Too Early for Feb Hatch-A-Long Thread??

[aliciaplus3]

If you are interested in breeding to APA SOP then get a copy of the standard and use that to pick your breeder cockrels. If not then decide on your criteria and stick with it.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

That seems extremely high. Even for a raw food diet.

EDIT: It's not hard to pick a good rooster. Come up with a short list of qualities you want and don't waver from it. My short list is not aggressive, good with the hens, quiet (relatively speaking), and no obvious faults.

I’m going to do just that. I did plan on keeping a handful of good roosters so I can grow the flock with specific breeds. Isbars are a must. Isbars are VERY friendly. Legbars also. Huge eggs, great layers. Pavlovskayas are flighty, but gorgeous.

How could you deny this gorgeous hat he’s growing?!

If you are interested in breeding to APA SOP then get a copy of the standard and use that to pick your breeder cockrels. If not then decide on your criteria and stick with it.

I am fairly new to chickens. Where would I find a guideline?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

You can find them through Google pretty easily by adding SOP (standard of perfection) to the breed name. Breed clubs usually post them.

Consider posting pick of your roos to the breed threads on here. The 2 Marans threads are a wealth of information. People are very happy to point out strengths and flaws you may miss as a newbie. Then you decide which you'd like to keep from that.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

What I have a hard time with is finding pictures of actual birds that hold up well against the SOP. Along with explanations as to why. Seems like you have to figure most of that out on your own and it's highly subjective.

Also you won't know if you've chosen a good roo until his offspring start producing themselves.

 

[Pyxis]

If you are interested in breeding to APA SOP then get a copy of the standard and use that to pick your breeder cockrels. If not then decide on your criteria and stick with it.

Seconding that - the SOP is invaluable if you plan to breed for show.

Are we talking about legbars specifically? They aren't accepted by the APA yet, I don't believe. But, the proposed standard is easy to find online.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I’m going to do just that. I did plan on keeping a handful of good roosters so I can grow the flock with specific breeds. Isbars are a must. Isbars are VERY friendly. Legbars also. Huge eggs, great layers. Pavlovskayas are flighty, but gorgeous.

How could you deny this gorgeous hat he’s growing?!
View attachment 2015308


I am fairly new to chickens. Where would I find a guideline?

I was referring to the actual standard of perfection book that the American poultry association produces. I bought mine over a year ago and it ran $60 but it list every breed that is accepted by the APA and gives details about the standard for each one and accepted color varieties for that breed. Size, markings, shape. All those things are given. Uthobbyfarmer is right that it doesnt show a good and bad side by side so you can understand why one is right and the other wrong but it does give a full color example for most breeds of both the male and female. And offers disqualification points, as well as definitions in the front of what each poultry term means. Also some sketches to help see a good and bad comb of each type and common faults
Not everyone wants to breed to the standard but I think its valuable to know what a good specimen should look like.
I believe there are folks here on BYC that helped to get the crested creme legbars accepted into the APA there is even a whole long thread about it and that might be super valuable to read through if its a breed you plan to go forward with.
Best of luck sorry for the long post.

 

[aliciaplus3]

Seconding that - the SOP is invaluable if you plan to breed for show.

Are we talking about legbars specifically? They aren't accepted by the APA yet, I don't believe. But, the proposed standard is easy to find online.

The APA SOP I bought last year had an addendum with the created cream legbars added if memory serves?

 

[aliciaplus3]

The APA SOP I bought last year had an addendum with the created cream legbars added if memory serves?

Ok I just looked at the APA site and do not see them I could be very mistaken! I would hate to think I had mislead someone! I will check that paper when I get home . My memory may be Bad.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

Seconding that - the SOP is invaluable if you plan to breed for show.

Are we talking about legbars specifically? They aren't accepted by the APA yet, I don't believe. But, the proposed standard is easy to find online.

I believe it was in general to help pick out which roosters should be kept for personal breeding. I would much rather keep the roosters that have the best qualities of whatever breed he may be.

The Legbars are great layers and just want to have more of them.

 

[FortCluck]

How far are they again?

Not sure but it looks like they're trying to internally pip I forgot to write the date on them.