Amen 2 and 3 times over concerning non-standard colors and color entry to the SOP.
I was just on the Brahma FB page, and was very disappointed that 1/2 of the posts were for scrawny looking Black and Buff-laced Brahma-ish culls. What a disservice to Brahmas!
Cochins, Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Leghorns--these are the only large fowl breeds that have been able to maintain 4 of more varieties over any length of time with any sort of quality. A long time ago, you might have been able to add Polish and Hamburgs to that list. However, that was also a different time with more people doing the work of breeding poultry well. One, two, maybe three varieties--that's about it, and three is pushing it. There is no value in color, if that color is draped on a sub-par bird, and a walk through the major shows will reveal more and more large fowl of sub-par quality. RIR's are fairing poorly, but folks want to show "imported" Spangled Orpingtons, which are neither good Orpingtons nor well spangled birds. If the goal is to have strong fowl, the number of varieties must be limited, or the effort s are overly diluted. There's absolutely no way around it. Period.
Dorkings are a perfect example. All of the hullaballoo to get Reds and Cuckoos into the Standard, but who cares? Neither is important historically, at least you can kind of make an argument for Reds. However, now they're eclipsing SG's, and the SG's were at least unique; outside of OEGs, the Silver Duckwing pattern "belonged" to the Dorking. Now, with the focus on Reds, they're just not as refined as the Light Brown Leghorns, who will always own that color. Cuckoos are worthless--period. Nothing Cuckoo stays around for long, and why should they? They're naught but sloppy barring. The only cuckoo bird that has made it is the Dominique, and that is just barely. The real tragedy is that while everyone was focused on Reds and Cuckoos, the traditional colors were falling away, and the old strains were dying out. That's when you know you're not taking care of a breed. Dorking breeders are quick to bla-bla about "building the barn before painting it", but they're a bit poo at following their own advice. Had they done so, we'd still have quality Dorkings hanging around.
Walt, I'm all about tightening up the gates. The last thing any breed needs is another variety, and I believe that most breeds need about 1/2 the varieties they have. Standard-bred Hamburgs are quietly slipping off the map, and people are worried about Legbars and getting more Marans colors into the Standard. That's just folly--silly and folly.
Thank you, everyone, for the kind words concerning my White Dorkings, but please bear in mind that they are a work in progress. Because of the aforementioned sloppy breeding and poor focus, I have had to rebuild them from the bottom up, and in blatant honesty, I think that they're still closer to the bottom that they are to the top. I'm glad folks are happy to start up with them, but every time I ship out a box of chicks I'm hoping that they get one trio, or perhaps, two pair that are even worth looking at. They're delicious in the pot, at least.
I don't know what is going on with certain groups of SGs; it's a real puzzle. However, I do not believe that SGs in the US are overly in-bred; it's just not a reality.
Thoughts on variety outcrossing: If you outcross to whites and then breed the F1s together, you'll get a whole range of Duckwing patterned birds. I didn't raise them out, and I don't know where they'll go, but you'll get them by the dozens. In the Whites, we have strong fertility and strong hatchability. Now we just need size, weight, length, combs, and purity of white......can you say in the year 2020....
