My new Partridge Chanteclers! Are they as gorgeous as I think they are? ;-)

I've been reading, looking at pictures, comparing ... but I'd love to hear some more experienced opinions, if anyone has time to take a peek at my little flock - does 3 chickens even count as a "flock"? ;-)

I'm enjoying them so much, they're beautiful ... but I know that there is no such think as a perfect horse, I'm pretty sure the same must be true for chickens and I'm here to learn!











So ... is that good penciling? If not, could someone show me an example of good penciling? It's beautiful, I love it!

Let me know if the photos aren't showing up for anyone - I'll upload them somewhere else.

Thanks for looking, I truly appreciate it!

You have a nice little flock there! The cockerel is nice looking boy. Solid looking fellow.
The girls have nice type. They could use some strengthening on their lacing and maybe a little more size.
Definitely a nice trio to start with for breeding.

Like KRL says, they are a good start.

The boy looks pretty good. Has black in his hackle, and saddle I think, which many lack. I wouldn't mind better black in his wing bows. That is a personal thing for me I think. Decent comb, but his wattles are a bit big for my taste. Remember all this is just my opinion, I like tighter wattles, still wattles, but a bit tighter than your guy has.
I prefer more black in the breast, but there are those that say a boy like yours will breed better females. He has nice leg colour.

I would like a flatter back in your females. They should not have a 'cushion', I am sure Tara will address this for you.
I like the shape of one of you hens heads and not the other. They have a nice ground colour, not to orange, but could use more black in the hackle. Their pencilling does not have enough definition. It is something to work towards for sure. It is not easy to get along with everything else you want.

Here a couple of mine, their pencilling is still not as good as I would like it, but that is the fun of breeding.





My birds have a tendency to be a bit to 'orange' in their hackle, but I actually don't mind it as much as other things. Just one thing I am trying to fix. Mine are also showing a bit of 'shafting'....sigh....if it is not one thing, it is another.

Here are a couple of younger pullets.





So glad you are finding a passion for these birds. I think they are totally GREAT! I just love so many things about them and their beauty is just one of them. Thanks so much for sharing, I love to see pictures of PChants. Can never get enough!!!!

Beautiful birds. Not a chantecler owner, can't really speak to anything about them. But can you get a better picture of a sideway view of all of them. It is good to be able to look at the back and how the set is on the tail, this is seen more clearly when a sideview of the birds is seen. Good that you are asking for opinions, cool, but remember these are only peoples' opinions and opinions are a wonderful thing, listen and look, so much to learn. Thanks for posting the pictures, now go and get more, smiling. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

k.r.l wrote:You have a nice little flock there! The cockerel is nice looking boy. Solid looking fellow.
The girls have nice type. They could use some strengthening on their lacing and maybe a little more size.
Definitely a nice trio to start with for breeding.

Thanks k.r.l! The hens do seem very small compared to the great big rooster - he is solid, I was shocked when I first picked him out of the box. And he's such a laid back sort, I quite love him.

coopslave wrote:Like KRL says, they are a good start.

The boy looks pretty good. Has black in his hackle, and saddle I think, which many lack. I wouldn't mind better black in his wing bows. That is a personal thing for me I think. Decent comb, but his wattles are a bit big for my taste. Remember all this is just my opinion, I like tighter wattles, still wattles, but a bit tighter than your guy has.
I prefer more black in the breast, but there are those that say a boy like yours will breed better females. He has nice leg colour.

I would like a flatter back in your females. They should not have a 'cushion', I am sure Tara will address this for you.
I like the shape of one of you hens heads and not the other. They have a nice ground colour, not to orange, but could use more black in the hackle. Their pencilling does not have enough definition. It is something to work towards for sure. It is not easy to get along with everything else you want.

Here a couple of mine, their pencilling is still not as good as I would like it, but that is the fun of breeding.

Oh, yes I remember reading the post about the "bumps"! Tonight I was sitting out there looking at them, and the one hen seems to have a nice flat back, but the other does look like she has that bump in front of her tail. Of course, she currently doesn't really have a tail, which makes it a little harder to tell.

Which head do you like? Hang on, I think I have a picture of just the hens heads ....



Your hens are beautiful Coopslave, thanks for posting photos! Their penciling is so crisp!

CynthiaM wrote:Beautiful birds. Not a chantecler owner, can't really speak to anything about them. But can you get a better picture of a sideway view of all of them. It is good to be able to look at the back and how the set is on the tail, this is seen more clearly when a sideview of the birds is seen. Good that you are asking for opinions, cool, but remember these are only peoples' opinions and opinions are a wonderful thing, listen and look, so much to learn. Thanks for posting the pictures, now go and get more, smiling. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Thanks Cynthia - you're right, what's the saying? "Opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone's got one." The more opinions I hear, the better for me to create an informed opinion of my own!

I'll keep working at the photos - I do like to take photos of my critters!

Kendra, I have a funny memory and I remember Tara talking about "bumps". But I don't think the bumps she was talking about was the cushion. I could be totally wrong, and my memory is not always that good. I think that when they were speaking about "bumps" I think what was meant was the fluff that sometimes shows up at the end of the back, before the tail feathers rise.

Someone.....please. Is this a correct memory or am I steering Kendra wrong, I need to know. Talk about "bumps" please. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

OK, editing this post, I am searching our forum for "bumps" and came across a thread Coopslave started about wyandottes, talks alot about "bumps", still not sure what a "bump" is. Is it the bump before the tail goes up, smiling, the cushion, smiling again.

Or is it the tuft of fluffy feathers before the tail begins to go up, carumba, sound like very amateurish talking here, well, actually I really am, smiling that huge smile.

What is the tuft of fluffy feather called? I know it bugs some people when they see it on birds.

This is the post about wyandottes and "bumps"

https://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t2677-wyandottes

I may be editing this post more as I find more information about "bumps", sometimes I just don't know when to stop. When I understand what a "bump" is and what a "cushion" is, (I KNOW what a cushion is, but what is a "bump"). Come on....someone talk about "bumps" and not your lovely lady humps!!

So maybe all I'm seeing on the older hen is that she doesn't currently have a tail at all, not a bump, or a cushion or anything else ... ?

I took more photos ... I don't know if they're better photos, but they're pretty birdies so I'm posting them. ;-) (Can you tell I'm enjoying my new chickies? )




I absolutely love his colours!





So would I be accurate in saying that the younger hen has better "conformation" (ha, sorry, horse person here!) and a better head, but that the older hen has better penciling?

Just a quick post to say I like your rooster better in these pictures.

I personally like the older hens head better. I like my hens to have a bit of that stern look and I think she has that. She is also the hen with the 'bump'. She does have a tail she just carries it low and has the bump before it that makes it tough to see.

Your younger hen is a little tighter feathered, which is good, she just doesn't seem to have the size the older girl has. The older one also appears to have a bit of white in her earlobe, watch that, it can be tough to breed out.

You have a very nice start and it is great you love them so much. I bet one goes broody for you too!

Ahem, excuse me, but penciling is something much different then lacing and I think your are talking about good lacing, not penciling?

Ahem, excuse me, but penciling is something much different then lacing and I think your are talking about good lacing, not penciling?

Piet wrote:Ahem, excuse me, but penciling is something much different then lacing and I think your are talking about good lacing, not penciling?

I don't have any idea what I'm talking about! What's the difference between the two?

Piet, Partridge Chanteclers have pencilling. Double lacing, as in Barnevelders and Dark Cornish, has black as the outer colour on the feather and pencilling, as in Partridge Chants, Partridge Rocks and Dark Brahma, has the ground colour as the colour on the outside of the feather.

Aha! Thanks coopslave;)

Beautiful picture addition of the birds. Bump. What is the bump? Is the bump the bump that is on the back that is also called a cushion. Bump. What's that fluffy feathery stuff that is between the back and the tail that some roosters have, does it had a name? That is what I thought a bump was ! Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

CynthiaM - I found the thread where I first saw mention of "bumps"! https://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t3022-chantecler-when-visions-become-realitypics