How do I learn to evaluate a chicken against the SOP?

[RuffIedFeathers]

I can't seem to get my hands on the APA SOP book. Is that the best way to learn/evaluate my birds?
Would I make posts here? (That would be a lot of posts! I have like 50 birds right now!).
I'm trying to narrow down which breeds I enjoy working with the most. I'm really liking Ameraucanas, but are they too common? I want to work with birds that aren't super common, but have really docile, easy going temperaments. I originally liked the deathlayers, hamburgs, campines, but I think they're a bit too flighty for me.
Any suggestions on less common, friendly, personable birds?
Sorry, that's a lot of questions in one post!
Thank you!

 

[Pyxis]

Hi!

Yes, the APA SOP is the best way to learn the SOP for each breed. I actually have an older 2010 edition that I can sell you if you're interested! It'll be lacking any breeds and varieties added since then, but it would be something!

Anyway, not all breeds are accepted into the SOP yet. Recent imports, like Deathlayers, are not accepted. Now, they may have a breed club that has a proposed SOP that they are working on getting accepted, but to start with, you'll probably want to choose a breed that's already recognized. If you want to see a list of all the breeds that are accepted, look here.

There's no such thing as too common when showing! If you like a breed, go for it. Find a breeder that breeds to the SOP, and buy a couple pairs of birds in a color you like to get you started.

Birds from a hatchery are not going to be competitive. They are not bred to the SOP and most are a far cry from what the Standard calls for. So, no hatchery stock if you really want to breed.

Me personally, I like my Ko Shamos. Brahmas are also awesome, and when you see one bred to the SOP compared to a hatchery one, it will amaze you. Even "common" breeds aren't really all that common as correct birds bred to the SOP. For example, a good Rhode Island Red isn't super easy to come by, even though you'll find hundreds of them in feed stores in the spring.

 

[kurby22]

I have found the APA to be super helpful but spend more time on the breed club pages and Facebook groups to study their birds and teach my eye what to look for in good SOP birds. I posted some of my birds and got some awesome critiques from other breeders. I personally don’t believe Ameraucanas are too common! They are popular for a reason, they are awesome birds. I have 4 large fowl and two bantam Ameraucanas and I just love them. Bantam Ameraucanas are less common and just as wonderful if you're at all interested in bantams. I also love all things feather legged, but don’t want to show them due to the amount of work they are to keep clean and feathers on their feet unbroken. I have chosen black and self blue d’Anver chickens as my show breed. They’re adorable, sassy, sweet, clean legged, and colors besides quail and blue quail are REALLY hard to come by in the show circles. Makes it fun

 

[The WinterWolf]

I can't seem to get my hands on the APA SOP book. Is that the best way to learn/evaluate my birds?
Would I make posts here? (That would be a lot of posts! I have like 50 birds right now!).
I'm trying to narrow down which breeds I enjoy working with the most. I'm really liking Ameraucanas, but are they too common? I want to work with birds that aren't super common, but have really docile, easy going temperaments. I originally liked the deathlayers, hamburgs, campines, but I think they're a bit too flighty for me.
Any suggestions on less common, friendly, personable birds?
Sorry, that's a lot of questions in one post!
Thank you!

oh. my. gosh. Delawares!! i love those things. they are good layers, friendly, easy going, and beautiful. here's my girl. she'll take a nap in your lap if you let her. Delawares are endangered, but there are a lot of people who have them on here, so they probably aren't considered 'rare' but they are wonderful.

 

[Amer]

I can't seem to get my hands on the APA SOP book. Is that the best way to learn/evaluate my birds? The SOP is the only way to evaluate birds, but there are many ways you can learn to evaluate birds. You can go to a show and ask judges or breeders to walk you through it. You could even invite someone over to walk you through your birds. They might be happy to help mentor you. They might not, but they will be honored that you asked. You can get information online. One thing I did as an aspiring artist (and personally I don’t know anyone else who did this) was look at the standard and a picture of the breed and then I’d draw not what I see but a perfect example of the breed based on the description in the Standard. This helped me picture the bird better in my head and really ingrain that description in. I think it worked since I judge fairs now, and I’m not bad at it. Plus now I can draw really well and I couldn’t before so I think I killed to birds with one stone. But as you can see, everyone learns in different ways.

Would I make posts here? (That would be a lot of posts! I have like 50 birds right now!).
I'm trying to narrow down which breeds I enjoy working with the most. I'm really liking Ameraucanas, but are they too common? Ameraucanas are the most common breed I see sometimes, but there’s nothing wrong with common. After all, if everyone thought it was too common it wouldn’t be. But I can see why you don’t want to. I like novelties myself.

I want to work with birds that aren't super common, but have really docile, easy going temperaments. I originally liked the deathlayers, hamburgs, campines, but I think they're a bit too flighty for me.
Any suggestions on less common, friendly, personable birds?
I’m not sure what utility qualities you prefer. Delawares and Buckeyes are two breeds I find to be very friendly and uncommon. The main difference is that Delawares can be pretty stupid, at least the males, and Buckeyes are very intelligent. Amer, my username, is kind of an artifact because I thought I was going to love Ameraucanas, but for all their outward flairs, they turned out to be as bland as broth personality wise. I haven’t raised many rare breeds outside of the American class that were friendly, lol. Anything pretty is bound to be more high strung, or just something that looked like too much work for me to try. Personally, I own bantam Buckeyes and d’Anvers for their personalities, hardiness, and looks, but I don’t know if bantams are your thing. If they are, there’s Japanese bantams.

 

[Amer]

oh. my. gosh. Delawares!! i love those things. they are good layers, friendly, easy going, and beautiful. here's my girl. she'll take a nap in your lap if you let her. Delawares are endangered, but there are a lot of people who have them on here, so they probably aren't considered 'rare' but they are wonderful. View attachment 3267582

I can’t believe two of us managed to mention Delawares. Well the verdict is out. Delawares are friendly.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I can't seem to get my hands on the APA SOP book. Is that the best way to learn/evaluate my birds?
Would I make posts here? (That would be a lot of posts! I have like 50 birds right now!).
I'm trying to narrow down which breeds I enjoy working with the most. I'm really liking Ameraucanas, but are they too common? I want to work with birds that aren't super common, but have really docile, easy going temperaments. I originally liked the deathlayers, hamburgs, campines, but I think they're a bit too flighty for me.
Any suggestions on less common, friendly, personable birds?
Sorry, that's a lot of questions in one post!
Thank you!

Check out Cornish bantams. Seriously. They're a bit flighty, but they're one of my top 3 breeds I have, and I have a ton of breeds

 

[Amer]

Other than that, just look at what you think is cool and look at the reviews. Or just try out different breeds and pick your favorite. I’ve owned a ton of breeds but not all turned out to be super exciting, or what I’d hoped for. Good, another option eliminated. I think a lot of people will find one or two that pleases them the most after trying them out. I mean, I would be much happier if I had only d’Anvers which I consider to be my perfect breed. Plus it is recommended to have only one or two. The best breeders specialize.

 

[RuffIedFeathers]

Check out Cornish bantams. Seriously. They're a bit flighty, but they're one of my top 3 breeds I have, and I have a ton of breeds

Thanks! I'm curious to know what other breeds you have? I like about a dozen right now and am already narrowing it down.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thanks! I'm curious to know what other breeds you have? I like about a dozen right now and am already narrowing it down.

Oh God, give me a moment

Cornish bantams
Cochin bantams
Silkies
WFB Spanish bantams (too old to breed though)
D'uccles
Danvers
1 cranky Japanese bantam
Ayam Ketwa
Marans
Mixes
Spitzhauben
Naked necks
Pheonix
1 Java
1 Russian orloff
Homebrewed Sexlinks
Asian blacks
Mystic Onyx
Araucanas

Sure I'm missing some off the tip of my head