Sumatra Thread!

[championsumatra]

Well I don't think that would be happening any time soon. and I am not going by the standard by the wayI think it should be. I am going by the standard as well as what the experts tell me that how they do so well! Tom Keenan's birds are about the same size as my birds. So You can not say that Tom dose not know what he is doing he has had a lot of feed back from the judges. And if you say that even he is not going by what the standard says them you have a really big ego. I know I may have one too but don't be telling the judges that they have no idea on what the standard says..

 

[Infnityhrt]

Well I don't think that would be happening any time soon. and I am not going by the standard by the wayI think it should be. I am going by the standard as well as what the experts tell me that how they do so well! Tom Keenan's birds are about the same size as my birds. So You can not say that Tom dose not know what he is doing he has had a lot of feed back from the judges. And if you say that even he is not going by what the standard says them you have a really big ego. I know I may have one too but don't be telling the judges that they have no idea on what the standard says..

this is exactly what the standard says, so how are you going by it if your birds are over 6 pounds?

page 33 in the 2010 Standard (the most current)

Any bird (except Beltsville Small White Turkeys.) that deviates more than 20% either up or down from the weight listed for its breed, sex and age should be disqualified

Example -- In a bird with a standard weight of 5 pounds, a range of 4 to 6 pounds is within the scope of 'the standard weight, this rule applies to all large fowl, bantam, ducks, geese, guinea fowl and turkeys (except Beltsville small white)

Don't know how much clearer than can get if you are not in the 4 to 6 pound range it says you should be disqualified.
I am not just saying that.. the standard says that, so you tell me how if they are not following this, they are following the standard,

Its in black and white, not gray, not interpretation.
and it's not ego, its reading and following directions, but getting frustrated because why have a Standard, that's what I have said all along, you pay money for it, it's called the poultry bible, so that means its important, everyone in the poultry show business will tell you, you need one, but why? Must not be that important if you can breed what you want because everyone else is, just go to a show and look at them to figure out what you need to breed. because to me, it doesn't seem to matter what the weight is, just bigger is better.

 

[championsumatra]

Well it's clear that nobody who breeds Sumatra's like me has been DQ yet and to you that is every body.

 

[cubakid]

Again I have to agree that breeding in a different direction would help correct the "phase" that the poultry community is experiencing. Breeding to the judges linking is different than breeding to the standard.

 

[dsfrango]

the thing is that my birds are big boned so a good weight for my males is 7lbs and my females being at 6lbs my sumatras are also tall. I do have a rooster right now who is at 8lbs or more but he is always eating and is very lazy. I have been chaceing him around the yard to get him in good shape he is starting to loss some of the weight. I think 8lbs is too fat. I will let them get to 7lbs but not 8lbs.

I had to laugh picturing someone chasing their birds around to get them more exercise to lose weight haha

 

[championsumatra]

Yes he is a lazy one.

 

[raph]

Roy who I bought yesterday and Sid who I sold yesterday, Roy cost 10, and Sid sold with a hen for 30.

 

[championsumatra]

I AM GOING BY THE STANDARD there are plenty of times where I correct some breeder when they are off... According to the standard.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Again I have to agree that breeding in a different direction would help correct the "phase" that the poultry community is experiencing. Breeding to the judges linking is different than breeding to the standard.

I remember when the wyandotte bantams were in the 'bunny tail' phase. The good breeders kept breeding the correct birds like they always had been doing. As soon as judges started placing the poor quality birds over the standard birds, people bred towards it and used it as a sales point. Pretty soon, a good judge came along and started marking those birds down and placing the correct birds better and now they are back to normal for the most part.

I figure we'll keep breeding our birds to the standard and eventually a good judge will come along and have an "ah-ha!" moment and realize that the "bigger is better" crowd is doing the breed an injustice by breeding against the standard and start placing the standard-bred birds. With some lines of sumatras these days, it is like comparing an orpington that meets the US standard to one of those cochin looking UK orpingtons. The difference is just HUGE. Not only do people need to start showing sumatras that meet the standard more, but they need to start selling correct breeding stock that meets the standard. Sure, I might have birds from Mrs Fluffy Bottom (example) but they are their culls that don't meet the standard. But if I am like 90% of the poultry people these days, I will breed those bad birds just because they come from a good line and say to heck with the standard, they are from Mrs Fluffy Bottom's line and that's all that matters.

I could keep rambling but I need to be out tending to the next show winning sumatras

 

[championsumatra]

Well I am not going against it at all. I know for a fact that 5lbs is more bird than you think than a skinny tiny bird that is no bigger than a bantam is that how small your birds are because that is under weight. And not following the standard... Like I had said before stop thinking that you are the only ones who are following the standard I am and I go some good birds to prove it. They may be big but they are getting better and better every time I breed them.