The Breed Standard

Below is the text of the Breed Standard for the Marsh Daisy. Look out for the links to the photo section to help you interpret the text.

The Breed Standard for the Marsh Daisy was first recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain in 1922. It has recently been amended relaxing the requirement for willow legs. Legs must still be green.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:

MALE

Carriage: Upright, bold and active.

Type: Body long, fairly broad, especially at the shoulders, with square and blocky appearance. Almost horizontal back. Well-rounded and prominent breast. Full tail, carried at an angle of 45 degrees from the vertical.

Head: Skull fine. Beak short and well curved. Eyes bold and prominent. Comb rose, medium size, well and evenly spiked, finishing in a single leader 1.25cm (1/2 inch long) in line with the surface, not as high as the Hamburgh’s or following the nape of the neck as the Wyandotte’s. Face smooth. Earlobes almond-shaped. Wattles of fine texture and in keeping with the comb.

Neck: Fairly long, fine. Hackle flowing and falling well on the shoulders to form the cape.

Legs: Moderately long. Shanks and feet light-boned, free from feathers. Toes (four) well spread.

Plumage: Semi-hard, of fine texture; profuse feathering to be deprecated.

FEMALE

The general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR

The Black

Male and female plumage: Black, with beetle-green sheen in abundance.

The Buff

Male and female plumage: golden-buff throughout and buff to the skin. (Note: The male’s tail is often black to bronze but the ideal is a whole buff bird).

The Brown

Male Plumage : Neck hackle rich gold. Back and saddle dark gold. Main tail black, sickles black, coverts black, the whole to have a beetle-green sheen. Saddle-hackle dark gold, a little lighter gold at tips not objectionable. Wing-bow dark gold, same shade as back; coverts or bar black with beetle-green sheen; secondaries forming the bay a flat brown, showing a triangular brown bay; primaries a flat black, with the lower edge flat brown, and all well hidden when the wing is closed and tucked up. Breast and all underbody parts black with patches of golden brown spangle; solid shiny black should be striven for in these parts. Under-colour decided blue to blue-grey, with a little buff or light golden brown in places on breast.

Female plumage: Head and hackle rich gold, the tips of all feathers black, the whole to form a fringe at the cape. Back and wings brown ground ticked or peppered with darker brown or flat black. This may result in a series of black bars across the feathers, which is not objectionable. Tail dull flat black, a little lighter at the edge of the feathers not a disqualification but should be discouraged. Breast and all underbody parts red wheaten or salmon, a level shade all over; too light a shade for these parts, or too deep a red wheaten, should not be striven for.

The Wheaten

Male plumage: Hackles rich gold. Back and wing-bow deep gold. Tail (coverts and sickles) rich beetle-green black. Remainder golden brown, the colour of a fairly dark bay horse. Under-colour (seen when the feathers are raised) from smoke-white to a French or blue-grey, a little light buff fluff at the skin of the breast permissible.

Female plumage: Hackle chestnut with black tips forming a fringe at the base of it. Shoulders and back (upper part) red wheat; lower part of back to root of tail lighter shade, due to the feathers having a white wheat edging and red wheat centre giving a dappling effect. Wing-bows red wheat, the flights presenting a triangular patch of light brown when closed. Breast white wheat. Tail dull black with red wheat edging. Under-colour of back, smoke-white to blue-grey; of breast, pure white.

The White

Male and female plumage: Pure white.

In both sexes and all colours

Beak horn. Eyes rich red with black pupil. Comb, face and wattles red. Earlobes white. Legs and feet in all colours green, pale willow to lizard according to variety (changed from pale willow-green in the latest edition), toenails horn. Click here to see the acceptable colour range.

Weights

Male: 2.50 - 2.95 kg (51/2 - 61/2 lb)

Female: 2.00 - 2.50 kg (41/2 - 51/2 lb)

SCALE OF POINTS

Head (lobes 13, comb and wattles 10, other points 10): 33

Plumage: 20

Condition: 20

Type: 15

Legs: 12

Total: 100

Serious Defects: Want of type; less than one third white lobe; red plumage; legs other than green

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