Quote: I do agree with you. One generation of crossing two lines does not create a line of one's own. I am not sure how many generations it takes; a lot. And I will happily give credit to those breeders from whom I have gotten birds. Even many years later.
I got my start in silkies with two Stanford whites, added in a Mihalik lavender splash and progressed from there. That was 12 years ago. I've since added more of those lines as well as a number of other lines at various time, but for the most part bred the birds I had and then re-bred them again and again. My birds generally tend to be a bit smaller than some other lines, and they are definitely very slow maturing.
I definitely claim my chocolates as my own. While the silkie blood came from my own "mixed-line" flock, I crossed them to chocolate polish from a friend's flock, and then to each other and back to silkies for several generations. This weekend Eric Kutch told me that if chocolate was recognized for silkies, he would have judged my chocolate pullet as Best of Breed over my black pullet who was Reserve Featherleg. (I should have asked how she would have fared against the brahma who took featherleg!) . I think I have photos of first and second generation birds in an album on the club website.
First question I ever get asked about ANY of my birds - where/who are they from. Good or bad, folks do want to know the history of a bird. For me, I am keen to give credit when the bird is worthy but not quick to blame if the bird is less than perfect. Because "stuff" happens.
I would LOVE to see some pictures of your chocolates, Sonoran. That is a colour I would love to work with down the road. (WAY down the road.) Have another friend working on chocolate Ameraucanas. I really do like the colour. (I'm checking out the club web site....)
