Washingtonians

[ultasol]

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Cindy, I'll tell you the same thing I told Jen V: I'm glad you've had good experiences with him, I just haven't and it's been consistent.
You are now only the 2nd person nationwide that I've heard anything positive from in regards to Mr. Decker. The real issue at hand is that he is responding to show questions with his own opinions, NOT the decisions made by the WFF Executive Board.

He has done other things that I personally know of that I will not put on this public board because I'm not here to bash his reputation, just trying to get things cleared up for the show...

Here is part of the problem with the BYC and WFF thing as I see it- awhile back after the fiasco of a discussion about the Stevenson show there were some people here coming on and saying things like, "Chehalis and Monroe are OUR shows"... and planning potlucks and buy-sell-swaps and other events without checking to see if there was space and what a fair monetary contribution for the space the club pays to rent would be. For instance, those of us bringing fowl to show pay an exhibitors fee and then an entry fee (per bird), and if she wish to have sale cages we have to rent them by cage. This is to ensure that the club has money to pay for space rental, shavings, feed, whatever setup costs might be, transport of needed materials to and from the show, and continuing storage/maintenance/replacement of show cages.

In other words,... people need to work with the show committee and within the confines of show rules and management to keep things fair, and to enable the show to continue to be held.

I know people were not necc. looking for a free ride, but there were a lot of assumptions being made without contacting the club in general.

As far as Brian- he and I don't always agree,... but I can disagree with him and still get along with him. I'm rather fond of him- I've learned a lot and he's helped me at shows in the past and has always been more than happy to look at a bird for me and give me his opinion. For this, I thank him. There are many others in the hobby who are opinionated but also truly care for the hobby.

 

[ultasol]

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But you cannot disagree that the goal of an APA/ABA show may best fit the mission and purpose of a landrace fowl in which the colors and type (ie presence or lack of a crest, leg colors) vary widely.

 

[ultasol]

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See this is my point. You would expect to see a new group not have things bettter laid out but for a group that has been doing this for so long. They should have it together far better than this.

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With out an approx head count how is the catering company supposed to know how much food to prepare so all get fed with out excessive leftovers.

I do believe they go to a buffet? And we have a big room? Or am I confused with a MT show?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

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Here is part of the problem with the BYC and WFF thing as I see it- awhile back after the fiasco of a discussion about the Stevenson show there were some people here coming on and saying things like, "Chehalis and Monroe are OUR shows"... and planning potlucks and buy-sell-swaps and other events without checking to see if there was space and what a fair monetary contribution for the space the club pays to rent would be. For instance, those of us bringing fowl to show pay an exhibitors fee and then an entry fee (per bird), and if she wish to have sale cages we have to rent them by cage. This is to ensure that the club has money to pay for space rental, shavings, feed, whatever setup costs might be, transport of needed materials to and from the show, and continuing storage/maintenance/replacement of show cages.

In other words,... people need to work with the show committee and within the confines of show rules and management to keep things fair, and to enable the show to continue to be held.

I know people were not necc. looking for a free ride, but there were a lot of assumptions being made without contacting the club in general.

As far as Brian- he and I don't always agree,... but I can disagree with him and still get along with him. I'm rather fond of him- I've learned a lot and he's helped me at shows in the past and has always been more than happy to look at a bird for me and give me his opinion. For this, I thank him. There are many others in the hobby who are opinionated but also truly care for the hobby.

I think we all care about the hobby and that's why we're here. I'm not talking about Stevenson, I'm talking about things that are allowed for in the WFF show catalog that Brian since said "no" to. It states specifically that "lunch is on your own, concessions will be available" we are talking about bringing lunch items to share. The same thing was done last year, and the WFF board did not have a problem with it. End of story there.
The WFF show catalog states "vendor space is available for $10" when Rob asked Brian what size the space is, he was told that his stuff wasn't necessarily welcome. Not cool, end of story there.
The WFF show catalog states "free space is available for educational displays", Robin asked Brian if she could RENT a turkey cage to display her Icelandics, not have one for free. She was told her birds were not welcome. Again, not cool, and not the views of the rest of the WFF board.
As far as the swap thing, that was brought up by one other person, and there is nowhere in the show catalog that states that you cannot complete transactions for pre-arranged sales. In fact, if you want to bring Stevenson into it, their show catalog specifically states that you can in fact sell birds in the parking lot IF it is pre-arranged.
The club WAS contacted, and Brian made decisions for the club that were not the views of the rest of the executive board, that's the issue at hand here.

 

[ultasol]

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nicely done Christina....

x2

I love Christina! She's the best!

 

[ultasol]

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I think he meant BYC,.. and he wasn't saying BYC was better or worse than an APA/ABA show, just different. In some ways he is correct, the purpose of APA/ABA shows is to promote standardized breeds- many of which need more people raising them so they aren't lost. So, with that in mind, the goals of APA/ABA shows and events do not fit very well with the icelandic breed. I can think of several areas where they might fit better- organic farmers including conventions and seminars that they throw (I went to many well organized ones in PA, many included presentations on breeds of livestock that did well with minimal intervention ie cows and sheep that fattened well on grass only and had some parasite resistance). Also, the icelandic is an interesting breed for small urban chicken keepers as well as rural chicken keepers who are not interested in show.
Are you still working on RIW? You should do a poster on that breed and promote them..... they definitely need the help!

I was not asking him to adverstise nor sell any there.
I could have simple rented a sale cage to show the breed, with outrageous prices no one would ever pay.
But it is not worth fighting about.
he is what he is.
He wants things to be how they were 40 years (or more) ago, and that is the way it is, and none of us can change his mind, nor would I try.
I am no longer raising RIW.
The cockeral got so mean we could not go in the pen.
He attacked repeatedly, even after we had to smack him with a shovel.
It was impossible!
Even the pullets grew meaner & meaner.
Once during worming I grabbed a pullet to pick up, and lifted her in my arms, and another one flew at me legs first as to spur me, over & over this loose pullet spurred me.
I have never in my life seen a female chicken fly at someone to spur...never.
Their type was horrible, and I spent $$$ on eggs from Derek Tuntland (white rocks) to breed better type in.
The pullets at POL (4) of which 1 laid an egg every day, one laid every 2-3 days, and 2 never ladi but an occasional shelless jelly ball in the poop tray.
Upon butcher, those 2 pullets had hardley NO ova.
There was not 1 good thing to ""save"" on this breed, of which the stock came from Sandhill.
At the last show (Monroe) Paul told me his type was bad & that RIW were a white version of RIR and that they came in both s/c & r/c.
That was it!
I culled them all the following week & kept the SQ white rocks.
Maybe stock from another source would work, with a least 2-3 good qualitied to work with.
But I figured, why waste a SQ WRock, breeding it into these NASTY RIWs ?????
They did make great soup stock, though, very expensive soup stock, I might add, lessons learned.
You have to have SOMETHING good to work with if you are trying to "save" a breed.

You are very correct! Sorry you had bad luck with them. Hopefully you have found, or will find, a breed you can't live without. Hoping you start to show..... !

I've had some 'dud' birds too,... ones that you hope for that never amount to much. Good thing chicken is delicious!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

OK since I feel like I started this I probablly should try to put it to rest. I hate to be the

but it looks like this may be about to get out of hand. So some like some don't. I have made my decision of what I am going to do. I guess based on how/where we meet will tell what decision we each have made. Hopefully we can all continue to be civil and at least respect and tolerate each other. And to those who have worked hard to resolve this I say thank you.
Sincerely Rob

 

[Chicken Rustler]

OK sorry folks I didn't mean to kill the thread.

 

[anniesmom]

On a lighter note... Wonder what he's thinking.

Swedish Flower Hen cockerel at about 13 weeks.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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There was a double-barrel stove in the lowest level at the house my sister lives in up until about 15 years ago- the family room is an SOB to heat, concrete slab floor, three big single-paned aluminum frame windows, a slider, and open stairs to an upper level to make sure there's never a build-up of warm air in the room (great space in the summer time, but of course nobody in that house sits down during hay season). It got junked for the same reason people I know who tried to use double-barrel stoves to replace old basement wood furnaces trashed them: the second barrel cools the stack temp too much, and a two-story stovepipe ends up full of creosote.

CR, is yours a single-fuel Blaze King? I think that's the brand of the pellet/ 11" stick stove one of my cousins uses to heat a four-bedroom house.

Yes mine is "stick" wood only. It takes 2 arm loads of 18" wood to fill it.

No wonder you only need to fill it once a day!