Who has an SOP?

[gojira]

This is the best title I could come up with. How many people have a copy of the SOP and are not members of the APA? The SOP has quite a few incorrect statements in it, mostly from over 100 years ago, but I am told one has to be a member of the APA to suggest correcting or removing these statements. The APA sells the SOP to nonmembers, so that does not make much sense. It is interesting that an organization knowingly puts out literature that is incorrect, and makes it difficult for anyone to correct it. The SOP isn't all that relevant, since judges and exhibitors ignore the standards anyway. One judge was unaware of a disqualification, and he has had that breed. He had to ask what page it was on. Read the SOP, go to a show, and see how many birds win that should be Dq'ed. Who would be interested in an organization that was interested in poultry, and would educate its members, as well as the public to improve poultry?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I have the most recent edition of the American Standard of Perfection and I am very disappointed that there aren’t illustrations of every breed and variety in the book. I also noticed quite a few mistakes in the writing that need correcting.

 

[gojira]

Are you a member of the APA? I am not, and don't plan to be for many reasons.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Are you a member of the APA? I am not, and don't plan to be for many reasons.

Nope. I just wanted the Standard of Perfection because I hope to breed Araucanas one day. I also got the Standard of Perfection because I thought it would have pictures of every breed and variety (which they don’t by the way ). They don’t have any pictures of Seramas.

 

[gojira]

Do you plan to show, or just breed?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Do you plan to show, or just breed?

I may dabble in showing after I have them for a few years.

 

[gojira]

The SOP only deals with showing. You don't need an SOP to breed. Your goals may be different.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

The SOP only deals with showing. You don't need an SOP to breed. Your goals may be different.

I know. I wanted one anyways.

 

[gojira]

I was only saying that because many people are misled into thinking it has breeding application outside of exhibition.

 

[Sneebsey]

To breed birds that are true to type, you need to follow the standard, however. Without breed standards, there couldn't be breeds; the whole Easter Egger/Araucana/Ameraucana debacle is an example of this, along with hookless birds being called Silkies; I have several Silkie chicks purchased as "pure breed" hatching eggs in my brooder; only one of them has five toes. I purchased them to get the dun gene into my mixed flock, so I'm not concerned, but had I been hoping to breed or show them, then I would have a lot of work to get them up to snuff.

Breeding should always be focused first and foremost on health and vigour, production qualities, etc, but to preserve old breeds and create new ones one must define what the bird should look like, and breed toward that guide.