wyandotte tends to do. (how is that for technical talk!)
Not sure what that hen should be. Looks to be a Wyandotte x Chantecler to me with the light ground colour I have!! lol Actually it has the shape of many of the Partridge Chanteclers I have seen pictures of (and a couple in my own flock!).

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First off, something bugged me you said. You said that a judge was putting up a rose combed chantecler female. Why was the bird not disqualified, to have a wrong shape of comb, that is dq material. Sorry don’t get that and I don’t want to start a rant, nor a roar, but that bothered me.

And I guess I am bugged this morning. Why would that fancier say that the comb on the bird was cushion when it had a point on the end, not blunt, as the cushion comb should be. Blah. Annoyed as old heck about things right now. Oh well. Carry forth.

Oh, for sure body type is really what makes a definition in the bird, as well as the angle of the tail. For sure, for sure, amongst other things too, I would certainly say that body type is the most important. Of course you are right, the comb does not MAKE the breed the breed, I was speaking to disqualifications. I was under the impression that the three males pictured were show placers, hence should have correct comb for placing.

I relooked at the pictures and that white bird, I have no clue. It could be anything. If it is a white chantecler, then everything is wrong about that body type and angle of the tail. So probably not a chantecler, but the comb, the comb... From my little knowledge (other than looking very closely at the pictures) the chantecler has a very straight and long back, the tail being held up at that certain angle, what’s the angle on the male? Pretty angley. which the picture of the white bird does not have. Wonder what breed that white bird is. Doesn’t matter.

I don’t think that the Plymouth rock and Rhode Island Red look very similar, the body types look very different to me and tail. I don’t like this thread, cause I know nothing of the breeds, but will certainly read the responses, I like to see and hear what people have to say. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Oh geeze, can't help myself. The first picture in this new thread, that bird has a dewlap. Get that, I know what a dewlap is. How many breeds have this? I know the Buckeye do, cause I had Buckeyes, once upon a time, wish I never got out of the breed, by the way, kickin' my a$$ over that one, but oh well, done is done -- but the comb, is that a cushion comb. I think most of the pictures of these birds are awful. Now I bow out, smiling that big smile as I do, and I will watch and listen to what others say, have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

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Fun, fun, fun, not in the sun....I still am bugged by things, smiling. Yes, clearly recall that thread about hangy down, dangly things on the bottom of the head of birds, called a dewlap. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

I haven't chimed in on the second round of photos because ...

a.) The angles on most of them make it hard to judge them fairly
b.) Most of them are, um, not stellar examples of chickenship.

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this last one has wyandotte shape
not sure if the tail angle matches either (wyandotte or chantecler)
is more rockish (the tail angle, but the cushion in front is wyandottish)
I would say this is from cherry creek lineage

here is one of mine she lost her saddle in a mauling and looked like this when they started growing in. But once fully feathered she has the same saddle cushion as your hen

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Yes, the dreaded 'bump'. I have a few of them myself!  

I agree, the angle of the tail is 30 degrees, but I don't think enough attention has been paid to the description of the back of the Chantecler. This is where them and the Wyandottes differ in extremes even though their tail angles are the same.

SOP states
Back: Long, broad at shoulders, sloping slightly downward to rear, where it curves sharply into tail.
Tail: Medium length; moderately well spread, carried at an angle of 30 degrees above horizontal.
(I got this from another post, my SOP is in a box somewhere would some one please post the same for the Wyandottes)

I think you will find the description of the back is very different, the Wyandotte certainly does not slope to the rear with a sharp curve into the tail.

My personal opinion is we see far to many females with a tail that slopes up, from the neck in the Chantecler. Even though it is at a 30 degree angle, there is no back at all.

Will try to add some photos that help with what I mean, I am not sure I have gotten it across with words.

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