How Big
Should a Jacobin be?
First
let me make it clear that I am not referring directly to feather length but
rather to the size and shape of the body in relation to the feather length
and mass. In the years I have bred Jacobins I have seen and bred different
styles and types in an attempt to get the type of bird that would best present
the features we are striving for. I have seen the thick, big bodied birds
and felt right from the start that these did not come close to the slender,
streamlined effect our standard calls for. So for many years I worked to refine
my birds and get them more slender with long sleek bodies and wings. However
in the process some of my birds became too dainty and petite. This became
most apparent when I would put these smaller birds up against the big powerful
birds that would just over power the smaller ones. However when it came down
to the finer details that made up the birds I still preferred many of the
features on my more refined stock such as the narrow tidy wings, nicer whip-ins
and sharper outlines to the overall bird. I then came to the realization that
what we need is to combine the best of both worlds. I am now comfortable with
a bigger Jacobin and actually breed towards that but only if the feather length
is in proportion and the bird maintains the refinement. A larger bodied bigger
feathered bird will always and should always beat the smaller one so long
as the bigger bird has the refined narrow wing, long slim body, long neck
and good station that allows it to make a more powerful presence in the show
pen. What it comes down to is proportion. In saying this a smaller more refined
bird that is balanced should still win out over the bigger bird if the bigger
bird lacks the refinement and balance.