Phage,Is there a formal cemani breeders club?
It is going to be important for people who care about perfecting these amazing birds to have formal group of known people who are working to an SOP, a bit like what is happening with the cream legbars club. People need to know who can be trusted to buy the real deal from in each breed.
I fear that for every one here that will be breeding and culling to improve their stock there will be 10 others who will buy a pair of birds and sell every egg and chick and even mixed breed they have to make a fast buck while the prices are high, and discard them when profits are low, moving onto the latest craze. I am not blaming people for wanting to make a living, and I guess it is not hard to spot who they are (they have multiple currently desirable breeds) but if you want to protect the good that you are doing (and what it will cost you) with the cemani breed I think it requires a formal club/group.
You are so right on this----------I fear that for every one here that will be breeding and culling to improve their stock there will be 10 others who will buy a pair of birds and sell every egg and chick and even mixed breed they have to make a fast buck while the prices are high, and discard them when profits are low, moving onto the latest craze. I am not blaming people for wanting to make a living, and I guess it is not hard to spot who they are (they have multiple currently desirable breeds) but if you want to protect the good that you are doing (and what it will cost you) with the cemani breed I think it requires a formal club/group.
Some lines do need work, but like you said, there will be some that will sell every chick and egg to make that fast buck besides trying to improve what they are and making sure what they have are worth selling and passing on to others. But thankfully there will those of us that will be doing what it takes to improve and breed only the best.
I have said it before, people really need to do their homework on the breeders they are going to buy from and ask plenty of questions, also ask to see pictures of the sellers breeding stock. And again, you get what you pay for, so if people are smart they will save up their money or whatever it takes and make sure they are buying from the best breeders that they can afford to buy from, because in the end, they will not regret it.