Messages

16

News and Information / Re: "Phishing" the Breeder's Directory

« on: December 27, 2017, 05:16:26 PM »

If I get any unsolicited emails or texts, they will be blocked.

Thanks,
Ernie

17

News and Information / Re: High Point Awards for 2017

« on: December 22, 2017, 08:57:54 AM »

I received a text messages yesterday congratulating me on my retirement and this award. I knew that I had retired, but really didn't know that the final point tabulations had been done. Now after seeing it on the ABC Forum, the text messages make sense. Thanks to everyone at the ABC for all you do, thanks for the texts from everyone, and most of all thanks to everyone show is working so hard to breed and promote Ameraucanas.

We breed and show other  breeds of poultry, but Ameraucanas are our favorites to show. We enjoy both Large Fowl and Bantams. The other breeds that we breed and show are either Large Fowl or Bantams. We don't have the opportunity to be involved with two sizes of any other breed. We do haul and show a trailer load of Ameraucanas at most shows. I do not say that to brag, but I will offer an explanation as to why. It is difficult not to haul a trailer load when we breed and show both Large Fowl and Bantams in Black, Blue, Splash, White, and Buffs. We also breed and show Self Blue Bantams.

The best thing about breeding and showing Ameraucanas is the ABC and the people involved. We always recommend that anyone involved with this breed get involved and join this wonderful club. All of the members are good people who are filled with knowledge and experience. Not only do they have these qualities, they are always willing to share with other breeders.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the breeders who were and still are kind enough to share their genetics with us. Poultry 2XL would not have the Ameraucanas that we have to work with if it weren't for the people who have shared their birds with us. I will not try to list everyone for fear of leaving someone out. Just know that if we purchased birds from you, we respect you and your breeding program. We deeply appreciate you for being willing to share your genetics with us. We also appreciate all of the our poultry friends, regardless to the breed, for sharing their knowledge with us. Coming from the show cattle, show rabbit, and show goat industry we had experience in showing, but no experience showing poultry when we started. There are some things that carry over, but there are many things that the poultry exhibitors have taught us that is specific to poultry.

Thanks Everyone,
Ernie

18

Breeding / Re: Cockrell or Pullet ?

« on: December 18, 2017, 01:24:05 PM »

Due to the rounded hackle feathers and at the base of the tail, I am going to say it is a female.

Ernie

19

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: New Meet Policy - Re: CH and Res CH Ameraucana

« on: December 18, 2017, 09:20:00 AM »

I don't have any ideas for adding anything new to our program. I thought and still think that we have a great awards program. I do like that with the current program, exhibitors are being recognized for their wins throughout the year. Not everyone can travel to the District and/or National Shows. There are some shows that I will not go to due to the venue. 

Thanks,
Ernie

20

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: New Meet Policy - Re: CH and Res CH Ameraucana

« on: December 17, 2017, 08:37:23 PM »

Thanks for the update. I feel that new policies and/or changes to existing policies should always be put into place at the beginning of the year. I think that it is important for associations and/or clubs to have awards and systems in place to recognize breeders for their work and accomplishments. All rules and requirements should be posted for everyone to read and work toward. Thankfully, our website is easy to use and all information can be found easily.

There is enough mess going within the exhibition poultry world to make us all tired. It seems that every breed club is having issues right now. The drama never ceases to amaze me. I thank God every day that my next meal is not dependent on chickens. The important thing for the ABC is that we all work together to educate others and promote our breed.

Be Blessed,
Ernie

21

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Exhibitor Points

« on: December 17, 2017, 06:28:41 PM »

It is bad when a show agrees to host a Special Meet and then doesn't follow up on their paperwork. Not only is it bad for the exhibitor, but it makes more work for Susan and Temple. We keep extra Show Reports in our show box. We make sure that the Show Officials are going to mail them in to the ABC or we get them to sign the paperwork and we send it in ourselves. We have always gotten our points from the ABC, but the APA can be a whole different story. Our points have not been updated in two years with the APA. Maybe this problem can be easily resolved. I know that if you exhibited and got points, you want to get them.

Be Blessed,
Ernie Haire

22

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Heart of Dixie, Anniston AL - 11/4/17

« on: December 16, 2017, 10:15:08 AM »

Congratulations to everyone who exhibited Ameraucanas at this show. It is a show that we were hoping to be able to attend, but things just didn't work out. I am glad to see that our breed was well represented. We hope to be able to make it next year.

Be Blessed,
Ernie

23

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Exhibitor Points

« on: December 12, 2017, 09:07:21 PM »

Susan,

I don't even want to think about that stack. I see my stacks that are laying around here and feel sorry for you. I am still digging through stacks of Entry Forms that are going to be due in the next few weeks. Just remember to breath once in a while.

I talked to some people from Wisconsin that were at the show in Shawnee. They said that due to the weather, their show season was just about over. I told them that ours had just began. They worry about the snow and freezing temperatures. We worry about the high temperatures on our birds when we are hauling. Everybody has their cross to carry.

Be Blessed,
Ernie

24

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: How people learn from what they see

« on: December 12, 2017, 09:41:20 AM »

I take every opportunity that I get to share with everyone.  Even the judges can't  help but comment on how popular Ameraucanas are getting. Usually it is one or two of the judges that did not judge the AOSB or AOCCL classes that day. They seem to just drop by to look at the birds and talk about the breed. They seem to be interested in the breed and eager to learn more about them. It seems that there are quite a few judges out there who haven't been faced with judging large classes of Ameraucanas.

Maybe it is the teacher in me, but I enjoy people. I can and will discuss any of the breeds of poultry that I have with anyone. I will point out what I like and don't like about any of my own birds. I work hard breeding, but still have not hatched or raised "perfect". There is no reason to feel like my discussion is going to fall short on facts, because I keep my APA Standard of Perfection handy. My description of the breed is not based on personal preference, it is based on written standards. Other breeders, exhibitors, passer-byers, and judges can't argue with facts. I do not know everything, but I know where to find most things.

When judges ask me why I seem to have turned my focus to Bantams. I tell them that since LF Ameraucanas are starting to become oversized according to the APA Breed Standards, I am getting too old to pick them up and handle them. I also them "jokingly" that if the judges ever start judging Ameraucanas by the APA Standards, I should have a great market for Bantam males. The only was that I can see to reverse the current size of some LF Ameraucanas is to breed them to Bantams.

I know that at one time, the Marans Chicken Club USA had the Standards printed and laminated hanging on the ends of the Marans isles. This was for the passer-byers and the judges because the breed was so new to the APA.

Be Blessed,
Ernie

25

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Exhibitor Points

« on: December 11, 2017, 10:23:27 AM »

Thanks, Susan for clarifying that. That is the way that I read our Point System policy. I will admit that I thought it was a little strange at first because I had never seen an Ameraucana Bantam. The first time that I had ever seen an Ameraucana Bantam was in December of 2014 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Now that Bantam Ameraucanas are starting to grow in popularity, we see others at most of the shows in this area. In some of the shows around here, Bantams have outnumbered the Large Fowl.

And thanks again Susan and Temple for keeping up with all of this mess for our Club. I know that both of you must have other things that you could be doing with your time.

Be Blessed,
Ernie

26

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Cape Fear Poultry Show, Smithfield, NC 12-9-17

« on: December 10, 2017, 07:36:35 PM »

Congratulations, everybody. I know how the weather can work against us. We just got back from Shawnee, Oklahoma. We had no problem getting there and got home with  no problems. The show was great as usual.  Ameraucanas were well represented in both the Large Fowl and Bantam shows.

I know that there were people who intended on showing in Shawnee that had to scratch due to the weather. Not only did I know people personally that couldn't make it, but there were empty coops belonging to exhibitors that I didn't know personally.

They did announce yesterday at the end of the show that there were 3001 birds at the show. For some reason, The Oklahoma Poultry Federation always has a goal of having over 3000 birds in the barn. They always have a great show in Shawnee, and thankfully they can all rest that they met the goal of over 3000 birds.

Be Blessed,
Ernie

27

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Exhibitor Points

« on: December 10, 2017, 07:30:30 PM »

If Champion and Reserve Champion Ameraucana is only going to be awarded at District and National Meets, we need to clarify that before we get started into 2018. This would be a great time to make it "written" rather than "intended". Because we have only been members of the ABC for a few years, I read the website to learn our current Point System. I have always understood our ABC points to be awarded based on what is written on the website. I know that policies and things change as time goes on and websites sometime get overlooked. Lord knows that my personal website is very outdated. Our new members have to rely on what is written to understand the  way our club is ran.

If you look at our Point System, it currently states that one point will be given to the Champion Ameraucana for every Ameraucana exhibited in both Large Fowl and Bantam. The Reserve Champion Ameraucana will receive one point for every Ameraucana exhibited in both Large Fowl and Bantam less one. It doesn't say anything about only being awarded at District and National Shows. There would be no reason to select a Champion or Reserve Champion Ameraucana if either the Large Fowl or Bantam class had no entries.

We were at a show last weekend where both the Large Fowl and Bantams were judged by the same judge. He selected the Large Fowl as Champion Ameraucana and a Bantam as Reserve Champion Ameraucana. It was nice to think that our Bantams could compete with the Large Fowl based on quality and the Standard of Perfection. If the Large Fowl and Bantams were judged by two different judges, let them discuss it. Judges are able to come to decisions about Champion Row all the time. I think that open discussion between two or more judges could help educate some of the judges who aren't well versed on the Ameraucana Breed Standards.

Just Saying,
Ernie

28

Exhibiting & Promoting / Re: Exhibitor Points

« on: December 10, 2017, 05:53:51 PM »

This is not exactly the way I understand our current Point System.

Just Saying,
Ernie

29

Exhibiting & Promoting / How people learn from what they see

« on: December 07, 2017, 08:24:45 PM »

I had the opportunity to visit with a judge that I respect this weekend. He was not judging the show, but is  interested in the Ameraucana breed and the way that it seems to be gaining in popularity. He said that for years, he would see a handful of Ameraucanas at the shows. One or two of some different varieties. It was not hard to select the Best and Reserve Best of Variety based on faults and disqualifications. After that, select the Best and Reserve Best of Breed, no problem. To learn more about them, he paid attention to the birds that won Best and Reserve Best of Breed and Champion AOSB and/or Champion AOCCL under other judges. He thought that if judges who had experience with the breed selected them, he should pattern his selections after what he had seen previously.

He admitted that he had no idea what the Standard weights for Ameraucanas should be. After checking his APA Standard of Perfection, he looked at me with amazement in his eyes and said, "a cock bird should only weigh 6.5 pounds." I said, "I know."  He laughed and said, "judges can't weigh every bird, but to put it into perspective an Ameraucana cock bird should weigh the same as one of your Marans hens." Again, I smiled and said, "I know."

He mentioned the way some varieties are nice and flat down the back and across the top.  He also mentioned that some of the Ameraucana males seemed to be higher in the front than in the rear. I just smiled and said, "check your Standard."

Believe it or not, we are still friends.

Just Saying,
Ernie

30

News and Information / Re: Dixie Classic

« on: December 07, 2017, 06:44:55 PM »

Thanks, Susan for the pictures. Paul is great at taking pictures of chickens. I always enjoy looking at the pictures that anyone takes at shows. I cant get chickens to work with me when it is picture time. Once I get pictures, I don't know how to get them to load on the computer. This is why I usually don't take pictures at shows. I just wait until we are at a show with Paul and Angela.

Thanks Again,
Ernie