You know I had to respond to this. LOL Totally agree. The finer points are great, but what people need first is to understand why the breed looks the way it does. A Plymouth Rock, a Rhode Island Red, a Dorking, an Orpington, an Australorp and a heaping helping of other dual purpose birds all looks much different, however they have a lot in common as well. Tail angle, tight or loose feathering, station, none of them matter much if that bird has no body depth or width to support a good amount of meat. Of if that bird is pinched up at the rear and doesn't have any length of body for egg production. A good solid head indicative of a solid skeletal and bone structure is important regardless of breed. All this stuff is covered in that first 40 pages (and then again in the breed description). I don't need to check the Standard, or have even glanced at it to know that the description for a New Hampshire body probably reads something like "Breast: Full and round, Back: Wide, carried it's entire length to base of tail" Because most of the dual purpose birds are similar in that aspect. The finer points come with time as long as you have it set in your head what the rough outline looks like, and you understand what type of body it HAS to have to do it's job.
Edit: To make my point clearer, butcher all those birds I mentioned, the carcass is gonna look near identical (skin color not withstanding).
