Showing unrecognized breeds/colors

[chambe94]

I am confused. Can you show breeds that aren't APA recognized? I assumed no, but then when people are taking about getting APA recognition for a certain breed (Cream Legbar, BLR Wyandotte, etc) they talk about getting their birds out to shows to get the recognition.

So is there an " unrecognized " category at shows, or are they going to unrecognized shows?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You enter them in recognized shows. The best they can place is BB for an unrecognized breed or BV for an unrecognized variety.

 

[chambe94]

Ok, so APA shows have classes for unrecognized breeds?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

No, you enter the bird in the appropriate class, with the correct breed name and variety name. If you need help figuring out the class, bantam classes are, for the most part, determined by comb type and clean or featherleg. AEGB/American Game and Modern Game have their own classes. Largefowl classes are mostly determined by place of the breeds origin: American, Continental, etc. What breed are you wanting to show?

 

[chambe94]

Not seriously considering it yet. But I have Cream Legbars (they, at least are working toward a SOP) and Isbars and I was wondering if they were something my son could show when he's a little older (he's only 4 right now, so no rush). Or if I should just buy him a traditional breed later on.

Part of my thought being (with the Isbars) since there is no SOP do I just breed for what I think looks pretty, or if they could be shown, I would breed more towards a type that judges would find appealing (which may or may not match my idea of "pretty" )

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Not seriously considering it yet. But I have Cream Legbars (they, at least are working toward a SOP) and Isbars and I was wondering if they were something my son could show when he's a little older (he's only 4 right now, so no rush). Or if I should just buy him a traditional breed later on.

Part of my thought being (with the Isbars) since there is no SOP do I just breed for what I think looks pretty, or if they could be shown, I would breed more towards a type that judges would find appealing (which may or may not match my idea of "pretty" )

An honest answer to an honest question.

For your son, I'd get him nice quality exhibition stock from a breeder not far from you who could be his mentor. You would find this person by attending the APA/ABA show(s) in your neck of the woods (ish). To find this information, subscribe to the Poultry Press. Your sons will do nothing but lose with those "breeds".

If you're interested in poultry and you like Blue eggs, you might consider working with Ameraucanas. They exist in good, even very good, quality, and you can actually show them and learn about breeding. Over the time, with support from regional APA/ABA breeders you'll learn the tricks of the trade and have some good fun. Legbars are many, many years away from Standard recognition. There's an interest in them among non-APA folks, but APA folks aren't even a little bit interested; they're of very poor quality.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Poor quality as compared with UK legbars or poor quality because you don't like them?

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Poor quality as compared with UK legbars or poor quality because you don't like them?

Those that I have seen are thin feathered, pinched tailed, and of variable type and color, and they're not exactly rock stars in Britain either. They're hatchery birds.

If people want to raise them, by all means go for it! Honestly. Are they a starting point for anyone who wants to learn how to show or breed to a standard? No. And that--specifically--is what I'm addressing. If a poor kid shows up at an APA?ABA sanctioned show, as opposed to a country fair, with a Legbar, he's just going to be discouraged, and what is there to learn there? There is no American culture around Legbars. They are not taken seriously in the APA community, and it will be a very long time before they are, if it ever happens at all. They're not even ancient of days in their country of origin without strong culture there. They were imported here and marketed to folks outside the APA community who were going to buy the spiel. They were a money maker.

They don't have anywhere near the refinement of a good Ameraucana, and in a section entitled "Exhibition, Genetics, and Breeding to the Standard of Perfection", it is very important that that be clear so than inquirers have a place where they can go to get information that is not sensationalized.

 

[chambe94]

Thanks for your candor!
I do intend to get him a recognized breed if he really wants to show. Was just wondering if I should bother trying to breed toward a more "show able" bird with my rare breeds, or not worry about show standards and breed for what I like (which it sounds like I should, since they are unlikely to be very show able anyway).

I love my legbars and isbars, and didn't get them to show. But my son has friends that show chickens, and he thinks he wants to do that too. So I just trying to figure it how I want to accomplish that.

Not a big fan of americanas ( I don't dislike them, they just aren't my cup of tea)

Thank you!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I completely agree with your point about the child showing a recognized breed and variety.

But for the mom, I wanted clarification. I've heard some APA folks complain about them, but no one has ever before mentioned WHY specifically, and I have never seen any. I know that some exhibition folks are very picky about which breeds they do and do not like, even among recognized breeds, and that is what I wanted to make sure wasn't the case. I think if someone wants to work towards standardization of the breed, that is great. Knowing what to work towards and making the commitment is, in my mind, a worthy goal. If multiple folks are working towards recognition, though, they need to be on the same page as far as developing the breed goes.