CSU - Chicken State University- Large Fowl SOP

[aveca]

I will say that a lot can be seen in a picture.....even though everyone has heard me say that pictures are not a good way to judge. You can't tell about the feel of the bird, but you can see things like wing and tail placement. I will throw this out too. I showed some New Hamps last year and had best American and res American several times with nice birds, but none of them deserved that placement. For a change I lucked out, but really the birds were not good enough to beat some of the birds I beat.....usually it is the other way around for me. I sometimes can't win with an outstanding bird sometimes...... to justify my opinion, I ask people who I trust about them. I had positive comments from other breeders and judges at the show and still did not do well.

So...bottom line is that you have to show the bird a few times under a few judges and talk to other breeders to be sure you have a bird that is really a great bird. Accumulated wins usually show the strength of the bird, but in my case last season I had wins with New Hamps I didn't deserve....these were competitive birds, but not as strong as the placings indicate. I was shocked each time, because I was really going for just best of breed. Now keep in mind that I have been showing for a very long time and we generally show 50 birds at a show, so I have a lot of experience laying these birds down so that they show to their very best. I train all my show birds to present the best qualities when a person walks up to the cage. That is usually a side view.

No one wants to hear negative things about a bird they have worked on, so I usually feel more comfortable when a person says tell me the good, the bad and the ugly. I never trust my own judgement on my own birds, as we get too close to them and see them every day, but we see them walking around and relaxed.....and we have preconceived ideas about how good it is. There is a term in showing called "barn blindness". That is what happens when a great breeder or judge can't see the faults of his/her own birds. It happens all the time.

Walt

One of the judges tell me years ago that nothing he hates worse than a bird cowering in the corner badly handled when he has large group and is walking the line....they should show themselvs with a little confidence..not fear..be nice to your poultry, everything they do is instinct..they are not trying to make you mad...they are prey animals, naturally afraid of things...its fight or flight with every move they make...he said when they are cowering in the corner it doesnt give a good first or last impression...and dont over train the young birds, they get dull...you just cant get a good impression..lot of top birds just giving real bad impressions..he even tried to get a few to stand better for him..but they just wanted to cower with thier back turned hated the whole experience..most of it bad handeling...Rogers bird looks very confident and content in his training cage..happy to stand to be viewed..

I had a cockeral a few years ago that loved the training cages so much, I couldnt keep him out of them even if I shut them up, he would find his way on top of them..it was all a good experience for him..

I dont have any insecurities, I left my insecurities at the door... so Im not afraid to post any pictures,..Roger shouldnt be either..that is a wonderful Blue orpington in every sence and I have been begging for somone to show some US versions of blue ..it appears their arnt any.....

Heres a pic or 2...... I snuck up and took of that cockeral jumping into the cages in a room where I give baths befor show after the bath I move them back to the actual training cage...this is my fancy blow dry cage...not fancy but it works ...And I couldnt keep this bird out of the cages.. I wish they were all like this..

.And walt, you get a nice fragrance of VETRX on mine LOL ..makes thier combs and legs glow for days..it doesnt get dry and flaky looking like the oils and vaseline....

 

[Shaffer]

I believe Dick Horst and Danny Padgett have APA Oprington blues they may have some pictures on their website.

 

[aveca]

i think jeremy posted a pretty starteling pic of an american blue orp..compared to english A while ago...his Point Was ..if You Showed me That Bird and Asked Me To Identify The Breed..im Afraid I Wouldnt be Able To..nothing About it Said Orpington...the Only Reason we Knew Is Because He Told us..I think people are attracted more to the English type because, And I don't mean to be insulting Here., but some of
The sop birds are not a really Great representative of an orpington..I have seen some that are really nice, I like them a lot.. but more that just don't look like an orpington.. Im Just trying to Be Honest Here...by being honest , maybe People Can understand Why So Many People Flock To The English...some US Version Have shallow cut out chests, sebright bantam Type wings, tail lower than standard..Again I'm being honest on this issue too, In my experience also the people who own them act superior and snotty..i Remember That when I asked for help, I was pretty much treated like dirt...for some reason treated like I wasn't worthy of owning such a creature..yet they had no problem handing them out to live in deplorable conditions..I thought..If that's the way you like this/s...I would have been perfectly happy with some plain old sop birds....I was.so determined that if I had to fly over to Europe myself I'll and arrange some for myself, then I will..found many another people telling exactly the same story..so that's how I wound up where I am right now..and well..I'm pretty happy..

 

[thedragonlady]

i think jeremy posted a pretty starteling pic of an american blue orp..compared to english A while ago...his Point Was ..if You Showed me That Bird and Asked Me To Identify The Breed..im Afraid I Wouldnt be Able To..nothing About it Said Orpington...the Only Reason we Knew Is Because He Told us..I think people are attracted more to the English type because, And I don't mean to be insulting Here., but some of
The sop birds are not a really Great representative of an orpington..I have seen some that are really nice, I like them a lot.. but more that just don't look like an orpington.. Im Just trying to Be Honest Here...by being honest , maybe People Can understand Why So Many People Flock To The English...some US Version Have shallow cut out chests, sebright bantam Type wings, tail lower than standard..Again I'm being honest on this issue too, In my experience also the people who own them act superior and snotty..i Remember That when I asked for help, I was pretty much treated like dirt...for some reason treated like I wasn't worthy of owning such a creature..yet they had no problem handing them out to live in deplorable conditions..I thought..If that's the way you like this/s...I would have been perfectly happy with some plain old sop birds....I was.so determined that if I had to fly over to Europe myself I'll and arrange some for myself, then I will..found many another people telling exactly the same story..so that's how I wound up where I am right now..and well..I'm pretty happy..

You hit the nail on the head Lynne ! I had to buy eggs online to circumvent all the nonsense. Being a wise old broad, I realized there was more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[fowlman01]

You hit the nail on the head Lynne ! I had to buy eggs online to circumvent all the nonsense. Being a wise old broad, I realized there was more than one way to skin a cat.

The biggest thing for folks is to know that there is the real poultry world offline. Many good breeders don't visit poultry sites. A lot of what a person will find online has nothing to do with what is real offline. You have to be very careful about what you believe.

Walt

 

[Goose and Fig]

Here's one of my American blue Orpingtons. Her picture is quite famous

Lacing became more uniform the second year.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I know you can't tell much on type, but these are 2 American Orpingtons here as well. They don't stand much when they are broody.
They retain their saddle feathers much better than my imported ones do. Black is from Speckledhen, blue is from Terry Disney.

 

[Shaffer]

The biggest thing for folks is to know that there is the real poultry world offline. Many good breeders don't visit poultry sites. A lot of what a person will find online has nothing to do with what is real offline. You have to be very careful about what you believe.

Walt

Walt is correct and a lot of those people will not sell you their culls so quality birds were limited and you have to be quick if not you have to be patient. I found it difficult to buy just a few birds when I started orpingtons and even had to wait till something became available. With the advent of the UK and other countries newly imported birds the availability became a lot easier to obtain some breeding stock. Blacks were just about non existant and would have to wait sometimes a year to even get them from a reliable source.

 

[aveca]

That was not the case for me..obviously I'm patient..it has been almost a 10 year wait ..I was directly told that these breeders would not sell to me.. I did not do anything to anybody..just wanted some nice poultry..and I have been npip for long time now.. so this wasn't an issue of patience..I even heard one strange excuse like it was because I gave a chicken a bath....Yes I gave a chicken a bath..on the advise of my vet..the bird was weasel attack victim, and developed a skin condition Due to some infection left in Very deep wounds that was difficult to clear up..so if that's a reason for someone to not sell someone a bird..then they can keep them....it's supposed to be a relaxing hobby..I know a lot of people that don't bother with the internet..they know that they will just be torpedoed like I was..I have thick skin thou..I just carry on.

 

[thedragonlady]

The biggest thing for folks is to know that there is the real poultry world offline. Many good breeders don't visit poultry sites. A lot of what a person will find online has nothing to do with what is real offline. You have to be very careful about what you believe.

Walt

Now Walt, I'd never been online until 10 years ago. I'm an old letter writer who uses the the US mail. I left phone numbers all over with permission to call collect. NADDA. You know there are very few good LF breeders down here. This is Bantam country. "Some broad in S.C wants good Buffs?" Trash. Especially from the few people who remembered me. This is sad fact. It is a closely guarded fraternity unless someone stands at your back. To quote Mr. Sinatra, "I did it my way !"

You, Bob, and Fred are doing a great job helping new people get decent birds. It shouldn't be that hard, but I understand breeders not wanting to see their bloodlines go into egg factories, and not shown , or bred intelligently.