These are the comments and results of Day Twenty-Four 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:
I know I skipped 23. I'm waiting just as much as you guys are here. Just be patient, I will post as soon as I have results.
This pairing is pretty close for me. It's the first time that two quail similar in type-yness and overall stature are going head-to-head and I like to see the comments. A few things that caught my eye off the bat: I'm not a big fan of Tux10's low wingset. It could be the stance or the just movement, as Sunny's also isn't as tight as it could be. However, the way the fluff covers a bit of the primaries makes me think it's naturally held a little loose and a bit long for my liking. I like the stance, it shows that good width to the hips and laying structure, far more than Sunny's is. The white to the face is striking but pulls to a slightly narrower head than I would like. Typically EB will have brown/black feet, but the Dotted White is likely diluting the eumelanin enough to bring back the pink. If the standard and general variety type was established more that may be a flaw, but it's not and currently they are evaluated almost solely on structure and condition, so that is overlooked here. I have a feeling this quail is young, probably only just hitting 7 to 8 weeks, and that it will fill out a bit more with age. She's got the build for capacity and to be a powerhouse bird, just not there yet. Building the barn.
Turning to Sunny a bit more. She's got that bottom line I like to see. Filled out, smooth, long (but not lean), and well-feathered. Her top line is a little bit back-heavy on the fluff, but not terrible. I like her overall shape and head size more than I do with TUX. It has a bit more of the maturity and finished look to her, with a rounder face, deeper breast, and a compact look. Not as much of a layer, but a good finishing meat bird. Her coloring gets her. Not a fan (I say, as I keep her in my color-based Italian pen. She's there as a control variable more than anything else). She loses major points (if coloration were scored) for the lack of markings across the back and breast. Her mother was the same way, though her mother is pure Manchurian and this girl is 100% confirmed Italian. The base color is getting a bit washed out, and the dilution doing it is also washing out her sex featherings that are important for the variety. Nevertheless. (Hi Martin. I'm not judging too much on color. I promise.) She still has that depth and finish to her that will have her placed above TUX today for me.
Top Participant Evaluations:
"I have to go with Tux10 as I can't see Sunny's legs, and Sunny's beak is on the long side. Tux10 top beak looks a little too big to match the bottom, but no overgrowth in length. Tux10 legs are solid, though I would have liked to have seen the darker color on them typical for EB. Both are filled out well. Sunny's feathers and wings are tighter, which is preferred, but overall, Tux10."
-Jen Jordan
"I have to go with Tux10 as I can't see Sunny's legs, and Sunny's beak is on the long side. Tux10 top beak looks a little too big to match the bottom, but no overgrowth in length. Tux10 legs are solid, though I would have liked to have seen the darker color on them typical for EB. Both are filled out well. Sunny's feathers and wings are tighter, which is preferred, but overall, Tux10.
I have to go with Tux10 as I can't see Sunny's legs, and Sunny's beak is on the long side. Tux10 top beak looks a little too big to match the bottom, but no overgrowth in length. Tux10 legs are solid, though I would have liked to have seen the darker color on them typical for EB. Both are filled out well. Sunny's feathers and wings are tighter, which is preferred, but overall, Tux10."
-Jada Spiegel
"TUX10 is my favorite overall quail. He is flashy, and something special to look at. Sunny is gorgeous, but next to TUX10 she falls just behind. Hard to beat a multicolored bird at times."
-Catherine Cleveland
"Sunny--feather sexable all the way!"
-Sara Brown
Breeder Comments:
N/A
Judge's Evaluations:
"Sunny places first and Tux10 places second." Judge Brian Decker
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