What is "show quality"

[Littlefox26]

I have not been able to find a thread disgusting what "show quality" is in general.

What defines show quality?

If you want to breed show birds for FFA and 4H would you have to buy stock from a show breeder or just find a few birds with good qualities to start out with.

 

[MagpieDucks]

I have not been able to find a thread disgusting what "show quality" is in general.

What defines show quality?

If you want to breed show birds for FFA and 4H would you have to buy stock from a show breeder or just find a few birds with good qualities to start out with.

This generally refers to a bird that matches the breed description displayed in the American Standard of Perfection.

 

[showmanshiptop]

For general 4h or FFA you don't have to have the most show quality animals.

 

[Bo Garrett]

It costs the same money to feed a poor specimen as it does to feed a good one, always get the best you can afford and work from there. Find you a good exhibition breeder as a mentor and learn all you can, it will serve you well, then pass the knowledge you gain on to another young budding poultry enthusiast!

Blessings,

Bo

 

[wynn4578]

May also be worth noting 2 things. Chicks are never show quality regardless what the ad says but may be show potential. Number 2 90 percent of people that think they have show quality birds don't.

 

[3riverschick]

From reading the posts of veteran show people on BYC, this is my take on the definition
Show quality: a bird which has only 5 points cut off of a possible perfect 100 Points from the description in the APA Standard of Perfection.

If you are looking for show quality, you should be looking for *all* these things. a veteran breeder... with a vintage... line bred strain.... that wins... in quality competition... over multiple Generations . Buy started Birds or by retiring breeder birds and breed your own chicks. tell the breeder you're looking for show quality or Foundation Trio or Foundation quad. explain to the breeder you want to line breed their strain only .you do not want to cross strains to found your flock. explain you want to line breed the birds and could they please set you up with a trio or a quad that can be line Bred.
Best,
Karen

 

[RhodeRunner]

Terms such as "Show Quality" or "Heritage" are very generic and shouldn't be taken with much weight. Essentially, "Show Quality" means that the bird doesn't have disqualifications, it doesn't mean that it is a half decent specimen. Many people claim and assume that their birds are show quality.

Any breeder truly breeding with the SOP knows that most birds are show quality, but very few are worthy of breeding and showing. Therefore, they generally use terms that are less promising (but are actually more promising for shoppers if they know to look for them). These terms would include Standard Bred, Show Potential, and Exhibition Strain or Bloodline.

Only, if purchasing an adult fowl, would the term Show Quality apply. But, once again I would prefer proven show winner, or excellent potential in the birds description.

The best thing you can do is research. Know the breed, as well as you can, before you buy. Pictures aren't great, but they can display the obvious often enough. Just the other day, I saw someone asking a lady if her BLR Wyandottes were show quality. To which she responded, 'Yes." The birds in the photographs were far from the standard, one had a single comb, and most had pinched tails held at the wrong angle. But, both breeder and questioner were obviously none the wiser.

Also, do research on breeders. Don't buy anything quickly, look around, see what people are saying.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I know this is an old thread but...

4H, at least my neck of the woods, don't use show quality birds at all. It's almost entirely hatchery birds. The goal is husbandry and showmanship not breeding to the standard.

Don't get me wrong, they still get judged and ribbons but it's not serious competition of show quality birds.

 

[MagpieDucks]

That's close to what we have here. We have a Brown Egg Production class with like 30 people showing RSL and BS. 2 birds each. Turns there is the White Egg laws which is like 15 people (2 birds each) which is all hatchery WL and CA Whites. The Standard breeding chicken class is also almost all hatchery birds except for like 2 people that show home hatched birds. Which always win.

 

[3riverschick]

Show Quality:
The toughest kind of bird to breed or buy.