As many of you here know, I'm working in my very very small way on the mille fleur bantam cochin project.
I think there are several important considerations to keep in mind when sharing your projects. For instance:
1. It doesn't matter whether other people like your project. YOU are the only one who needs to like it.
2. If you discuss your project, people WILL criticize it. Some criticism will be constructive, some will not. Develop a thick skin, and try to learn from the constructive type. Then refer back to #1.
3. Different people have different priorities. Some people highly value the sanctity of the pure breed. I do myself, when it comes to dogs. I HATE it when people breed "labradoodles" or "schnoodles" or other atrocities. To me, chickens are different....but to others, breed preservation is very important. Respect their perspectives, then refer back to #1.
4. Some people who work on "projects" act as though their "project" birds are already the perfect finished, purebred product. For instance, I have birds which came from a well-known breeder of a breed I won't mention. They were sold to me as valuable birds in a rare new color for the breed. And they ARE a gorgeous color -- but they have the wrong comb, the wrong body type, AND the wrong leg color for that breed. (No, these aren't the cochins!) These are obvious crossbred project birds, and they should have been sold as such. IOW, it is natural for folks to be suspicious of crossbreeding projects, because breeders are often less than honest about them.
5. There are no regulated, standardized pedigrees for chickens, so people are always suspicious of "mutt" birds. There's no way to prove whether a bird is truly pure or not. So, just as we often see with the Ameraucana folks, it's easy to get touchy around breeding projects that bring in new colors or new breeds.
Anyway, I'm starting to ramble now. When in doubt, refer back to #1. There are good reasons why some folks don't appreciate breeding projects like these, but you don't NEED those folks to appreciate you. Just smile, thank them for their input, and go on your merry way.
I think there are several important considerations to keep in mind when sharing your projects. For instance:
1. It doesn't matter whether other people like your project. YOU are the only one who needs to like it.
2. If you discuss your project, people WILL criticize it. Some criticism will be constructive, some will not. Develop a thick skin, and try to learn from the constructive type. Then refer back to #1.
3. Different people have different priorities. Some people highly value the sanctity of the pure breed. I do myself, when it comes to dogs. I HATE it when people breed "labradoodles" or "schnoodles" or other atrocities. To me, chickens are different....but to others, breed preservation is very important. Respect their perspectives, then refer back to #1.
4. Some people who work on "projects" act as though their "project" birds are already the perfect finished, purebred product. For instance, I have birds which came from a well-known breeder of a breed I won't mention. They were sold to me as valuable birds in a rare new color for the breed. And they ARE a gorgeous color -- but they have the wrong comb, the wrong body type, AND the wrong leg color for that breed. (No, these aren't the cochins!) These are obvious crossbred project birds, and they should have been sold as such. IOW, it is natural for folks to be suspicious of crossbreeding projects, because breeders are often less than honest about them.
5. There are no regulated, standardized pedigrees for chickens, so people are always suspicious of "mutt" birds. There's no way to prove whether a bird is truly pure or not. So, just as we often see with the Ameraucana folks, it's easy to get touchy around breeding projects that bring in new colors or new breeds.
Anyway, I'm starting to ramble now. When in doubt, refer back to #1. There are good reasons why some folks don't appreciate breeding projects like these, but you don't NEED those folks to appreciate you. Just smile, thank them for their input, and go on your merry way.
....imo
