Araucana thread anyone?

[cashdl]

The Stockton poultry show was amazing. The noise unbelievable. So many roosters crowing again and again. Sooo Cool.

I met several araucana breeders there. Karen L ( not going to even attempt to spell her name cause I will get it wrong) she has bantams and showed BBR roo, pullet, and hen. Georgous. She also had a mille fleur roo there. He was so cute and tufted and tiny. Karen was very kind in showing me the differences in the BBRs and the Wheatens

Steve Waters had both large fowl whites and bantam blacks in the show. Really beautiful birds. Their wing carriage is perfect. He is a very nice man, who was happy to answer my questions and talk to me about his birds.

Terry Reeder was there and was kind enough to talk to me and give me a bad time cause I fell in love with and came home with a LF AOV rooster. I wish I could have seen his birds.

Cindy ( dont know her last name) from washington had several really nice bantams in the show. I fell in love with one of her hens. The cages were wrapped in plastic sides and back to keep the birds from pecking at each other, and her hen managed to pull the plastic back and had her head thrust in the cage behind her as far as it would go, eating the other birds food.

I went there looking to maybe buy more araucana and the only ones for sale were mine. I sold 5 which made me really happy.

In the large fowl judging area was a beautiful double tufted black birchen roo. I wanted that bird. (I will post a pic tomorrow.) So in the afternoon I went back by the cage and their is a sign on it that it needed to be re-homed. I nearly fainted (really, my heart started beating so fast, and I was breathing heavy. LOL!) There was a guy on the phone obviously talking to the person about it and I quickly got out my cell and called the number too. She answered and I pled my case. She came over and met me. It was her sons bird. He is totally into the araucanas. The police had posted a note on there home that they couldn't have roosters and were going to confiscate the bird. The young man was kind enough to let me have him. I offered my best double tufted barred pullet ( who I love and is 2.5 months old.) as a trade and they agreed. In another month when she is a little older I will take her and another pullet down to him. I wanted him to have a bird that he could take to the shows if he wanted. She is not an approved color but is really beautiful and can be shown AOV. They had two more roosters if I wanted them and I can never pass up an araucana so I said yes. One is double tufted white. and one is clean faced. I already have girls picked out for everyone. Yeah! me.

So for me the Stockton show was the best experience.

Lanae

 

[exoticduckluvr]

wow sounds like a wonderful day Lanae. Wish they had shows like that down here

 

[Illia]

Hmm, makes you think that it is sad but true - LF Araucanas are far more rare than bantams. I know quite a few bantam exhibitors, but very few LF people, and those who do have LF Araucanas usually have them from this guy or that girl. Kind of a small genetic pool if you ask me.

Sounds like you had a great time though!

I had a fun time looking through some old photos I just found of last year's culls. . . Some neat guys in there, definitely proved I was culling hard. Lots of bilaterally tufted boys I ate or sold to other people who ate 'em. Sad but true, I can't do anything more with them. The people from my state complain about something as short as an hour drive because they're so pampered with the Seattle region, sheesh, an HOUR drive for me would be really nice, because if I'm terribly lucky, I can find hatchery quality Polish 1 1/2 hours away.

Sooo. . . The boys have nowhere to go but the freezer. Girls too. If I can't sell them locally, that's it. Freezer or the frying pan.

 

[cashdl]

They had quite a few shamos at the show also. Including some for sale. Also Asils (sp). Don't you have one or the other Illia.

Lanae

 

[cmsdvm]

I just talked to Steve Waters. His white LF cock had been awarded Reserve AOCCL and the bantams hadn't won their class, so he wasn't even watching the final judging. He ended up going Reserve of Show over 2300 birds. Unbelievable! The judge said it was the best araucana he had ever seen. Who ever expects to go further after being reserve of class? I think this may be Steve's biggest win ever. Sounds like the araucana quality at this show was pretty deep. It might be a good place to hold a National sometime. Thanks for the information on my little black hen, Lanae, she was bred by Steve too, so I can't take credit for her, but I do love her.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Read my signature.

Yes, I have Shamos. And yes, Asil is spelled right, some people also call it Aseel as well. I like Shamos better though. They're taller, bigger, not quite so short in neck, and much more majestic looking.

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

Quote:
Wow, that LF cock is amazing!

 

[cashdl]

I didn't even think about reading your signature line. I am a little sleep deprived. I drove to and from Stockton yesterday and it is a 5 hr drive each way, so not thinking on all cylinders. I found the asil and shamos creepy. Sorry Illia, I don't think a bird that looks like that should look a person right in the eye. I swear one of them sent me a mental message saying it wanted to eat my finger. It looked me in the eye, then looked at my hands several times. Needless to say I didn't give them my back. Ick!

I would have loved to have seen more araucanas shown. There were only 4 people showing birds. Steve, Cindy, Karen and the young man I got my roo from. I would love to have a breed booth at next years show. I know it would be well received. So many people were taken with the araucanas and their georgous tufts.

Lanae

 

[cmsdvm]

I think there were actually 5 exhibitors, Lanae, as my son Rob had 2 black bantams- a cockerel who was DQed for stubs (that's a new one!!! I've never seen those in an araucana before.) and a black pullet that was 4th. I totally agree with you on the aseel and shamo- creepy little dinosaurs. I like my chickens cute and fluffy. Still, to each her own, I guess. Before those breeds came along, I thought the Cornish were the ugliest. Now I think the Cornish are pretty darn cute in comparison. I wish I knew who beat me for BB in the Polish. I could only send 3 along and they may not have been my best.
On a new and exciting note, is anyone planning on making the trek to Crossroads Halloween weekend this year? I already have my reservations and can hardly wait. It's likely to be the biggest poultry show in history and, of course, many Nationals are being held there including araucana and Polish. I plan to fly and hope someone will be driving who'll take a few of my birds for me.

 

[cashdl]

Your right Cindy, please appologize to Rob for me, for leaving him out. I remember Steve pointing out who owned what. I was taken aback by the DQ also. Is it in the SOP? I didn't get the old one cause I am waiting for the new (thats my excuse). It just seemed odd. I looked at the toes of the roo in question and I guess if you look hard you can see them. Now I have to go and look at all of mine.

Lanae