Welsummer Question

[EweSheep]

Well I can not say it any better, Tailfeathers!

 

[EweSheep]

Amazondoc is another person who has beautiful Welsummers too! Check with her for availiablity!

 

[McSpin]

Quote:
Is that the color version? My B&W version has no welsummer photo anywhere.

 

[EweSheep]

Mc Spin, Tailfeathers said a drawing so no photo.

There has been talks about updating the Standard but nothing concrete up to this point. Yes photographs of the best birds would give a better insight what our birds supposed to look like.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Yes, it is the color version but again it is only a drawing - not a photo.

The latest word I've heard on the new edition coming out was from the Secretary of the ABC who said he heard from either Pat or Sam of the APA that it is due to hit the streets late this year now.

God Bless,

 

[TimG]

Quote:
I think the idea is that there is no perfect bird -- whatever picture is published would be of a slightly flawed chicken -- so the drawings are used to represent what a perfect specimen might look like.

This makes sense to me for the Handbook. But, doesn't mean there shouldn't be another source for pictures of champion birds.

 

[Dirt Road]

"For the purposes of most discussions, a Hatchery is mostly referred to as a business whose primary goals is to make the most money in the shortest amount of time. A Breeder is mostly referred to as an individual whose primary goal is the protection, preservation, perpetuation, and improvement of a selected breed (or breeds), or variety (or varieties) within a breed according to the established Standard of Perfection for the APA and/or ABA."

Don't know who the being is who is doing the referring, but I am here to tell you that the majority of people calling themselves breeders are more interested in making the most money possible in the shortest amount of time, than they are in any lofty goals such as preservation, etc. etc. Anyone who wants to test this, can sort through the long list of folks with eggs or birds for sale, and ask each one if they own a copy of the APA Standard of Perfection. Or, just order a dozen hatching eggs from each one, and see what you hatch. It is also an unfortunate fact that many of those who in fact do own a copy, will adhere to that part of the standard which happens to best suit them rather than the overall standard for the breed. The SoP states, "judges and breeders work to a standard that values indication of productiveness so that laying merits can be combined with beauty". Birds that are late to begin laying, or those which lay intermittently, would hardly be considered "productive".

Jim​

 

[becky3086]

Don't know who the being is who is doing the referring, but I am here to tell you that the majority of people calling themselves breeders are more interested in making the most money possible in the shortest amount of time, than they are in any lofty goals such as preservation, etc. etc. Anyone who wants to test this, can sort through the long list of folks with eggs or birds for sale, and ask each one if they own a copy of the APA Standard of Perfection. Or, just order a dozen hatching eggs from each one, and see what you hatch. It is also an unfortunate fact that many of those who in fact do own a copy, will adhere to that part of the standard which happens to best suit them rather than the overall standard for the breed. The SoP states, "judges and breeders work to a standard that values indication of productiveness so that laying merits can be combined with beauty". Birds that are late to begin laying, or those which lay intermittently, would hardly be considered "productive".

Jim

I completely agree. Just because you don't buy your birds from a hatchery doesn't mean you have bought them from a breeder.​

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Don't know who the being is who is doing the referring, but I am here to tell you that the majority of people calling themselves breeders are more interested in making the most money possible in the shortest amount of time, than they are in any lofty goals such as preservation, etc. etc. Anyone who wants to test this, can sort through the long list of folks with eggs or birds for sale, and ask each one if they own a copy of the APA Standard of Perfection. Or, just order a dozen hatching eggs from each one, and see what you hatch. It is also an unfortunate fact that many of those who in fact do own a copy, will adhere to that part of the standard which happens to best suit them rather than the overall standard for the breed. The SoP states, "judges and breeders work to a standard that values indication of productiveness so that laying merits can be combined with beauty". Birds that are late to begin laying, or those which lay intermittently, would hardly be considered "productive".

Jim

Jim, that is why we do our homework in researching the breed and breeders themselves. If one trying to make money, he would lose quality in the long run. We would go broke trying to make money which alot of us consider this as a hobby, a very serious hobby. There are a few Welsummer breeders out there that they do not ad their birds due to the limited number and trying to be as pure as they can from the original stock they got it from.

For example, Lowell Barber and Estes Hatchery, both have good Welsummers but one is in for the money while the other one was dedicated to the breed and that is why there are so few GOOD Welsummers coming out of Mr. Barber's stock. Estes do not cull their stock and I am afraid in due time, they might just breed to anything and not following the standards. McMurray did a good example of it, using McGovero's BLRW stock and just breed the heck out of them to make a profit/money and now people are getting crappy colored specimens and some of them do not have the proper lacings, too much whites or their confirmation does not look like Wyandottes. See what I mean????

 

[Krys109uk]

I may be being naive. I think there are some breeders out there trying to exploit popular breeds to make some money. More often I think that poor quality birds are more often sold by private individuals out of ignorance; they probably don't know their birds are not very good examples of the breed; they probably don't know what their breed is supposed to look like.
Very many people start out breeding & selling before they've learnt much about their chosen breed(s). I think they presume that, as they were sold the birds as these particular breeds, that there is no more to it than that. To me this seems a more logical explanation for people selling poor quality birds than deliberate intent.
Many people who've been breeding for a while & want nice examples of their chosen breed, would not buy birds from hatcheries & nor would they buy from most breeders. They would research & be highly selective about from whom they would purchase.