COLOURS

CLEAR: The colour has to be rich and pure, but soft and easy on the eyes. The ideal is the same level colour all over. Any patchiness of colour is to be avoided and should count against the bird.

We should be striving for a rich buttercup yellow for our hard feathered birds. You can expect yellow hens to be of a slightly lesser depth of colour than yellow cocks.

Buffs should possess a true mealy appearance and should not look like a washed out yellow. Again, buff hens will be slightly lighter in colour to the cocks.

A clear bird is to be without any markings (green or cinnamon). Dark markings on the legs, beak or feet do not disqualify a clear bird but would count against it, according to the extent of those markings.

TICKED: A ticked bird shall have a mark (green or cinnamon), either whole or broken, which can be covered by a five cent coin, provided the coin is not moved.

VARIEGATED: These birds should be the same rich ground colour as the clears with either bright green or cinnamon markings. The desired shade is either pure green or cinnamon and this colour should not be washed out.

Lightly variegated birds should show less than 50% variegation. Heavily variegated birds should show 50% or more variegation.

SELF GREEN: The self-green must conform to the Standard of Perfection for Type and Quality. The foremost requirement must always be Type and Quality.

The bird should have no light feathers visible; otherwise it should be classified as a variegated bird. Some birds carry a lightness in Ground Colour (or a fading in the Green colour) in the region of the vent, underbelly and/or flank areas. This is not to be confused with light feathers. The base colour is still green. It is similar to a clear bird that has patchy colour and unevenness of colour. This lightness of the Green Ground Colour should count against the bird according to the extent of this lightness just as poor or uneven colour would count against a clear bird.

Pencilling on the back is to be clear and distinct, but neither broad nor heavy. Flank pencilling to be finer, but in harmony with that on the back. Beak, legs and feet are to be dark. Light beak, legs or feet shall not disqualify the bird, but count against it according to the extent.

The correct colour should be a rich, level green and should be likened to the top side of a young holly leaf. Colour should be pure and level throughout, free from bronze, brown or olive tints. Light tips to otherwise dark feathers, wherever seen, shall be counted as light marks, so that a dark bird with such features is classified as variegated. Another point to be avoided in our self greens is a light throat.

Young self greens usually carry a little bronze on the primary flight feathers until after their second moult. This is entirely natural and judges should allow for this.

The ideal pencilling could be described as thin and dark. The thinner the pencilling, the more green will be visible and the darker the pencilling the more distinct it is. Correct colour and pencilling are both necessary in a good green Border.

Buff greens are naturally a different shade to yellow Greens, but a good, rich Buff is still green.

SELF CINNAMON: The self-cinnamon must conform to the Standard of Perfection for Type and Quality. The foremost requirement must be Type and Quality.

This bird is to have no light feathers visible. Lightness of ground colour (or fading of the cinnamon colour) in the region of the vent, underbelly and/or flank areas shall not merit disqualification, but count against the bird according to the extent of the lightness, just as a poor or uneven colour would count against a clear bird.

The correct colour should be a rich deep cinnamon throughout, with faint pencilling on the back and flanks. Greenish and/or too light tints are to be avoided. The pencilling is of a darker cinnamon shade, not as distinct as in a self-green but still a necessary feature.

WHITE GROUND: Again, Type and Quality are foremost.

CLEAR: Pure white, free from all other colours. Most carry a very small degree of yellow in the flight feathers, particularly young birds. Judges should make allowance for this.

Some birds also have a slight yellow hue through the body. This should count against the bird.

VARIEGATED: Pure white but with rich blue or fawn variegation.

BLUE: The correct colour to be as clear a shade of rich blue as possible in the yellow feathered bird and of softer shade in the buff form. Other points are as for the greens. Pencilling should be fine and dark.

FAWN: The colour should be a level of soft fawn shade throughout, free from yellow with fine darker fawn pencilling as in the cinnamon and free from light areas.