Seeking advice on selecting partridge cockerel (plymouth rock, but specifically about the color not breed).

[TheFatBlueCat]

Hi chicken breeding buddies,
I am beginning with partridge plymouth rocks (I already have barred rocks) and partridge is a completely new color to me. I have 4 cockerels currently 13 weeks old. They are all quite different colors at the moment, ranging from quite dark (almost like mahogany i.e Rhode island red) to not much darker than the pullets.
I can't grow on all 4 of them to adult plumage (extreme crow battles aren't acceptable currently) does anyone have some advice on what I can be looking for in the immature plumage to give me the best shot at a good looking adult rooster? Obviously temperament will also play a role in my choice but so far they're all perfectly fine well mannered young lads.

Photos of the two darkest cockerels, I'll try to get the lighter two tomorrow. I know photos can lose a lot of what they actually look like when it comes to color hues.

 

[Amer]

Yes, Plymouth Rocks tend to be quite gentle boys. I see you are in New Zealand. I don’t know if Australians prefer the mahogany partridge that Americans have selected for or the lighter partridge of Britain. So I will go with American since that appears to be what the open Australian poultry standard wants and since Plymouth Rocks are an American breed.
However, I need to see the others because I don’t know if their supposed lighter coloring is just caused by juvenile feathering.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I am interested in this as well, as I hope one day to get into partridge wyandottes.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Yes, Plymouth Rocks tend to be quite gentle boys. I see you are in New Zealand. I don’t know if Australians prefer the mahogany partridge that Americans have selected for or the lighter partridge of Britain. So I will go with American since that appears to be what the open Australian poultry standard wants and since Plymouth Rocks are an American breed.
However, I need to see the others because I don’t know if their supposed lighter coloring is just caused by juvenile feathering.

Thank you so much for your reply. My understanding is we follow australia/British standards generally. I haven't yet got a copy of the NZ standards as I'm not 'really' breeding in any significant capacity, but I do want the few birds I do breed each year to be of good quality.
I attempted to get photos of the lighter boys this morning, their sister is in the frame too so that could be a good reference.

 

[Amer]

Thank you so much for your reply. My understanding is we follow australia/British standards generally. I haven't yet got a copy of the NZ standards as I'm not 'really' breeding in any significant capacity, but I do want the few birds I do breed each year to be of good quality.
I attempted to get photos of the lighter boys this morning, their sister is in the frame too so that could be a good reference.

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Yeah, the lighter boys just have less sex feathers. Their male feathers are taking longer to grow.

I am interested in this as well, as I hope one day to get into partridge wyandottes.

Yeah, in America they are darker than Britain.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Yeah, the lighter boys just have less sex feathers. Their male feathers are taking longer to grow.

Yeah, in America they are darker than Britain.

Thank you much appreciated