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How did this just show up in my Inbox? Or is this another Nat'l show that I hadn't heard about?
Saltcreek, I wouldn't say that a hatchery bird "would never be considered" but when one looks at the probabilities of getting a nice SQ bird from a hatchery, they are pretty slim. Time doesn't permit me to go into a lot of detail on hatchery vs. breeder birds right now so I would suggest doing a search on here (BYC) and you should find some very informative and valid information on the subject. Suffice it for now to say that I think the crux of the matter is clearly evident when one looks at the goals of each provider. Also, many - if not all - hatcheries buy eggs from others to hatch and then sell the chicks. The ONLY way anyone can KNOW what they're getting is when they have been intimately involved in the process from picking out the specific parents, thru egg collection, and ultimately chick identification after hatching. With hatcheries, not only is there the lack of QA/QC but there is just too big of an "unknown" factor.
As for there being more "rare" breeds at the show, that's more than likely simply a matter of folks who're jumping on the bandwagon of the latest and greatest popularity trend. For those of us who breed and show Welsummers (or other breeds), including myself, we do so because we love the breed and enjoy working with them.
Almost every issue of the PP shows a brown Leghorn cock, cockerel, pullet, or hen receiving some high honor at a show. With the similarity of looks between them and a Welsummer, I have to ask myself why we don't see more Wellies on Champion Row. Could it be that it's because there just ain't enough "serious" breeders working with them and because we don't see them in the numbers at the shows that we do other breeds?
God Bless,
