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Good Points Kari. I would add (if to play advocate for the opposite), that the pics of Ransome Bolson's flock would be the clearest example of what the breed was suppose to be as he got his stock directly from the originator of the breed. Also, the accounts of both John Logston and Michael Moore (both of which saw the first flock of Iowa Blue's in their original created form on the farm they were created on, with Michael raising them until he was in his sixties) should be taken as examples of the "pure" form before hatcheries took them on.
The pic of my avatar is of Ransome's flock and the hens are not finely penciled. Michael's account also made clear that they were not finely penciled. I think the coloration should NOT be clean and precise.
Their coloration is so very different from fine Silver Penciling and for that matter if you want the fine penciling, there are plenty of breeds to raise that possess that coloration. Rocks, Wyandottes, Dark Brahmas, which it could be pointed out that the Silver Penciled variety in each of those breeds is nearing extinction (according to the ALBC). They may be pretty in a showpen, but aren't cutting it in the real world......
As far as them needing to be gorgeous to look at..........the Turken, Showgirl, Modern Game? They look aweful, but have plenty of followers.........I think the Silver Penciled/Mealy Grey pattern that we have is ALREADY gorgeous and doesn't need "refining" in the larger sense. Having better uniformity in breast lacing on the cockerels would be a nice lighter refinement that I think the breed could benefit from, but not a complete make over.
As far as the Iowa Blue being only a hatchery bird..........we have only one confirmed hatchery that has ever raised them in the past and that's Fenton's Hatchery. There's accounts saying that hatcheries had them and so we go off of those account, but I can't confirm any of those existed in all my research. Glenn, did add blood in, you are right, but his selections afterward were to select to the original type (Ideal's selections were to the pretty). Glenn also shared that he is a preservation center and not a hatchery. He hasn't made a profit for even one year since he's operated the perservation center. His wife and he live off of his teacher's wage, and every year they have to use that wage to keep the preservation center afloat. As he's stated before, if he was in it to make the money to pay the feed, he wouldn't be able to maintain the breeds as they were originally created and it would defeat the purpose of the preservation center, which is to preserve them in the purest form possible. The ALBC has also verified that his flock is the closest to the original type in color, shape, and function and that's got to have some clout........if nothing other than to verify that his bloodline is the closest to the real deal.......
Now, Kari is right, his flock is VERY small. Just three hens and three cockbirds. Good news is that he's hatched out over 150 chicks and is planning on having over 250 chicks for him and I to sort through come this fall when he sets up next year's Iowa Blue pen.
A gentleman from New York named Tom Baker said it best I think. He said something to the effect of this....the reason I don't want to get involved with the breed club is because they are trying to improve the Iowa Blue and the Iowa Blue doesn't need improvement. If it is bred to its originial form and function it will satisfy any breeder in beauty and production. Only the strains of Iowa Blue's that haven't been bred to resemble the original type are the ones in need of improvement. And I would have to say that I agree with him on that whole heartedly!! Glenn's 10-11 pound roosters and 8-9 pound hens definatley aren't "hatchery quality" like the little 5 lb roosters and 4 pounds hens from Ideal. And the egg size and quality from his hens far surpasses anything I've seen from Ideal. I don't think his flock can be lumped into hatchery stock.........and should be taken more seriously than we as a club have been taking it. Yes, he's made selections on that flock, but he's the only one still breeding the Iowa Blue that has seen the original purebreds in person and held them in his hands, that has to account for something............it has to bring a great deal of value and sway I would think.
As far as the APA goes, maybe we shouldn't be pursuing that at all..........the ALBC can list of many breeds where the APA and those interested in showbirds have caused the breed they represent to go extinct in its origianl form. What have they offered the breed when the showbirds end up causing the very thing they came from to go extinct. And it could be argued that no showbird will ever be as productive as their original anscestors. That's the double edged sword that showing causes to breeds.........I was talking to Phil Shank and he said that the best female Wyandottes in the showpens rare lay more than 30-50 eggs a year. What good is a bird like that? She may be pretty, but she's completely negated her purpose to live, which is to be productive!!!!! If that's what APA Standarizing will do to this breed, isn't it better to walk away now and promote out breed for the functionality that is has to offer?
On a side note, there are plenty of showquality RIR's around, particularly the single combed birds, but the original RIR in nearly extinct and the ALBC is tying there darndest to find and locate those flocks before the breed goes extinct. And, the ALBC doesn't recognize the show quality RIR as "actual" RIR because they are so different from the way the birds were suppose to look. Fads and fasions got involved and people wanted birds that they thought were pretty and well, they've made a bit of a mess out of it.....is that were we want to be in 20 years?
Finding the right direction to travel is so difficult when there isn't a Standard already in place!!!!! hahahaha Oh to have chosen a rare breed that had a Standard!
