Tolbunt Polish

[Illia]

Quote:
So he DOES have a mahogany gene! (or atleast looks like it)

. . . . I want him.

LOVE those silver laced - Rarely ever see SQ Silver Laced Polish with actually laced crests.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
So he DOES have a mahogany gene! (or atleast looks like it)

. . . . I want him.

LOVE those silver laced - Rarely ever see SQ Silver Laced Polish with actually laced crests.

He's for sale...hubby is threatening me with a DIVORCE if I make him build another pen--he's still struggling to finish my dorking & orloff pen at this point...so this little rooster needs to go...

 

[Illia]

Quote:
So he DOES have a mahogany gene! (or atleast looks like it)

. . . . I want him.

LOVE those silver laced - Rarely ever see SQ Silver Laced Polish with actually laced crests.

He's for sale...hubby is threatening me with a DIVORCE if I make him build another pen--he's still struggling to finish my dorking & orloff pen at this point...so this little rooster needs to go...

Haha and I live with a family who would shoot me if I got another rooster (we have too many extras and are getting rid of them too slowly) but for my Tolbunts, they're fine with anything I get, just as long as it works.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
He's for sale...hubby is threatening me with a DIVORCE if I make him build another pen--he's still struggling to finish my dorking & orloff pen at this point...so this little rooster needs to go...

Haha and I live with a family who would shoot me if I got another rooster (we have too many extras and are getting rid of them too slowly) but for my Tolbunts, they're fine with anything I get, just as long as it works.

LOL I see...I've had him for sale for a long time with no takers...I'm hoping he can go somewhere that he'll be used in a project of some sort, rather than as coyote bait on some farm somewhere around here, LOL

I had some lady call and say that she wanted a rooster because she's been going through them so fast (some sort of predator issue) and I asked if she'd stopped the predation...she seemed confused and said no but she needed another rooster to make her hens lay! LOL I told her he was $50 and she hung up on me.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Haha and I live with a family who would shoot me if I got another rooster (we have too many extras and are getting rid of them too slowly) but for my Tolbunts, they're fine with anything I get, just as long as it works.

LOL I see...I've had him for sale for a long time with no takers...I'm hoping he can go somewhere that he'll be used in a project of some sort, rather than as coyote bait on some farm somewhere around here, LOL

I had some lady call and say that she wanted a rooster because she's been going through them so fast (some sort of predator issue) and I asked if she'd stopped the predation...she seemed confused and said no but she needed another rooster to make her hens lay! LOL I told her he was $50 and she hung up on me.

I would take him in almost a heartbeat if I knew how he could get to my house.

 

[josh44]

Nice looking roo,

Do you have any hens to go with him in his color or is he the only one ???



Nice updates on yout site Rare Feather Farms !!!

Do you have any pics of your BLRW bantams ???

 

[baregretchen]

Hi all. I've been wanting to join in on this discussion for quite a while. Unfortunately, time has gotten away from me.

But, better late than never, eh?

I like my tolbunt flock very much and enjoy the challenge of breeding this limited-gene color in Polish. I breed for health and genetic soundness first, color and type second. I will cull a bird of good type with a crooked toe before I will cull a breeder-quality bird with straight toes. I had to make a choice in my breeding program and that was my personal choice. Others may choose other goals, and I absolutely accept that.

If everyone were the same, life certainly would be boring! That being said, here are the challenges I face in my program ... crooked toes, fertility issues, too much white in the body, way too much white in the crest, and type quality. What I have seen improvement on in this year vs. last, is ... significant decrease in crooked toes, an increase in fertility, chick vigor now VERY good, and a slight improvement in type. Last summer, I had no fertility whatsoever until the heat hit here hard, around mid July. So many wasted eggs. This year, fertility came with the first eggs laid in early April. I was very happy with this! Although I am still assessing the toes on this year's chicks, I have noticed a significant decrease already. Just being a little hesitant about that because it seems sometimes that you do not notice a slight bend until the toe grows longer. This year I have not lost even ONE tolbunt chick to anything whatsoever. Only a few of the eggs that made it to lockdown didn't hatch. So, I think I have a wonderful improvement there. As far as color in this year's batch of offspring, I have noticed a bit more color coming back into the crests, but not enough, not nearly enough. Body color looks good, but I also know they will molt out lighter so I am taking a wait-and-see approach and will re-assess then. Type has actually increased slightly, too, from last year's production. I attribute that to one of my two smooth roosters in my breeding pen. Decent type, nicest color of my breeders. Super temperment ... calm & friendly. And, healthy, too!

By-the-way, I am happy to swap stock with other serious tolbunt breeders in an effort to keep our gene pools as genetically diverse as possible. So, if you're reading this and are interested, feel free to contact me.

I am also working on setting up other people devoted to furthering this awesome color in Polish. I believe the more people out there with dedicated ideals into breeding tolbunts, the more likely someone will hit upon a solution to the challenges facing this color. Personally, I am in favor of interbreeding the gold-laced Polish with excellent type into tolbunt. And, am taking steps to do so. Others may see it differently and may hit on a good path.

Below are some photos of my tolbunt flock. The last 6 photos are of some of this year's chicks. You can see how their crests are still very white, but with a bit more color in them than in my breeders. Some promising type in the chicks, too.

 

[Keri78]

Gretchen!!!

I LOOOOOVE your birds!!!

I'm reminded of the "Calico Cochins" when I see some of your birds with more white...PRETTY!!! I LOVE them all!!! Will you have hatching eggs available by next spring? I'd totally buy some from you! Thanks for sharing!

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Stunning Gretchen - simply STUNNING!!! Looks like I'm going to have to plan another trip down south...

Oh, and here is a pic of my Goonie baby - 1/2 Goonie (frizzled tolbunt), 1/2 smooth bantam white - I'm thinking its a hen, but its still a bit young:

 

[acid_chipmunk]

Quote:
Hey, some of those are my babies! Sooo beautiful!