These are the comments and results of Day Twenty of the March Madness poultry judging. For previous pairings, instructions, and a copy of the bracket, please see our other "blog" posts. All of the participant comments are available on our FB page and previous posts here.
Breanna's Comments:
Getting down to the end of the quail here (sadly). These two are a decent pairing, but an easier choice. As much as I like my pharaoh pen, Iris just doesn't hold up to Rose2. I really like her neat look, with the rounded breast and overall coloration, but Rose2 just has more overall of the necessary parts to make a good bird. A few flaws that draw the eye with Iris: her beak tends to be a bit long, her back too short and the topline just rounded off at an awkward angle. Her wing is also held here in a way that throws the whole look a little off balance. The head, being a great indicator of overall size and general meat production, is smaller in proportion to the rest of her body.
Not to say that Rose2 is perfect. I'm not a fan of the flatter topline, though there is no real detriment to that straighter back when looking at production birds (or animals of all species--all meat and market animals want that flat and lengthy topline because it's easier to judge and can't limit the capacity). It is much worse to have a roach back that limits the overall organ space, but I do very much consider some roundness to the back to be a breed trait of the quail that I want there. The legs are not standing appropriately, likely due to the rocky ground she's standing on. The color is also a touch light for a Rosetta, but you can't eat color. It's arguably the easiest trait to fix in a bird. I like the head shape (don't be fooled by the open mouth, she's still got that nice skull size and width), and the overall width and depth. She takes the semifinals here pretty easily.
Top Participant Evaluations:
"I would choose Rose. I prefer the top line, wing set, head & eye shape, and beak length over the Pharoah. I would prefer a lengthier bird though."
-Lea Kulas
"The Rosetta is just better. The head is a bit strong and she really could do with a bit more length of body. But solid overall and put together. The pharaoh's topline is too crooked. There's not enough bird there to be a quail. She may weigh in OK in and of herself. But there's nowhere to go and nowhere to improve in the next generation. She shouldn't last very long in a breeding pen."
-Martin Yardley
"Iris has the better type of the two. Rounded breast, less-flat back. Her body is big and meaty, though her legs are set a little far back. I don't know much about the color requirements for quail but the Rosetta looks very light for a Rosetta. The Pharoah is well-colored. The Rosetta does have a nice head, eye, and beak, though."
-Jada Spiegel
"On this one I’m going to say Iris for the win, I really like her body and shape. Rose2 just doesn’t do it for me."
-Austin Noah
"I like both of these girls nearly equally. They both possess nice color, size and stance. But rose 2 steals it for me between these two looking at the side by side."
-Catherine Cleveland
Breeder Comments:
N/A
Judge's Evaluations:
"Iris places second here while Rose2 takes first." -Judge Brian Decker
Comments