Stop killing seramas!!!

[BantyChooks]

In general the idea of breeders 'culling' their 'stock' that don't have the traits they desire is horrific. I thought that is what was meant by the OP in that many people are so concerned with their seramas having to look a certain way, which is not even feasible in the example of single colours, that they are willing to slaughter many seramas that don't fulfil the unreasonable criteria of 'perfection'. Selectively breeding birds with the desired characteristics does not necessitate, or justify, slaughtering those without.

It's not horrific to me. I don't breed seramas, but I do breed large fowl Chanteclers. The substandard ones are a food source. The closer to standard ones are bred to produce more for eggs and meat. It's simply a different way of choosing which ones you eat---intentional selection towards uniformity and health, vs buying one batch of a specific breed and slaughtering them all. If you can afford to keep hundreds of old, sickly, and nonproductive hens and roosters, great! Do what makes you happy! I can't, though. I think it's way better than buying meat from the store, where they're crammed in large barns to grow until they can't walk. My birds get to run as far as they want, eat bugs, and scratch for goodies for about a year, sometimes more. I treat them well, keep them safe, and give them quick deaths. Better that than getting ripped apart by a hawk, fighting to the death because I don't have the facilities for so many roosters, or slowly choking on their own spit and being in more and more pain as they die from old age.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic here, I'm trying to present my own opinion and learn more about why you think eating birds by a different set of criteria is wrong.

OP: Like Moonshiner said---if you don't like standardized varieties, don't breed for 'em. I'm not a Serama person so I don't know if it's actually changing the breed like I think you're claiming. If I'm wrong about that, correct me! I personally like the general idea. It adds another aspect to a challenging and enjoyable hobby, and the standard is there for those that want it.

 

[lilmillefleur]

old, sickly, and nonproductive hens

literally my chickens in a nutshell! LOL! Good thing they are pets or they'd have been in the stew pot years ago!

 

[The Moonshiner]

How do you expect a serama to look like a serama if breeders aren't selective about what they breed?
What do you think will happen to the breed if everyone breeds birds with undesirable traits.
You may see culling as horrific but if it wasn't for breeders being selective and culling there wouldn't be the serama breed or any breeds at all.
Culling doesn't have to mean slaughtering. It means removing from a breeding program.
I've culled 1000s of birds in my life time and that has never meant killing them.

 

[lilmillefleur]

I personally love the huge color variety found in seramas but I think their other traits are important to uphold or else it just wouldn't look like a serama...

 

[JedJackson]

Dear standards, why, why, why?

Why do you want every serama to look the same?

Seramas survived from epidemics, their immune system was not strong and many of them were lost.

They are a miracle breed which doesn't need to breed true in color. The same for swedish flower, for greek crested and for many other breeds.

Their upright tail, their body shape, their size, their temperament, the hear of a lion they have are the unique features that make them so adorable.

I get what Thomas is saying-- it would be a shame to lose all of the weird, wonderful colors of Seramas to standardization. It would be nice if they could standardize for type and not color, but how would that be fair in poultry competitions when other breeds do have to be standardized for color? I don't have the answers but maybe in time breeders & associations will come up with something that maintains both points of view.

 

[BantyChooks]

I get what Thomas is saying-- it would be a shame to lose all of the weird, wonderful colors of Seramas to standardization. It would be nice if they could standardize for type and not color, but how would that be fair in poultry competitions when other breeds do have to be standardized for color? I don't have the answers but maybe in time breeders & associations will come up with something that maintains both points of view.

Maybe putting the scale of points 100% into shape and docking heavier than other breeds for body faults, to make up for the colour points likely working against the competition?

 

[The Moonshiner]

I get what Thomas is saying-- it would be a shame to lose all of the weird, wonderful colors of Seramas to standardization. It would be nice if they could standardize for type and not color, but how would that be fair in poultry competitions when other breeds do have to be standardized for color? I don't have the answers but maybe in time breeders & associations will come up with something that maintains both points of view.

Standardizing the colors for an SOP doesn't mean weird and wonderful colors have to be lost. Breeders can still mix, match or create other colors.
Breeders are always working on different colors in a ton of breeds. Others are mixing colors in their pens just to get a variety or to see what they get.
Funny I would be the guy arguing on the side of standardizing and limiting colors of a breed for an association but I am showing that that also in no way has to limit them or lose them.
Everyone can breed for what they want and no one has to follow the associations blindly but without the associations you're not just going to lose all the possible colors you're going to lose the breed.

 

[Ladybird CA]

Lots of good ideas. Just posting to say I'm still half chuckling about thinking Thomas meant standard chickens.

I took his first sentence to mean grief about his big chickens killing his little ones. Then the rest of his post as a tribute to all seramas.

I blame it on my husband's job causing him to wake up at 4:30am and our 9 month old wanting to go with him so I also have to get up. Then I go on BYC half awake which explains it.

Laughed til I almost wheezed..that made my son laugh too.

Ok now I'm actually awake. Will have to get myself some seramas one day. Too bad they don't do well in the cold. I might be able to get a couple to keep as a pet.

Many people keep different colours of breeds together and others will still buy them. I'm sure there will still be some that want to have the variety aspect of having different coloured seramas.

 

[FishMtFarm]

I personally think they are killing the breed because they want them so upright with the big chest that they lack body copacity and therefore it constricts the organs. There is in fact research behind that. That’s why I breed for tribbles. Less upright and more of a round body to make room for organs to grow properly. And I love the color variety. They need to leave that alone cause that’s what makes seramas awesome.

 

[JedJackson]

Standardizing the colors for an SOP doesn't mean weird and wonderful colors have to be lost. Breeders can still mix, match or create other colors.
Breeders are always working on different colors in a ton of breeds. Others are mixing colors in their pens just to get a variety or to see what they get.
Funny I would be the guy arguing on the side of standardizing and limiting colors of a breed for an association but I am showing that that also in no way has to limit them or lose them.
Everyone can breed for what they want and no one has to follow the associations blindly but without the associations you're not just going to lose all the possible colors you're going to lose the breed.

I agree with you, but it does seem like standardizing colors in a breed that has traditionally had mixed colors will lead to the mixed colors losing out in preference to the standardized ones, whether it's sooner or later, if only specific, standard colors are allowed in shows. And especially with a breed where the tiny size is the main point, not specific coloring, I would be in favor of mixed colors (by which I mean colors that don't conform completely to any of the colors now known in the Standards) being allowed in shows, maybe with a different point system, so this characteristic of the breed can be preserved. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Who knows what will happen?