Standardbred Leghorn Thread

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

With all due respect I know the game very well...Not chickens, but Politics in competition. My experience with for example,the karate tournaments.I have two boys that competed since they were five years old...After a few years one decided to do something else and the other one decided to go all the way through In sparring and kata.In the beginning it was clear that he was the best in his division but there was always a few Darlings of the of the league the ones that were affiliated with a lot of the judges...heck even one Sensei would buy lunch for the judges that were always at the tournaments...many times comments from the spectators and other parents were that we got robbed. After a while I said to tell my son " you know what? Be the best that you can be and eventually they won't be able to ignore your scores" he started competing for himself for his own personal records and eventually all the posers couldn't compete with him because he just became so good... when he started to compete for himself everything changed. Long story short I think when I reach what I want in my chicken endeavor s, I'm not going to bother to show them I'm not going to be chasing other people's opinions.
I think the chicken show thing is great but I don't think it's for me.

If you don't want to breed to the standard or show or either that's your prerogative. There's plenty of Leghorn threads where breeding to standard isn't the focus.

Personally, I'm breeding to the standard whether I show or not. I like the bigger, better-built dual-purpose birds and the standard provides a guideline for me to keep in mind when I select my breeding stock.

If you are choosing not to do that what IS your selection criteria, out of curiosity?

 

[Geckolady]

With all due respect I know the game very well...Not chickens, but Politics in competition. My experience with for example,the karate tournaments.I have two boys that competed since they were five years old...After a few years one decided to do something else and the other one decided to go all the way through In sparring and kata.In the beginning it was clear that he was the best in his division but there was always a few Darlings of the of the league the ones that were affiliated with a lot of the judges...heck even one Sensei would buy lunch for the judges that were always at the tournaments...many times comments from the spectators and other parents were that we got robbed. After a while I said to tell my son " you know what? Be the best that you can be and eventually they won't be able to ignore your scores" he started competing for himself for his own personal records and eventually all the posers couldn't compete with him because he just became so good... when he started to compete for himself everything changed. Long story short I think when I reach what I want in my chicken endeavor s, I'm not going to bother to show them I'm not going to be chasing other people's opinions.
I think the chicken show thing is great but I don't think it's for me.

I used to say that there was more politics in the AKC than in Washington DC, but that was in the 80's and 90's. Some things do change.

This is what I meant by my pullet's comb drooping over. I saw it in the Leghorn book but not in the pics on this thread. Correct? Incorrect? Doesn't matter?

I'm here to learn from you.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

If you don't want to breed to the standard or show or either that's your prerogative. There's plenty of Leghorn threads where breeding to standard isn't the focus.

Personally, I'm breeding to the standard whether I show or not. I like the bigger, better-built dual-purpose birds and the standard provides a guideline for me to keep in mind when I select my breeding stock.

If you are choosing not to do that what IS your selection criteria, out of curiosity?

Don't get me wrong understanding the SOP is quite useful and appropriate. But it's the chasing of judges is what turns me off.
Like I said with all due respect.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I used to say that there was more politics in the AKC than in Washington DC, but that was in the 80's and 90's. Some things do change.

This is what I meant by my pullet's comb drooping over. I saw it in the Leghorn book but not in the pics on this thread. Correct? Incorrect? Doesn't matter?

I'm here to learn from you.

View attachment 2493380

I think as long as it doesn't obscure the eye, the flopping comb is fine

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I used to say that there was more politics in the AKC than in Washington DC, but that was in the 80's and 90's. Some things do change.

This is what I meant by my pullet's comb drooping over. I saw it in the Leghorn book but not in the pics on this thread. Correct? Incorrect? Doesn't matter?

I'm here to learn from you.

View attachment 2493380

I've seen vids of winning pullets that have floppy combs-overseas, now- but none the less beautiful Leghorns.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Don't get me wrong understanding the SOP is quite useful and appropriate. But it's the chasing of judges is what turns me off.
Like I said with all due respect.

With the same respect, the title of this thread is not "How to Breed A Show Winning Leghorn and Find Judges That Like Your Birds."

I am personally not experienced enough with the breed to pick up on finer points that I might be missing in my line, so I do plan to show as much as I can which probably won't be much at all, honestly.

However, the standard is my north star, and showing my birds to people that evaluate hundreds or even thousands of leghorns per year to tell me how my birds measure up is the best tool I can think of for helping me improve my birds. I have zero interest in chasing points and playing that type of game, though.

If you know of better tools for getting multiple skilled evaluations of your stock in person, by all means, have at it and I'll be extremely envious! I do not have a large Leghorn community around or mentors close enough to guide me with hands-on evaluations, though, so it is what it is.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I think as long as it doesn't obscure the eye, the flopping comb is fine

The standard calls for the flop.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Don't get me wrong understanding the SOP is quite useful and appropriate. But it's the chasing of judges is what turns me off.
Like I said with all due respect.

If YOU KNOW that you've brought a specimen to a show that meets all of the criteria of the SOP, you've got a good bird,you walk by all the other competitors in your division,you feel that you've got a good standing,and STILL have to worry about what the judge's interpretation will be?That's a problem. My question would be since I've never been to a show are there judges that travel with the shows or are they just local people that volunteer.How does it work?
I want to learn.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If YOU KNOW that you've brought a specimen to a show that meets all of the criteria of the SOP, you've got a good bird,you walk by all the other competitors in your division,you feel that you've got a good standing,and STILL have to worry about what the judge's interpretation will be?That's a problem. My question would be since I've never been to a show are there judges that travel with the shows or are they just local people that volunteer.How does it work?
I want to learn.

I think judges have to be certified for the big shows at least

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

If YOU KNOW that you've brought a specimen to a show that meets all of the criteria of the SOP, you've got a good bird,you walk by all the other competitors in your division,you feel that you've got a good standing,and STILL have to worry about what the judge's interpretation will be?That's a problem. My question would be since I've never been to a show are there judges that travel with the shows or are they just local people that volunteer.How does it work?
I want to learn.

It takes a lot of years and proving that you know your stuff to become a judge. You have to like, apprentice and stuff under another judge and go over x-number of birds, etc before you even qualify to take the tests. It's really quite an ordeal. Local clubs then hire judges and bring them in to judge their local shows.

I personally don't worry about the other birds or what the judge likes. I show birds because I DON'T KNOW that they're meeting the SOP, not because I DO KNOW that they are. I'll show my birds like I show my other animals—to get more eyes and other people's opinions on them. Not to win.