Feather Quality in Jacobins plays a major role in the success of your birds in the shows. You must remember when we refer to feather quality in a Jacobin we are referring to the feathers in the head formation which give the Jacobin its distinct appearance. The desired feather quality on a Jacobin should be hard and glossy, with a glassy smooth appearance. The feathers should have a slight curve at their ends giving that “bally” or full thick appearance.
A question you may now ask is how do you acquire the desired feather quality on your Jacobins. To answer this you must first understand what controls or effects the feather quality on your birds. There are many different things which can play a part in determining feather quality.
Genetics are your first ingredient. Without the genes which produce good feather you have no foundation to build from. Start with birds which have good feather - but even with these you have a great deal to do if you wish to have your birds in good condition to show. Environment will now be the determining factor in how your birds will molt out and you have control over this also. I will now list some of the many things which can and do effect feather quality.
Space: lots of room. Jacobins need plenty of floor space and perches in order to have and maintain good feather. Four square feet of floor space per bird is good but lots of perches can help make up for less floor space. I prefer box perches, just make sure whatever type of perch you use that the Jacobins cannot soil the birds below them with droppings. Jacobins will fight one another if overcrowded also and in doing so will pull feathers out and loose valuable condition.
Nutrition: feathers are made of protein and therefore a protein rich diet is needed to produce a healthy feather during the molt. Peas and lentils as well as good quality wheat are good sources of protein. Just remember to provide a balanced diet so that all of your Jacobins nutritional requirements are met. A good grit ration is also important to make sure your birds are able to digest the feed properly.
Parasites: Lice and mites will damage feather at different stages of growth. Internal parasites such as worms can also stress out your birds causing retarded feather growth. Make sure your birds are parasite free.
Temperature and Humidity: can have a huge effect on feather growth and development. Cooler weather and lower humidity are definitely better. Although during the blood feather stage cold water on the quills can help them open, humidity in the loft is not a good thing. In cold weather humidity makes your birds feel cold and they will appear dumpy or sickly as they fluff up their feathers in an attempt to stay warm. Humidity in warm weather can lead to disease with faster bacterial growth in the loft. In regards to temperature-I have found that colder weather tends to produce a somewhat thicker feather with a harder smoother finish. Weather that is too cold is not good either because it will rob energy from feather growth to keep the bird warm. However this is not a problem until temperatures drop down to well below freezing. It only seems natural that cold weather enhances feather growth. Just look at how the fur bearing animals in northern climates grow such thick, long fur in winter. I have also noticed that Jacobins molted out in warmer climates will often molt out quicker and do much more winning at the earlier shows but their feather is often shorter and lacks the hardness and lustre. Birds in the colder climates will take a month or so longer to finish the molt but will usually be bigger feathered with a better finish. I therefore advise against using heat in your loft to help finish your birds quicker. Take advantage of the cooler weather if you can - it will work in your favour. Always remember to protect your birds from drafts in the loft and at the same time make sure there is a good supply of clean fresh air and keep your loft dry.
Stress: of any kind will show up in the feathers. Birds which are stressed will have shorter feathers and will often have lines or marks on their feathers showing times when the birds body was using its energy for other things rather than growing feathers. Feathers on stressed birds will also appear dull and sometimes frayed. Common causes of stress can be overcrowding, disease, feeding youngsters and a number of other things many of which I have already referred to.
Getting and keeping your Jacobins in good feather condition can be as much of a challenge as breeding them. Just make sure you start with the proper genetics because without this you have nothing to build from. I also want to make it clear that you cannot take a bird with poor feather quality and molt it out in a colder climate and expect it to have a much better feather. Poor feather remains poor feather. The difference is only really noticable on already good feathered Jacobins who will show enough of an improvement to make them really stand out. The same goes for Jacobins in warmer climates. Jacobins with good feather will not lose it. The diffence the cold weather makes is subtle but it will enhance the birds appearance.
Clint Robertson Email: clint@jacobins.com
