Polish Breeders Club

I am starting this to continue the discussion about red houdan started on the Black Crested Polish post.

This was my last post on that thread:

becky3086

Member

Posts: 13 I mentioned Dorkings to them (the genetics people) and they told me they would not breed in Dorkings because besides the 5th toe they really did not have the same type as Houdan and were not as close genetically.

Yes, I had heard that there were blue mottled houdan at one time.

Here is where I read about the games in Houdan

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Houdan/HoudanCrev.html

"Despite his anger at the APA, Mr. Baerman liked the name American Reds and harbored the idea of developing an all red fowl that might be recognized by that name. An experiment along this line was the cross of Brown Red Games with Rhode Island Reds. Probably due to some tassel blood in the background of the games, some of the chicks had small crests. Mr. BaermanÕs mind was already on Houdans, so he quickly gave up on all red Reds and conceived the idea of a Red Houdan. He imagined a red fowl with white mottles rather than black and white spangles. The birds with the small crests were bred to both Mottled and White Houdans and their offspring selected. Later some Buff Laced Polish blood was infused. Red Houdans were first exhibited in 1922. They never made the APA standard, but had a considerable following for many years. Cyril Menges, young John Criner and Bruce Lentz all talked about them. I believe Bruce bred them for awhile. Red Houdans apparently died out in the late 1950Õs or early 1960Õs"

Ok, since I'm here on the Polish Breeder's Club, who breeds houdan? Got pictures of your birds? I would love to see them.

I've got a single pair of mottled Houdans that I am going to breed this year. Not the best quality, picked them up spur of the moment one day. But something I can work with (I hope).

To add some food for thought, here's a vid I found on youtube of Houdans in France. Take a look, of course take in mind that just because a bird is filmed in its native land does not automatically mean its correct for its breed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNofipadFnM

Yes, I have seen that video. They are quite a lot darker than my hens here. My roo was quite dark though and I had hoped in breeding him to get some darker birds eventually,( until he got out of the pen and came up missing. ).  I have two roos from him, one is too light, the other is nice and dark(so far, still young) but I am waiting to see if his crest grows out better (I am not sure if he was plucked on one side in the brooder pen or if he just has a bad crest. Time will tell).

This is the dark roo that I started with:

Here are the two cockrels that I hatched from him (I have one other chick in the brooder from him).

This one is way too white:

This one is darker and nicer if that crest grows back:

Ok, well, not a lot of houdan people, lol. Here is what I would love my houdan to look like eventually.

http://books.google.com/books?id=1HAUAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q&f=false

Scroll down to Houdan and click on it.