What is a "breeder?"

[Katy]

cracked_egg....I'd love to be able to go to more shows, but unfortunately other than local fairs and the state fair there is only one closer than 4 hours from me. I've seen very little at our state fair unfortunately that impressed me.

You say you've found people can afford what they want to do.....that isn't always true. There's lots of things I'd like to do, but if there's no money to do it I'm not going into debt to do it.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I agree with Katy and Big Medicine!!!

 

[cracked_egg]

Quote:
Katy, I have not directed any of my statements at you as a breeder, other than on the other thread I said I thought you have beautiful SLW.

You say you don't call yourself a breeder, but I feel I offend you when I say "the best breeders show". I'm not trying to imply you can't raise a beautiful chicken without showing, or that someone isn't doing their best as a breeder even if not showing.

My favorite thing about showing is you don't have to "be somebody" to go. Quality will always earn a reputation for its breeder among peers, even if not from the judge. Take "quality" enough times and people will know who the breeder is. Word spreads fast, bad and good.

Me personally, reading the standard doesn't tell me much. I can "breed for the standard" and end up with a quacking chicken. LOL!!! (Can u imagine that? Haha). Anyway, I have to go and see what is placing, even if I'm not showing. I have to "see" what is considered good.

I raise horses, there is a considerable investment in getting one from just a theoretical mating to the show ring. I am not the biggest fan of actual showing. I don't show often, I'm not dragging my horses up and down the road trying to get year end high point. BUT I do go to shows that I think will benefit the program, the horse, and get the animal sold. I stay up on what's out there by magazines, breeder friends, networking, going to shows even if I'm not showing. Yes it costs me about 500 to go the 6hrs to lexington or louisville for a few days, but I go, because I feel I have to to stay educated. The breed s constantly improving, if I'm not improving with them then I am doing a disservice to my breed!

 

[cracked_egg]

Sorry, but I have seen people drive junk cars so they don't have a car payment just so they can show. I've seen people give up cell phones, cable tv, cut back on eating out, cut back number of pets/horses, etc to show.

For example, if I had 3-4 varieties of chickens, and I couldn't afford to show, I'd cut down to one favorite variety and use the feed saved to pay show expenses. If I had already done that, then I'd probably cut numbers huge and give up my hair appointments. I have found, where there's a will there's a way in *most* cases. I've had to tighten the budget for the horses and I've been amazed at what can be saved. I also have been in the spot where I can't show in one given year, but it isn't a lifelong situation. Picking one good show a year, taking a year off to save are things I've considered and people I know have considered. And of course, the saddest one, selling a favorite to get money to continue the cause.... That sucks but happens all the time, and I find show quality horses (that have been proven) fetch much more than ones that have not been proven.

 

[jeremy]

Nicely put Katy.

Quote:
So a breeder doesn't necessarily have to hatch hundreds of chicks a year to call oneself a breeder?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Katy, I have not directed any of my statements at you as a breeder, other than on the other thread I said I thought you have beautiful SLW.

You say you don't call yourself a breeder, but I feel I offend you when I say "the best breeders show". I'm not trying to imply you can't raise a beautiful chicken without showing, or that someone isn't doing their best as a breeder even if not showing.

My favorite thing about showing is you don't have to "be somebody" to go. Quality will always earn a reputation for its breeder among peers, even if not from the judge. Take "quality" enough times and people will know who the breeder is. Word spreads fast, bad and good.

Me personally, reading the standard doesn't tell me much. I can "breed for the standard" and end up with a quacking chicken. LOL!!! (Can u imagine that? Haha). Anyway, I have to go and see what is placing, even if I'm not showing. I have to "see" what is considered good.

I raise horses, there is a considerable investment in getting one from just a theoretical mating to the show ring. I am not the biggest fan of actual showing. I don't show often, I'm not dragging my horses up and down the road trying to get year end high point. BUT I do go to shows that I think will benefit the program, the horse, and get the animal sold. I stay up on what's out there by magazines, breeder friends, networking, going to shows even if I'm not showing. Yes it costs me about 500 to go the 6hrs to lexington or louisville for a few days, but I go, because I feel I have to to stay educated. The breed s constantly improving, if I'm not improving with them then I am doing a disservice to my breed!

I don't call myself a breeder and I probably never will just because I don't think that really tells anything about the quality of what a person is trying to raise whether it's dogs or chickens. Anyone can call themselves that. There has to be a better term to describe someone who raises and culls birds as close as they possibly can to the SOP but I guess until someone suggests a better terminology (sp?) that will be the catch-all term.

Maybe once you've had chickens for awhile reading and studying the standard will make more sense to you.

Like I said I'd love to be able to go to more than one show a year and see other people's birds, but I don't often have an extra $100 laying around let alone $500 after the farm bills are paid. I happen to live in a part of the country that most people think a chicken is just a chicken and have no clue about the wide variety of breeds there are out there let alone how a certain breed should look. I don't foresee there being many new shows springing up around me. ....it's just the way it is.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I am NOT a breeder, nor do I want to become one because I can not cull each time a chicken does not meet the full 100pt. scale...I have some D'Uccles that have instead of 5 peaks on their comb have 4, but their brother has nice characteristics. I will just not breed the lesser of the 2. What I don't like is when I ask someone to critique my chickens and they are down right nasty about it. Be honest, but not nasty.
I went to school to be an interpretor for the deaf...one of my teachers said to me, you need to attend a lot more silent dinners and follow an interpretor at least one day a week to learn more. Well I couldn't because I worked a full time job....I continued learning, but that teacher was probably the worse teacher and definitely not a mentor because of her insisting I go to more events....I went plenty, but I also have other things in my life to concentrate on, like at the time I was helping to take care of my Grandmother..and I explained this to her, but she said,....I wasn't serious enough to pass her class...well I did pass it, because she couldn't ignore my good grades and skills.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Katy, I have not directed any of my statements at you as a breeder, other than on the other thread I said I thought you have beautiful SLW.

You say you don't call yourself a breeder, but I feel I offend you when I say "the best breeders show". I'm not trying to imply you can't raise a beautiful chicken without showing, or that someone isn't doing their best as a breeder even if not showing.

My favorite thing about showing is you don't have to "be somebody" to go. Quality will always earn a reputation for its breeder among peers, even if not from the judge. Take "quality" enough times and people will know who the breeder is. Word spreads fast, bad and good.

Me personally, reading the standard doesn't tell me much. I can "breed for the standard" and end up with a quacking chicken. LOL!!! (Can u imagine that? Haha). Anyway, I have to go and see what is placing, even if I'm not showing. I have to "see" what is considered good.

I raise horses, there is a considerable investment in getting one from just a theoretical mating to the show ring. I am not the biggest fan of actual showing. I don't show often, I'm not dragging my horses up and down the road trying to get year end high point. BUT I do go to shows that I think will benefit the program, the horse, and get the animal sold. I stay up on what's out there by magazines, breeder friends, networking, going to shows even if I'm not showing. Yes it costs me about 500 to go the 6hrs to lexington or louisville for a few days, but I go, because I feel I have to to stay educated. The breed s constantly improving, if I'm not improving with them then I am doing a disservice to my breed!

I don't call myself a breeder and I probably never will just because I don't think that really tells anything about the quality of what a person is trying to raise whether it's dogs or chickens. Anyone can call themselves that. There has to be a better term to describe someone who raises and culls birds as close as they possibly can to the SOP but I guess until someone suggests a better terminology (sp?) that will be the catch-all term.

Maybe once you've had chickens for awhile reading and studying the standard will make more sense to you.

Like I said I'd love to be able to go to more than one show a year and see other people's birds, but I don't often have an extra $100 laying around let alone $500 after the farm bills are paid. I happen to live in a part of the country that most people think a chicken is just a chicken and have no clue about the wide variety of breeds there are out there let alone how a certain breed should look. I don't foresee there being many new shows springing up around me. ....it's just the way it is.

Katy I live in said country to where chickens are chickens so I know what you are talking about.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
LOL....I'm not sure what else I can live without to come up with any extra money to do the show circuit.

My van is 11 years old, we have three farm pick ups...the oldest a 1979 and the newest a 2001. Our combine, tractors and grain trucks are all over 30 years old.....no payments on any of them to cut back on.

We do have cell phones simply becuase they come in real handy when working on different parts of the farm and need help from the other. Used to use walkie talkies, but those didn't carry far enough sometimes and it gets real old having to walk home several miles when the tractor breaks down or I have a blow out on the grain truck.

Have never had cable or a satellite dish because we couldn't afford that "extra".

We don't eat out much at all...usually once a month or so. The last movie I went to in the theater was probably 15 years ago.

I haven't had a professional haircut in probably close to 25 years. Didn't cut my hair at all for over 20 years and now when I need a trim my duaghter does it for me.

My point in "arguing" the points you made.....some of us are already living without any extras to give up to go do that kind of thing.

If that's the route you, or anyone else wants to take that's great......it's just one of those "extras" I can and do live without.

 

[TK Poultry]

hmmm... some very valid points. I'm NOT a breeder what so ever. I like to go to shows so that I can see what is winning so that I can see what the standard says but in a different way. I cannot visualize what that bird is suppose to look like when reading the standards. I have to see it to get a feel of what to look for.

I would like someone to tell me what I would be considered. Just out of curiosity