[Jacob-list] Who and Where are the Show Flocks???????

[snielsen at orednet.org]

On Sun, March 9, 2008 1:50 pm, R. Unzicker said:

> I think showing Jacobs (and other

> rare breeds) is quite different from showing commercial breeds.   There

> are a good number of Jacob breeders who are not in favor of showing Jacobs

> for fear it will change the breed.  And with good reason, considering what

> has happened to some of the other breeds.


This conversation is heading back toward the recent discussion about
heritage breeds of poultry, which wrapped up with a comment about the
difference between production birds and show birds. It seems to me
"production flocks" are the backbone of a breed, whether they are sheep or
chickens. Those are the flocks where the genetic potential of the breed
shows up and is distributed in individuals. True, you want to keep your
flock within the standard for sound, representative individuals, but you
do not want to create a flock of stunning individuals that are _not_
representative of the run of the breed. It's a fine line between
consideration of the individual and care of the breed.

Susan

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