can any one tell me why roosters at the show are so big?

[JennsPeeps]

It's not the size of the cockeral but the length of his crow, is that what you're saying?

And yes, there is such a thing as too big.

 

[Omran]

thank you all for responds.
the only thing scares me from a very big rooster is: that I hate to see him jumping on my beautiful hens,I bet he will kill them.
Man I love my hen,they being real friendly and nice to my wife and me.

 

[lovemychix]

yea...my hens are so dainty....but if big chickens are in im glad to hear it...I'm hoping some of my new babes are showable...my giant cochins at one week are so lovable and tame!!!

 

[lilchick]

Omran,
seriously I wondered that myself.. Could they get that large naturally? I have bought a few at the auctions that were show birds and my are they huge....
Some of them will go for 30 to 40 dollars though if wanted badly enough!
I got a BO roo that is heavier than some of my turkeys!! He cannot breed with the hens either. I think he even has trouble jumping up on the roost...
Last night I went to auction and got a huge RI and he is extra nice.
I have a barn for the bachelor roos and do not put them in with my hens.
I think they look nice out running in the yard and seem very happy. Beats the alternative

I think I will take a few pics. of them and post tomorrow evening.

 

[dancingbear]

Here's my understanding (if somebody has more accurate info, please feel free to correct me) of why show birds are so much bigger than hatchery birds:

Show quality strains are kept as pure as possible, to preserve the breed standards. Hatchery birds are not. They often have other breeds mixed in for various reasons. An example is leghorn being bred into a strain of standard Cornish, to improve laying ability.

Hatcheries need high production to make a profit. So over time, the breeds become more and more like layer breeds, regardless of what they started out, except for the ones specifically bred for meat, like the broiler crosses.

This is fine if you aren't doing serious breeding, and don't intend to show your birds. Just be aware that, in many cases, the hatchery birds very short of the breed standards.

The other factor is feed. I'm told there's a show chow, to grow your birds big and pretty.

The odds of getting an SQ bird from hatchery production-run birds are very slim.

 

[chickmamawannabe]

Quote:

Now, now, there are innocent children reading this!

 

[Jamie821]

she is so right. Most chicks you get are mixed for production at the hatcheries. people want egg production. About the only way to get a show quality bird is a private breeder where the strain is pure, It will also cost you, I have a show quality Wheaton Marans rooster from cottage hill line and he is huge. He eats the same food as my other roosters but makes them look like midgets. My other birds are production.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
You pretty well described it Jen.

 

[MaransGuy]

Yes, it all boils down to whether the birds are show quality or not. In some cases the size difference can lead to confusion about the breed in general. For example, here is a photo of my LF buff Cochin cockerel:

He stands a little over 2 feet tall. Hatchery stock will almost never be anywhere close to this size and, unfortunately, typically have horrible type. The result is that some peple think that there are three class sizes of the breed, bantam, LF and Giant. There is no such thing as a "Giant" cochin, only large-fowl either bred to the standard or not. True LF Cochins are massive birds and will simply command your attention when you see them. Additionally, while his hen is a little smaller, she is also of proper size so mating is not a problem.

Richard

 

[lovemychix]

Wow...I guess I was way off...I'm still learning. My invoice said Giant Cochin on it.