anyone else get upset when you see low quality

[seedcorn]

chickens sold as SQ or passed off as pure bred when it's obvious that they are cross breds?

Just saw a picture of cochin hens that don't even have the leg feathering of a decent brahma. When I go to county fairs and see some of the junk passed off as "pure breds", I think how sad. Then when judges allow birds at these fairs to win when they have major DQ's........... I don't expect them to be top breeder quality but come on cochins w/out decent leg feathers or non-cushion butts..........

Then when I go to swap meets and see junk and the "story" some of these people tell..........I never say anything but my mind is going a million miles a minute.

Am I picky on this?????

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

No you are not off base at all! I have issues when others post that their birds are SQ on HERE and try to sell their eggs as such.

I think it's majorly the fault of the judges at fairs, etc. Without being told point blank "you're bird is NOT show quality and will never BE show quality" it just doesn't get through to some people?

 

[hooksetz]

I don't have show quality, and I may never. But if one of my kids wants to show their chicken at the fair and some one tries to crush them about the quality of their bird, WATCH OUT. And that's exactly who has birds at the fairs. It's kids, c'mon give 'em a break.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

That's not always true hooksetz. Sometimes there are adults that show THROUGH the kids in order to get the show premiums.

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
I see that at a lot of shows & it really frosts me. At a show last year I saw a father slap his daughters hand when she tried to pet "her" chicken. Dad was preping it for the show at the time.
Also in response to hooksetz-I judge several fairs in the summer & I show kids the respect of being honest with them about the quality of their birds. I'm interested in promoting the fancy & I've seen lots of kids go from a fair or jr show to an open show thinking their bird was a potential champion & there they are crushed. They often loose interest after that & give up showing. Much better to let them know before they get to that point.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Quote:
I see that at a lot of shows & it really frosts me. At a show last year I saw a father slap his daughters hand when she tried to pet "her" chicken. Dad was preping it for the show at the time.
Also in response to hooksetz-I judge several fairs in the summer & I show kids the respect of being honest with them about the quality of their birds. I'm interested in promoting the fancy & I've seen lots of kids go from a fair or jr show to an open show thinking their bird was a potential champion & there they are crushed. They often loose interest after that & give up showing. Much better to let them know before they get to that point.

ITA

To me it's the same as the trend that began in horse showing.
Give ALL the kids in the class a blue ribbon so no ones feelings get hurt. Never mind that some kids were on ungroomed ponies, had filthy tack, werent dressed properly, couldnt sit or hold the reins properly never mind post a trot.
And there were other kids that were on washed, groomed, braided, ponies that they werent too big for, had properly fitting tack, were dressed properly, actually knew what they were doing and had control over their mounts. Ya know, the kids that actually put the time into the class and into learning how to ride and present themselves.
And this wasnt a "local" fair show. And the kids werent babies(lead liners) There were some big name trainers and barns there. After seeing happen in a few classes I stopped showing that circuit.

 

[buc]

Am I picky on this?????"

not at all

My son does the 4H Poultry and the lady that runs it knows her birds.

She will have the kids bring in the birds they plan to show under the club's name and she will DQ a bird without excuse .

She is tough on the kids that try to pass off crap birds and she has taken more then a little heat from the parents.

DW and I are solid backers of her and her strict use of the standards.

She is quick to pull out the standards book and point out to the kids what is wrong with thier birds, and in a teachable moment she suggest how to get better birds, or raise thier own better birds.

 

[EweSheep]

I see that quite often in our local shows as they put it SQ birds when they get their birds from reputable hatcheries we all know of.

I do inform people that my stock are FROM SQ lined stock but guarantee NOTHING that it would make their chicks show quality. Its a luck of the draw when it happens. I got a Black Orp hen that won top of her class and my Spitz roo won his top of his variety class, even both of them are from reputable breeders, there is NO guarantee of show quality-ness to them. If I was to put them in a regional show, they will probably will not compete well with breeders like Catalupa Farms.

Its great for 4H kids to start doing showing on their birds but be aware of the hatchery quality vs breeder quality. You have every right to be picky and where you are getting your birds.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

You are missing the whole point of 4-H showings..
it isn't about having "Show quality" birds..
it is about the care, raising and proper SHOWING of the birds they have...
As long as it is a "pure breed" whether of show quality or not, it is a FAIR-- not a Pure-breed chicken showing!

These kids have to document where their bird was purchased or what the parents are (if they bred them) to show that, as far as they know, it is a pure breed... there are also mixed breed showings...
Yes-- they are expected to know and TRY to pick their bird according TO the show standards.. but these are usually FARM KIDs-- not kids in it for the show alone. They are there to LEARN.

Most of these birds are PETS 1st and projects 2nd... for a KID....
rarely are they an "investment" into a show-quality animal soly for showing purposes.

If you want to see quality-- you are going to the wrong shows... yes, some people are fortunate enough to have a high quality bird-- that is few and far between at a county fair... You need to locate an actual Breeders show to see what You are looking for.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

That's interesting...I judge 4H shows.

They do less documenting than the IRS...

Ever since I've started judging the 4H Poultry shows, the quality of the birds has gotten better. So SOMETHING must be going right. I chalk it up to them learning, which is the point of 4H.