I found these a few years back from a local breeder who has since disbanded her flock. They are pretty birds, but the original breeder released them for sale before the genes for muffs and beard were stable in the population. I spent the first few years raising dozens each year, but only keeping a few as breeders. Those genes seem to be homozygous now, but they are still not where I want them to be. These are the faults I am working on:
- Skittish temperament – They can act really wild, like an Mediterranean breed.
- Leakage in the hackles of the cockerels – I am selecting against this, but a large number still show up in each growout pen.
- Fertility – This may be resolved, but I have had males with low fertility in the past