Please don't think you aren't valued.
I to am a learner. I won't consider myself an accomplished breeder until I have learned how to take advice from those that have traveled the 'breeders road' ahead of me. What I mean by that, is that I
really don't know a whole lot until I have proven that I can take advice that is given to me, put it to practice, get good results for myself, help others get started, see them be successful at shows and become accomplished breeders themselves. And, guess what, by that time I will probably have learned that I didn't know as much as I thought I did and won't even think of myself as an accomplished breeder, but rather as one that is willing to help others get started and to see them prosper without getting a lot of honor along with it.
Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of what I think are excellent ideas, but hopefully I'm learning (at least in part) that those with a LOT of experience are worth listening to, without adding our own proud ideas and considering the really experienced ones as Old School and out of date. So to those of you that have a LOT of breeding experience, please don't be put off/frustrated by the ones of us that really want to learn even if we make stupid or inconsiderate comments.
As fortyfivefarm stated, it's very clear to those of us that
really want to learn, who the breeders are that actually have the valuable advice that many of us long for.
As an example; fowlman01 has more years of experience than my age. To me that means I need to take note of what he shares, it is very valuable information/advice. Even if I was a Master breeder and a Master in showing, I would still do well to take note and listen carefully when another highly experienced breeder shares his valuable knowledge. I could easily pick up valuable breeding information/tips that could have easily slipped my mind or I might never have thought about, whatever it might be.
Again, to those of you that have traveled the 'breeders road' ahead of us, don't get frustrated too overly much, there are still those of us the really want your wealth of breeding/showing knowledge and advice.
I am not a major Sumatra breeder (I am mainly a Cubalaya breeder), but I still value advice that I glean from this thread and apply it to my Cubalaya breeding efforts. I am working hard to get top of the line show quality fowl and value the serious breeding advice and efforts of all.