Barred rock exhibition?

[Mikeychix]

I was on the Lancaster fancy fowl website and they had barred rocks and barred rock exhibitions..what's the difference?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I was on the Lancaster fancy fowl website and they had barred rocks and barred rock exhibitions..what's the difference?

Guy Roy is a noted breeder and exhibitor of Barred Rocks. This website is for what appears to be a typical, small hatchery and it is also safe to assume that most of it's stock is hatchery grade stock, ie, birds not bred to the standard established for them The birds, while healthy and productive, are merely bred to kind of, sort of, look like the breed they are said to be.

Now back to Guy Roy. This website company is saying that they are breeding stock that is said to be from Guy Roy's birds and thus, are of exhibition quality. I would be a bit doubtful and here's why. Even if the parent stock did come from Mr Roy, one still must choose the breeders with great care and breeder birds even from such high quality beginnings is not a given that exhibition quality birds will be the result. If you hatch 100 chicks per year, it is unlikely that even 3 or 4 birds would be of the quality required to win at major shows.

So, in short, the birds are quite likely to be better than average and better than hatchery/utility grade fowl. But it is always sketchy to use the term "exhibition" birds. It is too easy for the gullible to assume or believe that they are buying birds that they can take to a major show and do well with. That's not how it works. That's not how any of this works.