Read the standard of perfection and then get to know it very well. Come to shows and talk with us. I know when I first started, I really didn't know what I was looking for. April 24th there is a small show in St. James. It would be a great one just to come and observe. Oct. 9-10 is the BCPPA show in New Ulm. I just reserved Eric Kutch from CA to come back here and judge. He's one of the top guys in the nation as far as silkies go. After the show is over, he more than welcomes questions. Showing under lots of different judges will also give you different viewpoints. Some like small and typey and others like the bigger ones. Some could care less about toe spacing and some are sticklers on wings. Its getting to the point where I'm the worst critic of my own birds.
As far as raising birds, its going to take some time and observation from you. Raise lots of chicks and don't be afraid to cull. Put a chair out in your growout pen and just take the time to observe your babies. You will start to notice trends. Even the most perfect birds don't always breed true. You will start to notice which faults you can work with and which ones will haunt you for generations. Make adjustments to your breeding pens as necessary. Don't always judge a book by its cover either. Sometimes its the crappiest looking hen that always has its crest picked out and looks like hell may throw the best babies.
In the end, it all comes down to what you like and what still fits the standard. If you don't like big combs and are willing to deal with fertility issues and do AI, then that's your choice. If you want them so typey that they can't breed without AI, that's also your choice. There's that fine line between perfection and productive though....
If you are looking to make money from them, you will still need the background knowledge. Get your name out there and go to shows. The quality of your birds will speak for themselves. You can't imagine the number of people that come up to you and ask if you have such and such available or want to be put on a waiting list for next year. Selling $5-10 chicks at swaps is fine and you will make a small profit by doing so. Those are a really good outlet for your PQ culls though. Your higher dollar birds are usually sold to other breeders though. If you want to sell a $100+ bird to someone on the other side of the country, you better be honest about the faults or you won't have many repeat customers. Sometimes the sellers just don't know any better either. I have to just laugh over some of the ads I see on
Ebay and Eggbid. Eggs from top SQ...pffttt... then they picture birds with red skin, bare middle toes, hard feathering through the tail, narrow cushions, etc. This will apply for any breed you plan on raising....do your homework on them and remember that turning a profit doesn't happen overnight.
