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.