Nankins at the PCGB National Show, Stoneleigh, Warks, UK.

[Lordcluck]

Here are a few of the sixteen entries at the National show yesterday. Ten cockerels and six hens, all single combed bar one rose combed pullet.
All pretty hefty as you can no doubt imagine, with their judge David Scrivener, searching out the smallest and typiest birds he could find!
Lots of lovely bronzed tails in the males, a few were still out of feather, females in particular. One really blue legged, black tailed " American" type female, more tightly feathered than the rest and consequentally appearing smaller.

Apologies for the quality of the photos, taken on my clunky old phone in a poorly lit show barn!!

[nankin3]

Lordcluck, Thanks for the great photo's even if they were on a "clunky old phone". That's a very proud looking lil roo in that 1st pic for sure. Not to start a controversy but are the Nankins across the pond really that light in color or was it just the camera? Also how in the world do you get the photo's directly to the site I have to use Photobucket?
 Thanks,
Danny

[Lordcluck]

Danny, these three are typical of the colour and shade of the Nankins here. There were one or two just a tad darker, but none showed the brick red of say a New Hampshire.
I send the pictures direct from my phone to my Photobucket album, then copy and paste the url of each picture into the post reply facility on here!

[Mousy]

Hi,

Sorry I'll post an introduction another night. I was looking for somewhere that I could post a Thank-you to the Nankin Club of America for my lovely Rosettes (Best of Breed and Best Single Comb) they kindly provided for the PCGB Show. But I saw this and really had to reply.

The top picture (458) posted by Lordcluck was my unplaced Cockeral.

Sorry to be contractory, but although the Nankins where due to be Judged by David Scrivener I believe, he was running a bit behind so the Nankins where Judged by Phil Parfitt. Who I was very greatful too because this was my first time exhibiting poultry and after wanting Nankins for 8 years I'd got some hatching eggs in May. Mr. Parfitt was very kind and took time out after the class to go through the Nankins with me and explain what he'd done and why he'd placed them in that order and was kind enough to go over in detail what was good and bad about my birds as was Andrew Sheppy as I still have a lot to learn. I would have liked to have spoken to Brian Sands who I understand was around but the problem with being new is you don't have a clue who is who. I ended up have a very informative chat with Fred Hams over lunch about Nankins (before I found out who he was!).

There were 10 males all single combs and 6 females but I counted 3 of them being Rose Combs and 3 single combs.

While yes my 4 birds I had entered (3 cockerals and 1 pullet) were a bit on the big side and also had a tail carrage a little on the low side. The female winner was of a more correct size and tail carriage as was reserve best of breed and best rose comb. I believe my cockeral won because he had was in better feather than most (bad time of year for most birds here) and because of his colouring and on points. Although my cockeral who came third has a slightly better head than my winner cockeral. My pullet came second also her eggs got 2nd for Bantam egg contents and 3rd in one any other colour bantam egg.

So I was really lucky, beginners luck. But I did want to say thank-you for the rosettes they really where icing on the cake of an amazing week-end of information overload.

Thanks,
Mousy.

[nankin3]

Let me start off by saying welcome to the forum Mousy. Congratulations on the birds sounds like you had a very good weekend showing!
Danny

[Rog]

   Mousy  Welcome to the forum. And congratulations on your win over the pond. The Nankins we have in the US do seem to be smaller and if I can say a bit better for type. I do have the Practical Poultry September issue with the articile about Nankins. For those that don`t know it is a UK magazine. I also see that Brian Sands was the knowledge behind the articile .  I really liked the hackle and saddle feathers on the cock bird. You will see very few US birds with that. Not quite the type I like but decent.  The hen in the articile , to me , is one of the best Nankins hens I have seen. US or UK . But thats just me.     Rog

[javacock]

Mousy:  On behalf of the Nankin Club of America, you are most welcome for the rosettes!  I am the proud owner of one rosette (Best Nankin Rose Comb)from the Rare Poultry Society of Great Britain myself.  It was won in Indianapolis, in 2006.  The rosette now hangs in a frame with a photo of the winning bird, and many folks who walk into the living room ask about it.

I am happy to see the photos of the Nankins in Britain so that we may compare what you have with what we have here. 

Thanks for taking the time to post, and keep benching those Nankins.  Perhaps one day with the efforts of people on both sides of the pond, we can get the numbers of breeders and numbers of Nankins in the shows up to a size equal to many other breeds and make this delightful little bantam a breed everyone wants.

Monte W. Bowen (javacock)
Pres., NCA

[Mousy]

Thank-you.

I was asked if I could get some pictures of my bird with the rossettes, (and one of my bird and me but we'll avoid that one! )  for to be sent to you via another Nankin breeder who I think is doing a write up for you? I persuaded a new friend to take them. I'm just waiting for permission to copy. Currently they are posted in another poultry forum in a members area.

Thanks,
Mousy.

[Lordcluck]

my mistake Mousy, i missed the other rc females, guess I ought to take that opticians appointment I'm overdue for!
Was chatting to Dave Scrivener about the cockerels in the class, and he mentioned measuring them up by seeing how near their backs were to the centre bar on the backs of the show pens! ive had several ' chats' with Dave regarding the size of our birds, and the need to scale them down,and dare it be whispered i'm still working on a cunning plan to experiment with blue shanked Buff Seramas ( if such a thing exists).
Maybe its just me, but i thought that overall, the Nankins appeared bigger and more feathery than last year's offering. some lovely combs on the males and wealthy hackle and tail furnishings on some.
Disappointingly few rose combs, even though there were more than I actually spotted!

[Mousy]

These where taken by Partrick Fontana you can tell though that my boy is a little out of feather at the root of his tail.

It's the first time I've seen the rose combs. I'd have like to have seen a cockeral with one.

I didn't get to speak to David Scrivener but they where definitely judged by Phil.

I've not seen that many Nankins before the show so I've got nothing to compare them too. I'm not sure I know what you mean about measuring to the back bar?

I not sure about crossing rare breeds, it's causes a lot of problems down the line for the critically listed breeds that have tried it and in some breeds they've ended up with 2 stud books.

Mousy.

[Lordcluck]

Mousy, the 'measurement' taken was one of the eye,an examination of the class as a whole to see which of the birds backlines were below the level of the central cross bar on the pen, denoting a shorter and hopefully smaller bird,or if above suggesting a leggier possibly larger bird, but let me stress this isnt an official or recognised judging technique !!!!

If you take into consideration the mongrel histories of most, if not all breeds, the judicious use of other breeds to improve points of size,type and colour,of your chosen variety can be a good thing.

Nankins were for years more of a type than a breed, the useful little yellow bantam that was a good foster mother for gamebird chicks. During their 'lost' years, who knows what other blood was introduced just to stop the breed from grinding to an inbred standstill. I'm not suggesting that crossing breeds willy-nilly is  a good thing, but done carefully, it can, in certain situations, help bring us nearer to a breed ideal.

[nankin3]

WOW!!! Mousy nice trophy and ribbons. Thanks for all the great pictures also.
Danny