FLYMPH FORUM

Last night, while at our local county fair, we had a chance to run through the poultry barn where all the 4-H entries are on display. Wow! For a small town affair, there were some surprisingly good and healthy birds. One breed that caught my eye was the "English game hen-red". The red I believe was for the beautiful neck hackles that surrounded the birds upper head and all the way down to just above it's shoulders. From there on down there were feathers that looked very similar to Hungarian Partridge in the way that the feathers were marked except much darker almost a chocolate brown. And of course there were alot of sizes represented that everyone likes....10's, 12's, and even some 14's. The red hackles would have been worth the price of the bird alone but the partridge looking feathers would have been the icing on the cake. And I really like my cake!
There were other good looking birds there as well (the all black hens made me turn the corner again for a second look) but the above bird with it's fancy dress on really got me to slobbering.
Does anyone else look these creatures over like I do? Better yet, do any of you raise poultry or game birds?
Living a much cooler life nowadays,
Dougsden

Doug - It is funny that you should mention chickens. When I visited my folks a couple weeks ago, I was surprised to find that my father had gotten a pair of chickens to "guard" his yard. I got a kick out of watching them strut around the yard eating all the bugs they could find. Here is a picture of the male.
I think he knew I was looking very closely at his feathers, 'cause I couldn't get anywhere near him. He seems to be a good judge of character.

My daughter took a photo of an interesting chicken at the local county fair. I'd never seen one with a poofy-feathered head like this (see photo below):

It'll be a something Polish. I have seen a few SIlver Polish and they has black tips to the "poofy" head feathers. I'd assume that that thing is from the same sorta chicken...

My wife and I make it a point to visit the poultry exhibit at the State Fair every year, and like Dougsden, I'm always drawn to the red roosters. I'm a feather freak year 'round, always looking in shops and at shows for unique shades and patterns, but I've not yet found any for sale that match the ones I see at the Fair .

Well Doug you have me chuckling a bit here this morning. You see this past Saturday afternoon found me meandering thru the poultry exhibit at our county fair also. Now that I think about it I'm sure I was the only one with my nose up tight to the cages to better judge the quality of the feathers. We also have a pigeon and bantam show and swap a couple times a year at the same location. If I'm in need of peacock I try to make one of those shows.

Regards, Jerry

To Jerry & everyone,
Your comments (esp. yours Jerry with noses pressed against the cages!) and pictures (thanks Ray!) really made my heart happy. There is a grain of truth for all of us who tie about being on the lookout for feathers all year long. I was trying to figure out how to pluck just one or two of those delicious looking neck and saddle feathers off the skin of this English game hen without it squawking too much when my Mrs. Dougsden slapped me back into reality land and pointed out to me that the 4-h police were watching me closely from the end of the isle. Do I have some sort of reputation for this kind of behavior that proceedes me even to the poultry barns of our local county fair? Evidently, I do. Would it have been worth it? Oh yea!
May we ever be on the prowl for better feathers!
This is fun! Keep them coming fellows.
Dougsden

DNicolson wrote:
Here are Skues complete words on birds, still valid -
http://donaldnicolson.webplus.net/page81.html

That's a fantastic resource you're getting together there Donald, thanks for that. As for Skues, I particularly enjoyed his advice for sourcing Ostrich herl:

[Ostrich]... Obtained from a plumassier or by raiding the bonnets of one’s womankind.



Must try the Derbyshire pattern with the Wood Pigeon as well...

Andrew,

Howdy all,
Going to try my hand at posting a photo. Some of the flock at my Lady freind Sherry's home. Only some of the birds. More constantly arriving.

[img][URL=http://s959.photobucket.com/a[/img]

hope this works.

HMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm.
Sumtin not right right here.....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Any ideas?