Why are the chickens at the poultry shows so much bigger than the ones

[RubberChickenLubber]

Even if you bought chicks from a breeder, unless they are show quality, they will probably still be smaller. I'm sure they are true to breed, just not show quality. As I stated before, most birds bred for show are slightly different as they are not bred for laying production. You would have to find someone who breeds for size and show to get the type of bird you see at the shows. It all depends on what you want.

 

[greathorse]

One of the things I learned quickly after beginning with chickens, is that if I am only going to have a few I want to have ones that come very close to meeting the breed standard. I will likely never show but hope that folks that buy my stuff will be able to if they like.

I have made a clear decision to head in the direction of exhibition style poultry. It gives me satisfaction to see the real deal.

Nothing at all against the hatchery stock and those that are delighted to raise it. My preference just runs the other direction.
The beauty of this site is that there are many many folks here that can get you hooked up with this niche.

Good luck

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Breeders (at least those who breed toward the standard) pay attention to which birds they pair together, and pay attention to details such as size. Since the standard doesn't judge eggs, laying ability is not judged, and while good laying is desired, it is not part of the goal for most breeders.

Hatcheries are not interested in breeding to the standard, so you will find many purebreds who have one or more DQs: wrong comb, wrong colour legs, etc. If all you are interested in is eggs, then those details really don't matter. If you are interested in having a bird who meets the standard, you should purchase from a breeder, and expect to pay considerably more.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
It strikes me as a little odd that you consider exhibition style poultry the "real deal". That seems analogous to saying that Miss America is the "real deal" while the average woman out there is somehow inferior.

To me, the real deal would be what you'd get if you simply let the backyard chickens select their pecking order and mate(s) and raise chicks as they see fit.

But, domestication really means that the "real deal" is a constantly moving target and will mean different things to different people.

Quote:
A buff is a buff, that doesn't mean they are all equal. Nor does it mean (as it does in breeding other animals like dogs) that a buff will contain 100% buff blood.

All chickens should be bred equally and the same quality in every stock.

That would take some of the fun (and work, experience, talent, etc.) out of it, wouldn't it? You might want to think of the hatchery quantity as the norm for a breed and the APA standards as goal for an exceptional specimen. Many breeders work towards the goal of having an exceptional chicken, but they (the exceptional breeders and the exceptional chickens) just aren't the norm. Plus, different folks are out for different qualities, some want perfect combs, some want egg production, some want good feathering, some want large breasts, etc. Why should the egg production of the Rhode Island Reds I want suffer because you want them to conform to a show standard for size? Rhode Island Reds are not one quality fits all.​

 

[halo]

I think some of the exhibition stock is over-done. I saw a white rock at a show last year that was absolutely huge. He was in one of those large dog kennels. The standard has plymouth rock cocks at 9 1/2 pounds, and it says, "Overlarge specimens are not to be desired, they become clumsy and poor producers." I do not believe that "bigger is better". They should be as close to the standard as possible, and being pounds larger than the standard is not necessarily a good thing.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
Isn't it a disqualification in show if you are a certain % under or over the standard weight?

 

[greathorse]

The "real deal" is my way of saying I like to see a bird that meets a certain standard and is very pleasing to my eye. The RIR line that I am working on for example is a line that was established over 75 years ago. Seeing birds that match some of those photo's of years ago, and seeing birds that become appropriatley sized for both eggs and the table gives me satisfaction.

I very much enjoy observing the fruit of careful breeders of any species, be it horses, cattle, pigs or chickens. I can spend hours at a horse show watching judges critique animals that have been bred to a certain standard.

I was making no effort to judge those who prefer to use hatchery stock, I do know that had I known there was such a difference in hatchery stock and breeder stock I would have started differntly.

I think the OP had something to do with the question as to why show chickens are so much larger than what most folks have in their back yards.

And no I dont think of the hatchery stock as the standard. I consider it run of the mill and common, the result of breeding for a number of things that do not include disposition, frame type, and in most cases color.

A hatchery Wyandotte for example is a nice looking bird, a breeder's Wyandotte is awesome in color, in frame and usually in disposition. The APA Standard is not a standard that was dreamt up recently for a bunch of snooty entusiasts to breed to. It was a standard that was created so that there would be some uniformity in the wide variety of breeds that were created to meet a host of different needs. It would in fact be a shame to completey lose all of those breeds as a result of ignoring the relevance and beauty of maintaining these standards. This APA standard has been around for decades.

I felt like I was responding to that question, but perhaps I gravely missed the mark and for that I do aplogize. How could I make such a blunder?

 

[greathorse]

Isn't it a disqualification in show if you are a certain % under or over the standard weight?

I know many breeders are concerned about the size of bantams that are being used in shows. It is my understanding that many times (maybe never) the birds are not weighed and oversized birds are winning.​

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Good question. In bantams I believe it is, but it is a rare sight indeed to see a judge walking around with a scale.

 

[GracefulBantams]

Quote:
Exactly!