Me & My Croads                    

I started off seriously with poultry a number of years ago now,with a few Pekins & Australorps , and a few Rhode Island Red banties that we hatched from some eggs that we where given.

Quite taken by the Australorps & wanting some more, we set off quite unknowledgeable to Chelford rare breed sale. No Aussies to be seen, but in pen 164 was a trio of black feather legged banties what they where I didn’t know but I told my husband that at no cost I wanted them.

Give Will (my other half) his due he got them for me, unknown to me, my first Croads.

We found out what they where & read up about them, and found that there really wasn’t many about.

I particularly liked the cockerel, now named Larry, & took a particular shine to him.

Larry & his ladies settled in fine & soon started to lay some nice pinkie brown eggs, & we where soon hatching our own little Croads.

I hadn’t had them very long & decided to take Larry to a show, I had only shown a handful of times then & was still very much a novice.

Larry won his class & won best bantam in the bantam section & we got a lovely red & white rosette, I was very chuffed to say the least.

Since then he has been pretty much unbeaten in the AOV sf bantam classes a shows, never coming home without a card… he really is a star.

At the time of writing this Larry is in moult & looks very sorry for himself, his son Larry junior the 6^th has taken his place in the show pen, & is continuing his Dads success.

 So it looks like Larry will be gracefully retired to the breeding pen in 2007 to breed more little Croads, having introduced some new blood earlier in the year, chicks hatched for next year are looking extremely promising for next years show pens, with good lift. tail carraige & a good eye.

*UPDATED    

For an update on Larry & his breeding season:

His June 07 hatched cockerel (Larry jr 1001st!!!!!!.. or there abouts ! He's VERY fertile!) has done us proud winning at both the National (Dec 2007, first time shown), & the Federation & also going on to take best opposite sex to the club show champion at the Federation.

Another of his sons hatched in 2006 (who is now retiring to the breeding pen for 2008) won the John Spencer cup at the Federation for best bantam black cock, as well as all our other Croads recieving a card.

I have blue bantam Croads too, I know some people frown upon this because they argue that breeding blues does not keep the breed or the colour pure, but they are to truly magnificent birds too, very striking.

My blues are now in to the fourth generation breeding true, & i have just borrowed a blue to throw a bit more size in, so we will see what 2008 brings.

The standardiseation of blue bantam croads was mentioned at the 2007 AGM at Stafford but the debate continues, with mixed reactions.

I have showed blues in 2006 in non standard AOV classes, & have won a best in show & a best sf heavy too, so not bad eh?

Please leave any comments you may have about the standardiseation of blue Croads on my 'blue Croads' page.