Breeding and Showing

There have been many articles in recent years stating that there aren't many real breeders left today. Although this may be true to a point, there are still plenty of dedicated breeders out there who put their heart and soul into exhibition poultry. Each breed club has at least five or six big names that show all year, every year, helping to make shows like the National and the Federation what they are.

There's no doubting that "things ain't what they used to be". Times have changed; life seems to move at a much faster pace today. Keeping poultry can be an expensive hobby. There are many people who just don't have the time or resources anymore. There has certainly been a decline in the number of breeders since early last century. However, there are still more than enough breeders out there and competition is still fierce.

What is a real breeder?

If I was asked to define a real breeder, my description would be a person who had spent their whole life breeding poultry, dedicated entirely to the expenditure, the labour, and the hardship involved. Someone who produces large amounts of a certain breed / colour every year for many years to a consistent standard. Not only this, but someone who wins in succession with their strain in the major shows around the country, and on a yearly basis. Someone whose name everyone recognises concerned with that particular breed. Finally, a person who maintains the expected quality of their breed, this is my view of a real breeder.

Creating a new Strain

I keep Large Silver Pencilled Wyandottes and have stated in past articles how I came to create my particular strain. I literally had no choice. In the Millennium year, things were looking pretty bleak for the large Silver Pencilled. I didn't realise just how rare they were until I tried to purchase new stock. I managed to trace another couple of breeders whose birds were obviously related to mine. It was no use, the birds I purchased were hardly laying - the new stock was as small as the birds I owned. They were virtually extinct when I decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. I managed to trace one of only a couple of Dutch breeders who let me have a spare male. I bred this male to my original females with good results. I have since spread them around and won at shows, which proves bringing in new blood was a good idea.

The way I look at is that I had no choice but to create a new strain. However, I am a great believer in the "if it aint broke then don't try to fix it" policy. There is no point crossing different strains just for the sake of being able to call a strain your own. Crossing strains from two established breeders when in need of some hybrid vigour can be successful. The key is to have a plan. I often hear people saying things like "a grandson to grandmother cross is the best" it may well be, that's presuming that the breeder started by using two completely unrelated bloodlines. If a potential fancier purchases a trio from a sale, it is almost guaranteed that they will be brother and sister. What I do find amusing is the number of people who advertise birds at sales as "completely unrelated" if anything, this would deter me from purchasing them. There may be the exceptional case but most trios and pairs in sales are related. If, in this situation, the related birds produce satisfactory results, the best method for continued success is to carry on breeding with the original birds until they can no longer procreate. It will be essential to select for and keep the best birds from each generation in preparation for when the strain requires them. Improving a Strain

It may the case that the breeder wishes to improve his / her strain by selectively adding some new blood. This is where knowledge and judgement come to the fore. It is essential that the breeder knows the history of the new strain and decides whether or not this blood is currently better or slightly worse than their original strain. This decision will determine whether or not a male or female is introduced. If it is decided that the new blood is currently better, introducing a male is the best option. If, in the other instance - the original strain is better, introducing a female is the best option. In any case, crossing the two strains together and breeding back to the superior parent is the only way forward.

Selective Breeding

Once fertility and vigour have been proven, it is time to move on. The only way this can be achieved is through selective breeding. It is important that both the male and the females in the breeding pen posses all of the desired traits. If only one of the females has the qualities that the breeder is looking for in his / her future offspring, that female should be the only one he / she uses. Take, for example Orpingtons - If the breeder is looking for males with five or six evenly serrated spikes on the comb, there is no point breeding from females with ten or eleven spikes and then wondering why their sons have turned out the same. It is all about judgement and experience. Sometimes a good way forward can be to complimentary mate. If a bird is lacking in a certain trait, it can be helpful to breed in a bird that exaggerates this trait in the hope of achieving birds that are somewhere in-between both parents.

Once a successful breeding pen is established, it is in the breeder's best interest to hatch as many birds as possible from it. This way, the breeder allows for losses and has a healthy choice of birds for the autumn. This is the only way to do it, hatch in large numbers - a hundred plus birds should be a realistic goal if the breeder is to achieve success in a short time. Keeping too many breeds or colours of breed only hampers progress.

Show Preparation

This section covers the necessary preparation twelve months prior a show rather than methods of bathing etc.

Breeders of Large Fowl know only too well that the earlier they hatch their birds, the better. Preparation should begin around early December. A quality breeder's ration should be administered 6 weeks prior "hatching egg" collection. This allows for maximum fertility. The difference in results between feeding breeder's pellets and layer's pellets is quite amazing. I use quite intense methods of breeding early and some may disagree with my practices. However as long as the breeder allows for this later in the season, there is no harm done. I'm referring to artificial lighting. From the second week of January, I gradually increase the lighting in the breeding pen until eventually the light comes on at 2am on goes off at 8pm. This achieves really good results allowing for five or six weeks of constant egg production and hatching.

Earlier hatched birds tend to grow larger because they can make the most of the daylight hours during the changing seasons. Slow maturing breeds like the Wyandotte require early hatching otherwise the breeder runs the risk of his / her birds not being mature enough for the major shows in December.

Potential show birds need to be nurtured a few months prior a show. This is where handling helps, the earlier the breeder can tame his / her birds, the better. There is nothing worse than a good bird that panics or will not stand right in a show pen because of no experience of handling or penning. It is paramount that the breeder considers the possible threats towards the potential show birds and takes actions to prevent any disasters happening. Personally, I like to bring birds indoors around three months before a show, not only does this prevent bleaching, it also keeps birds out of the cold and away from the elements which can cause a decline in condition. Especially wind - poultry don't fare well when subjected to winds or draughty conditions.

I feed breeder's pellets ad lib to the potential show birds. I also allow them a scattering of maize and a handful of pigeon conditioner in the evenings. I generally add a teaspoonful of Cider Vinegar to a gallon of water. This helps to worm the birds and encourages a good appetite. The combination of the above feed and adage to the water tends to produce a shiny effect to the feathers making them look magnificent.

Penning birds in makeshift or real show pens about four weeks prior a show allows them to get used to the idea and will prepare them better for the big day. It is best to leave birds in show pens for a few hours a day, and if possible, allow them to see as many people as you can, which will help relax them during the coarse of the ensuing weeks. As for bathing etc, that must be left to the discretion of the individual breeder. Different methods work for different people. However, far be it for me to say what's wrong and what's right. Some things are best kept a secret! Hope you've enjoyed this feature!