A chicken question

[Keren]

Okay, so I have a couple of Isa Brown hens, 7 weeks old.

I wanted to enter them at my local show, just for a bit of fun. Question is, where do I enter them?

The schedule is as follows:

Soft feather Large:


Ancona
Australorp
Langshan
Leghorn
Minorca
New Hampshire
Orpington
Plymoth Rock
Rhode Island
Sussex
Wyandotte
AOV S/F large

Soft feather bantam


Ancona
Australorp
Belgian
Langshan
Leghorn, white
Leghorn, aoc
Orpington
Pekin, black
Pekin, aoc
Rosecomb
Seabright
Sussex
Wyandotte, white
Wyandotte, aoc
AOV S/F bantam

Hard feather large


Australian Game
Indian Game, dk
Indiam Game, aoc
Modern Game
OEG, black-red
OEG, duckwing
OEG, aoc
Pit Game
AOV H/F large

Hard feather bantam


Australian Game
Indian game, dk
Indian Game aoc
Modern Game
OEG, black-red dl
OEG, black-red ll
OEG, wheaten
OEG, blue-red
OEG, brown-red
OEG, duck-wing
OEG, ginger
OEG, spangle
OEG, aoc
Pit Game
AOV H/F bantam

Then there is a section for breed pairs, waterfowl and a junior section.

So what do they mean by hard and soft feather, I know nothing so sorry for the dumb questions, I am thinking that Isa Brown is a soft feather and that i would have to enter in the AOV class. Also, I think they would be large, not bantam.

Is that right?

As I said, I know squat about chickens.

 

[Lammie]

I don't know what sort of chicken that is. Can you post a pic? Is there a description you can get from the hatchery?

 

[Keren]

I ended up posting this Q on the backyard chicken forum and got my answer.

Isa Brown is apparently a 'hybrid' breed, developed by crossing the Rhode Island Red with the Rhode Island White.

Mine are quite cute little buggers, red bodies but with white rumps and then white flecks and spots up till bout halfway up their body. Most of them were solid red but I liked the partly white ones.

 

[peg4x4]

I'd go with whatever catagory R I Reds are in. Looked them up,nice chickens.

 

[jedstivers]

Could you post a pic, they sound interesting. Thanks Jed

 

[Keren]

Sorry guys, I will eventually get a pic. They are still living at work because I havent finished the coop here, and I keep forgetting to take the camera over

 

[andybob]

I'd go with whatever catagory R I Reds are in. Looked them up,nice chickens.

I agree, I believe the ISA are a Rhode Island Red hybrid. This link might have some better information; http://www.thepoultrysite.com/

 

[brandonm_13]

Around here, that cross is known as a gold sex link. Ideal poultry sells them. I've got about 30 at home.

 

[Rustler9]

Around here they call them Red Sex Links, Cinnamon Queens and there are a couple other names for them. Thety are a sex linked cross between Rhode Island Red and a White Plymouth Rock. The pullets are red and the roosters are white when they hatch so hatcheries can easily sex them as soon as they see them.

As far as the class you'd show them in it would have to be a class for commercial layers-you might try the AOV class. They would be a soft feathered breed. Examples of soft and hard featherd breeds are:

Soft Feathered:
Cochins
Brahmas
Plymouth Rocks
Rhode Island Reds or Whites
New Hampshires
Leghorns
most American, Continental and Asiatic breeds except any type of Game chicken

Hard Feathered:
all game type chickens
Cornish
Aseels
Shamos
Cubalayas
these were originally bred for the pits and they have very hard, close fitting feathers. If you pick up a game chicken and compare it to a White Plymouth Rock you'll feel the difference in the feathers. The Plymouth Rock has alot more fluff and looser feathers than the Game. The Game's feathers are closer fitting to the body and they don't have all of that fluffiness underneath. They have a more wiry, rangy type body covered with coarser, closer fitting feathers for fighting. Hope that helps to explain the difference.

 

[Keren]

thanks very much for that rustler, very interesting!

I actually took a different turn with my chooks ... a friend wanted some on the point of lay and she ended up buying my Isa Browns off me ... and I got four 4-day-old chicks - purebreds - two Australorps and two RIR. I like the RIR the best - very quiet, laid back, friendly animals. Will definitely go for them in the future. The Australorps have more fire in them

They are almost fully feathered out now, by tomorrow we should have the coop ready, so they will be booted from their brooder out into that