Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

[buffalogal]

Why not just use basic poultry show language?
Best of Breed, Resrv., 3, 4, etc.
Best of Variety, Resrv., 3, 4, etc.

With the judges comments (like normal), including which bird(s) they'd take home as breeders (which seldom are the winners).

Because hopefully it's an exhibition, not a competition. If the judge wouldn't take home the winner, then there is no reason at all to 'place" the birds. To be successful, you want pictures of good, bad and mediocre birds so people can learn to see the difference.

 

[Ivagrove]

I agree exactly with buffalo gal."

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

The SOP has a scale of points for each area/category to be judged; one for white birds, one for all other colors. NO doubt, it will be very difficult to judge each area as a judge would at a show, but perhaps if we had a list of pictures/poses required for critique, then the judges could give their opinions based upon the SOP scale of points

I think perhaps we should let those who will be doing the "judging/critiquing" tell us what they feel would be the best way to judge a bird from "pictures only" and in what manner would they feel comfortable giving it some type of "grade" or "score"

Just my opinion...

 

[BarnGoddess01]

As we pole vault over how to judge, I'm sticking my neck out here - yet again - I'm not a fan of an online poultry judging contest, especially in this context, connected with this thread which is supposed to be truly educational when it comes to real birds. As one who knows the ins and outs - the pros and cons - of digital photography, and one who loves the computer and all things online, I think this is a bad idea and doesn't promote what this thread is supposed to be all about - real birds.

Yes, yes, I know. "Go away" .... crawling back under my snowy Canadian rock ....

Nobody is forcing me to play.

I'm the first one to enter photos of my birds into photography contests but I'm not sure we are doing anybody any favours leading them to believe we can truly judge birds even remotely accurately, the whole bird, in this format.

 

[armorfirelady]

That's what I was thinking.  There are enough judges here to pull this off.  Of course, of course, a thousand times, of course photos aren't the same as handling a bird, but the educational value of this, showing folks what a good bird is?  Priceless.  Also, why?  Why is this bird good, why does this bird need work and why does that bird fail to come close enough.  That kind of thing.  But...... also educating on what a Rock is, for example. Why is supposed to have this tail, this back, this breast, this leg set, etc.  Then, what is a Buckeye?  What is supposed to look like and why?

Do you think there'd be any interest in such a thread, trying desperately to keep it educational and not competitive?  Truthful, but at the same time mentoring in nature?

I think it would be a GREAT thread if kept as an educational thread and respectful.  Not a bashing kind of thread.  That would turn off new people who might want to get into a new breed or upgrade to a better quality of bird.  People need to know and understand what that weeks featured breed is about to appreciate it. 

As a newbie who just lurks here I would def be interested in this. I would just be a lurker but the knowledge I would gain would be great.

 

[Ivagrove]

Which is why I think the discussion of the bird and how it fits the Standard is much much more valuable than a placing or ranking or result. Like in Bob's example with the Giant. We can look at the breast and see that it should be a bit fuller. Now when you look at a Giant, you now have an example, if you didn't know before, of what the breast should look like. The bird itself may be really great, or maybe not, the important point is the discussion or comments from someone who knows what to look for. That's what I'd want out of the thread. Editted to add that I'm responding to yard full o rocks' post.

 

[buffalogal]

I'm envisioning the new thread as a kind of "Online Illustrated Guide to Standard Bred Poultry"

So, you would have pictures of various (anonymous) birds featuring say, the correct topline, one with a roach back, one with a squirrel tail, etc. not to compare, but to "illustrate". No "placing" per se, but scoring points for that attribute would be helpful.

I would hate to see it just become, as someone else put it, "OMG! Your bird is so pretty." (complete with that stupid drooling face)


>Edited for clarity

 

[FOGELLY]

Ron

Would it be ok to add your "after arrival" instructions to the shipping hatching eggs page??  It might just help a some person have slightly better success with hatched eggs!! (Glad to hear you finally got power back!!)

I've also done the same thing as you do except I never thought about starting the incubator for a day without turning them....still hatch eggs upright to this day, even on my own eggs.  Seems that I get more to hatch....one old guy told me he had always hatched "incubated eggs upright 'cause the chicks didn't have to reorient to being laid sideways.  Eggs under a broody hen are always on their side, BUT, incubated eggs are always upright".  Made sense to me.

I have a hatch coming off right now and of the 23 that made it to the 18th day, 19 have hatched so far

Thanks....

Scott,
Kathy and Bentley may be correct on the settling. I can't take credit for this processes. It was suggested by the first person I received hatching eggs from.
Since it I had good success with them I just stuck with it.
Although I have hatch ALOT of chicks in the last 30+ years, less than 10 batches of them were shipped eggs, including several shipments for a friend. Those eggs came from Skyline. One the shipments from Skyline hatched 11 of 12.

My success may be the fact that they all came from trusted people who shipped well packed FRESH eggs.

Ron

 

[fowlman01]

Well now you've lost me. I thought the idea is to discuss the merits or faults of each bird in relation to the standard rather than compare them to each other. Example, looking at pictures of four birds from the front: Bird 1 is described as wide, bird 2 is knock kneed, bird 3 is also wide, but almost freakishly so and bird 4 is narrow with a narrow chest. None is "placed" higher than another, they are simply discussed so the average person can understand why a certain trait is good or bad. i.e. "a wide stance is desirable, as long as the bird retains it's breed type and doesn't start looking like a Bulldog."

This is the way to do it, especially if the word university is used. This should be a teaching thread not a competition.

Walt

 

[NotAFarm]

Standard Breeds University