Quote:
If you're looking for true SQ lines, always buy from an experienced breeder. No matter how careful and conscientious hatcheries are, in the end their goal is to make money. (Although, I must admit, those Coastline birds are the nicest hatchery examples I've seen. Most hatchery birds are immediately identifiable.) Having said that, be prepared to wait for eggs - the best breeders have a waiting list. But, it's always worth the wait. The first time I got true exhibition quality birds, I could tell right from the hatch, and the difference was impressive. Well worth the wait and the expense!
Keep in mind: Even from excellent lines, no matter the breed, for every 100 chicks hatched, only six have the genes to make it to Champion Row. Amazing, right? So, while not every clutch of eggs will produce a winner, the better the foundation, the better the chances of hatching great birds.
Lemme get on my soapbox for a mo:
Picture this: three swimming pools. One has been treated and filtered, and the water is crystal clear. One is cloudy, with some algae, and debris floating on top. One is in the middle of the two - pretty clear, but with some stuff one top.
Now - take ten samples of water from each, and compare. Which ones look better?
When you breed birds, every egg is like a sample of that pool water. The genes that come together to create the birds are floating around in the pool. Every egg is a random sample from the million of genes available in the pool. The Faverolles pools are few, and small. The clear pools represent the best lines; the cloudy pools the poor lines. Every time someone breeds and passes on genes from poor birds, like those with four toes, or no beards, etc., those poor genes cloud the few clear pools that exist, and it takes years of filtering and skimming to get those pools clear again. Starting with birds whose genes came from the better quality pool will produce better birds, and help maintain the clarity of the pools.
Sometimes an experienced breeder makes a choice to deliberately cloud their own pool to add certain attributes, but that is done knowing ahead of time that heavy filtering and skimming will be required for several generations, and some bad genes, once in the pool, can never be eliminated. Most good breeders will also not sell birds from this line until they are back to SQ level, thus keeping the poor genes from entering the rest of the pools.
Knowingly breeding and selling poor birds because they are what you have to work with, or you want to make some money, or whatever the excuse, clouds the pools we have available, and, unless careful skimming and filtering is applied to the pools, the breed is harmed as a whole, as the number of clear pools - already small - is now reduced. Because there is no perfect bird, even the best Favs have room for improvement, so the goal is to start with the best, and improve - not start with hatchery and go from there. It can take DECADES to get SQ from that method, and damages all the pools if the results from those poor matings get spread around to multiple pools. Clear as mud?
With every mating you set up, ask yourself - is what I'm planning going to improve the breed, or is this for myself, because I love hatching chicks? (Or whatever the reason.) Of course, if you're going to keep all the birds to yourself forever, this does not apply.
Hence, the reason for educating yourself, and researching the breeders, and waiting for the opportunity to get the right birds from the right breeders.
Sorry for the speech - guess I've read too many posts about excessive hatchings already this season, and it makes me twitchy. My personal opinion is that it's better for all animals if there were fewer, but more conscientious breedings, than multiple pairings producing too many less-than-ideal results. We all want the Favs to be as great as they can be, and if we all get on the same page - and take samples from the clear pools - it's better for all involved. For the birds most of all!
