Any heritage chicken not meeting APA SOP is not a heritage chicken

[jmc]

In my thread of June July 'less than ideal offspring from so-called "heritage" chickens', i was taken to task for--sort of--linking the terms:

'birds that fit the ALBC heritage definition' and 'birds that fit the APA SOP'.

It was stated that just because a chicken is not show quality that doesn't mean it is not/cannot be a heritage chicken. I responsded that I was in fact inclined to agree and even 'wanted to agree', if such a protest was correct.................

But the fact is that i yoked the two terms together BECAUSE THE ALBC DOES THAT. The ALBC specifically states that any chicken that is not an 'APA SOP bird' is not a 'heritage chicken' (that is, it is not an 'ALBC heritage definition' bird)

I was not and am not now speaking my own opinion, but simply what the ALBC lays down. So the problem was not with yours truly, but the problem is with the ALBC. You may see their info.


Finally, I should add, that I in no way consider the ALBC immune from error or misjudgment. Inasmuch as it is a human work it is by that fact prone to error.

I have been needing to mention this since last July, so......................

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Then why don't you just take it up with them?

 

[Ridgerunner]

There was a recent thread that discussed Heritage a bit. Some interesting opinions.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7565219#p7565219

There are dictionary definitions, specialist definitions, and what people think is the definition. Those are not always the same thing, especially how individuals think about it. I'm not just talking about words that do have many different definitions. Think of the word cull. Many people think it means kill, but it does not. Or look at the legal definition of free range. That is quite a bit different than what I consider to be free range.

I personally don't see any reason to get upset or take it too personal when someone's definition is different than mine, but I do see a lot of arguments and disagreements are over a different understanding of what is being discussed. A lot of times, the people arguing actually agree but just don't realize it.

 

[gjensen]

I have learned my lesson expressing my opinion on the subject. Poultry enthusiasts are apparently as opinionated as I am. I will just stick to what I think the intent of the ALBC definition is. They coined the phrase so to speak. Did I say that I learned my lesson?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I think this entire "heritage breed" business has done little but cause even more confusion than existed before its use in connection with poultry.

A chicken is either a given breed or it is not. It may have been bred with the intent of doing well in poultry shows, or it may have been bred for more utilitarian endeavors, or it may not have been bred with any particular purpose in mind at all. But so long as it was not cross-bred with another breed or variety it is what it is. If that breed or variety existed before some arbitrary number of years ago then call it a "heritage" breed if you want. A good many of the ones tagged with that term were never created for any practical purpose in the first place, but just to come up with yet another color or pattern variation over what existed before. What is "heritage" about that?

To say that if a bird does not meet an arbitrary cosmetic standard it cannot be that breed is like saying if you can't win a beauty contest you cannot be a human. Reckon I'll have to go stand with the apes then!

Excepting the fairly recent use of the word "heritage" this argument has been going on for literally more than 100 years now. It's probably going to keep right on for at least another hundred more.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
The ALBC has what I would call a Start on what should/could be a Heritage Fowl but it is not perfect.
I do not believe that poultry bought from a hatchery are in any way Heritage Fowl, Birds bought from a hatchery are more a Industrial Fowl and they are simply "mass produced" to meet the demand of the customers with no regards to what the breed is or should be.
I am in no means putting down the Hatchery Industry I am just stating that there bird are not what I would call Heritage Fowl.

Chris