The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Exhibiting & Promoting
Size in LF
dixieland:
I am getting the impression from lots of folks who show and judge that \"Bigger is usually Better in LF\"
At a certain point don\'t you start to trade type and proper outline for coarseness and bulk when you get to a certain size? I have heard a lot of comments about birds being too small, but never too big... Do you adhere to the upper range in the SOP, or would you show a bird that weighed too much if his type was outstanding and he was a good representation in every other way?
PS---- Look Mike G, I am trying to bring op a non color discussion again!!!!
bantamhill:
STANDARD WEIGHTS for LARGE FOWL
Cock………………6½ lbs. Hen……………….5½ lbs.
Cockerel………….5½ lbs. Pullet……………..4½ lbs.
STANDARD WEIGHTS for BANTAMS
Cock……………….30 oz. Hen…………….….26 oz.
Cockerel…………..26 oz. Pullet……………..24 oz.
In my opinion we need to make sure that the size of Ameraucana is meat and bone, not fluff . . . They are dual/tri-purpose breed - eggs, meat, and exhibition. We need to avoid birds that are fluffy and large looking, but not meaty. I would show a bird that was above standard weight by a small, but reasonable amount, just as I would show a bird that was under standard weight by a small, reasonable amount.
Michael
Mike Gilbert:
For sake of discussion, let\'s say standard weight for a particular class of birds is exactly five pounds. APA allows up to 20% variation from standard before a D.Q. occurs, and even then, how often is it enforced? But in this class that means a 4 lb bird is competing against a 6 lb bird. The latter is half again as big as the former. Do you see something wrong here? That said, I do think most of us would rather have the larger bird (but as Michael said - not fluffy), as it is easier to reduce size than to gain it in large fowl. And I\'m not talking about my wife\'s diet plan.
dixieland:
Thanks for detailed explanation and the laugh too!!!!
In your years of breeding and showing have you ever seen a bird that appeared to be grossly oversized? (not just fluff)
grisaboy:
Although Standard bred poultry have standard weights, and as Mike said, 20% above or below should be a DQ, I have never seen weight considerd at a poultry show. (I\'ll bet you a cream filled chocolate doughnut that you have never seen a scale at a poultry show). And size of birds are rewarded based on the current trend instead of what is in the standard. So you have very small Old English Game Bantams and Modern Bantams winning shows, and very large waterfowl, like Muscovy Ducks winning because that is what the current judges tend to like.
That said, Large Fowl tend to be too small and Bantams tend to be too small so it is a natural tendancy to reward Large Fowl that are larger and Bantams that are Smaller. I would bet another doughnut that an eight pound Ameraucana male that was otherwise sound would do very well at most open shows.
It is up to us as breeders to be aware of the standard weights and breed accordingly. An oversize large male could be a very valuable breeder because he could bring up the overall size of your flock. We can\'t depend on the show room to maintain the integrity of our breed that is up to us.
Curtis
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