ERMINETTE
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THE ERMINETTE
THE ERMINETTE WAS ESTABLISHED ORIGINALLY AS A COLOR WITHIN THE BRAHMA, WYANDOTTE, COCHIN, AND PLYMOUTH ROCK TYPES PREVALENT DURING THE YEARS OF 1874 THROUGH THE 1920’S. DISAGREEMENT AMONG THE BREEDERS PREVENTED THE FORMATION OF A BREED AND THE BIRDS REMAINED NOTHING MORE THAN A COLOR VARIATION. BY THE 1960’S THE ONLY ERMINETTES LEFT WERE THOSE EXHIBITING SINGLE COMBS AND CLEAN SHANKS. AS THE 21ST CENTURY DAWNED ERMINETTES WERE CONSIDERED EXTINCT UNTIL A FLOCK WAS FOUND IN WISCONSIN BY RON NELSON SOMETIME AROUND 2010. SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF THIS REMNANT FLOCK, BREEDERS HAVE ENDEAVORED TO ESTABLISH THEM NOT AS A COLOR PATTERN BUT AS A BREED. ERMINETTES BREED TRUE 50% OF THE TIME, THE REMAINDER CONSISTING OF 25% SOLID WHITE AND 25% SOLID BLACK INDIVIDUALS. ECONOMIC QUALITIES A DUAL-PURPOSE FOWL WELL DEVELOPED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF EGGS AND MEAT. COLOR OF SKIN, YELLOW. COLOR OF EGGS, BROWN. VARIATION IN SHADES OR TINTS OF SHELLS VARY FROM A LIGHT TINT TO A DARK BROWN. PREFERENCE IS PLACED ON THE DARK BROWN SHELLS. QUALITY OF FEATHER IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, SIGNIFYING EARLY AND COMPLETE FEATHERING. STANDARD WEIGHTS Cock – 9.5 Pounds Hen – 7.5 Pounds Cockerel – 8 Pounds Pullet – 6 Pounds DISQUALIFICATIONS GOLD LEAKAGE; RED OR BLUE IN PLUMAGE; WHITE SKIN. SEE GENERAL DISQUALIFICATIONS AND CUTTING FOR DEFECTS SHAPE – MALE COMB: SINGLE; MEDIUM-LARGE; WELL ATTACHED TO HEAD; THICK AT BASE, STRAIGHT AND UPRIGHT; WITH FIVE WELL DEFINED AND EVENLY SERRATED POINTS, THOSE IN THE FRONT AND REAR SLIGHTLY SHORTER THAN THOSE IN THE MIDDLE; BLADE NOT CONFORMING TOO CLOSELY TO SHAPE OF HEAD. BEAK: MEDIUM LENGTH; REGULARLY CURVED FACE: FINE TEXTURE; SMOOTH SURFACE WATTLES: MODERATELY LONG; UNIFORM IN SIZE; SKIN FINE IN TEXTURE; FREE FROM FOLDS EYES: LARGE; ROUND; BRIGHT EAR LOBES: MEDIUM IN SIZE; OVAL IN SHAPE: HEAD: LARGE IN SIZE; WIDE WHEN VIEWED FROM ABOVE NECK: MODERATE LENGTH; ARCHED HACKLE: ABUNDANT; BLENDING UNINTERRUPTED INTO BACK AND SHOULDERS BACK: MODERATELY LONG; BROAD ITS ENTIRE LENGTH; FLAT AT SHOULDERS; SLIGHTLY SLOPING TOWARD THE TAIL SADDLE: MEDIUM LENGTH AND ABUNDANT; FULL WHERE BACK MEETS TAIL TAIL: MODERATELY LONG; AVERAGE SPREAD; CARRIED AT FORTY DEGREES ABOVE HORIZONTAL MAIN TAIL FEATHERS: BROAD AND OVERLAPPING SICKLES: MODERATELY LONG IN LENGTH; WIDE; WITH EVEN ARCH LESSER SICKLES AND COVERTS: MODERATELY LONG; WELL CURVED AND SUFFICIENTLY FULL WINGS: PROPORTIONATE TO BODY; CARRIED MODERATELY CLOSE TO BODY; POSITIONED AT A DOWNWARD SLOPE; SECONDARIES RESTING AT END OF SADDLE PRIMARIES AND SECONDARIES: BROAD AND OVERLAPPING WHEN WING IS FOLDED BREAST: BROAD; DEEP AND WELL ROUNDED; SLIGHTLY UPRIGHT IN CARRIAGE BODY AND FLUFF: BODY: LONG; BROAD; DEEP AND CAPACIOUS; LONG KEEL BONE FLUFF: MEDIUM IN LENGTH; MODERATELY FULL ABDOMEN: OPEN AND WIDE LEGS: LEGS SET WELL APART; STRAIGHT WHEN VIEWED FROM THE FRONT LOWER THIGHS: LARGE; AVERAGE LENGTH; WELL FEATHERED; SLIGHTLY UPRIGHT IN CARRIAGE SHANKS: MEDIUM IN LENGTH; STURDY; SMOOTH TOES: FOUR ON EACH FOOT; MEDIUM IN LENGTH; STRAIGHT; WELL SPREAD SHAPE – FEMALE COMB: SINGLE; MEDIUM-LARGE; WELL ATTACHED TO HEAD; STRAIGHT AND UPRIGHT, WITH FIVE WELL DEFINED AND EVENLY SERRATED POINTS, THOSE IN THE FRONT SLIGHTLY SHORTER THAN THOSE IN THE MIDDLE BEAK: MEDIUM LENGTH; REGULARLY CURVED FACE: FINE TEXTURE; SMOOTH SURFACE WATTLES: MEDIUM IN SIZE; SKIN FINE IN TEXTURE EYES: LARGE; ROUND; BRIGHT EAR LOBES: MEDIUM IN SIZE; OVAL IN SHAPE HEAD: MODERATELY LARGE IN SIZE; WIDE WHEN VIEWED FROM ABOVE NECK: MODERATE LENGTH; ARCHED HACKLE: FULL; BLENDING UNINTERRUPTED INTO BACK AND SHOULDERS BACK: MODERATELY LONG; BROAD ITS ENTIRE LENGTH; FLAT AT SHOULDERS; SLIGHTLY SLOPING TOWARD THE TAIL SADDLE: MODERATE AND FULL WHERE BACK MEETS TAIL TAIL: MEDIUM LENGTH; AVERAGE SPREAD; CARRIED AT FORTY DEGREES ABOVE HORIZONTAL MAIN TAIL FEATHERS; BROAD AND OVERLAPPING COVERTS: WELL DEVELOPED WINGS: PROPORTIONATE TO BODY; CARRIED MODERATELY CLOSE TO BODY; POSITIONED AT A SLIGHT DOWNWARD SLOPE PRIMARIES AND SECONDARIES: BROAD AND OVERLAPPING WHEN WING IS FOLDED BREAST: BROAD; DEEP AND WELL ROUNDED; SLIGHTLY UPRIGHT IN CARRIAGE BODY AND FLUFF: BODY: LONG; MODERATELY DEEP AND CAPACIOUS; LONG KEEL BONE FLUFF: MEDIUM IN LENGTH; MODERATELY FULL ABDOMEN: OPEN; WIDE AND CAPACIOUS LEGS: LEGS SET WELL APART; STRAIGHT WHEN VIEWED FROM THE FRONT LOWER THIGHS: LARGE; AVERAGE LENGTH; WELL FEATHERED; SLIGHTLY UPRIGHT IN CARRIAGE SHANKS: MEDIUM IN LENGTH; STURDY; SMOOTH TOES: FOUR ON EACH FOOT; MEDIUM IN LENGTH; STRAIGHT; WELL SPREAD COLOR – MALE AND FEMALE COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EARLOBES: BRIGHT RED EYE: REDDISH BAY BEAK: YELLOW SHANKS AND TOES: YELLOW PLUMAGE: SOLID WHITE FEATHERS WITH SOLID BLACK FEATHERS RANDOMLY DISPERSED IN RATIO OF 85% WHITE FEATHERS TO 15% BLACK FEATHERS. |