In Defense of Breeders
It is often popular here to bash breeders as being arrogant or self-absorbed in their own sense of importance or vainglory. In truth? Wherever there are imperfect people, in any endeavor of life, you will find such folks and breeders are no different. But if it is unfair to taunt all fanciers and paint them all with the wide brush of one's own imagination.
The commercial industry, which controls 98% of all the birds on the planet, only want skinny little egg machines, hybrids that they get from the Hubbard, Hi-Sex, and ISA type strain developers of the world. The meat industry is likewise dominated by versions of the CX and 98% of all birds eaten are these quick to market birds. The commercial industry has no use for any other chickens of any other kind save these two extremes of chickendom.
The small, retail hatcheries produce birds for the small holders and a huge portion of their sales are also selling these same egg machine layers and/or CX type broilers to the smaller operators.
So who really cares about the 200-300 other breeds and varieties? Frankly? No one, but those breeders.
That's right, the breeders. If you have followed the Plymouth Rock Breeders thread over the past year or two, you've seen spectacular Silver Penciled, Buff, Columbian, Barred and White Plymouth Rocks shown. Who has these birds? Who alone produces these birds? Who has preserved and still preserves these gorgeous, true examples of the breed? Nobody but the dedicated fanciers, the breeders. Do these breeders own a 1000' long poultry building? None I know of. Shocking? But breeders, most breeders I know? They are BackYarders. That's right, they are BackYard Chicken people.
Do the big commercial poultry conglomerates have such birds? Of course not. Do the mail order, smaller retail hatcheries have these birds? No way. They have birds that are "similar" or that are said to "represent" (think substitutes for) the true versions, but they don't have, don't breed them, and don't sell them. Can you buy such true examples of the glorious Plymouth Rock at a feed store near you? Of course not.
So, instead of taking aim at breeders, why not thank them for the work they do. The breeder is the only person who stands in the way of these birds extinction.
We may need to promote a "Kiss Your Breeder Week". For either we kiss these breeders in appreciation or we can kiss all these breeds goodbye.
.
It is often popular here to bash breeders as being arrogant or self-absorbed in their own sense of importance or vainglory. In truth? Wherever there are imperfect people, in any endeavor of life, you will find such folks and breeders are no different. But if it is unfair to taunt all fanciers and paint them all with the wide brush of one's own imagination.
The commercial industry, which controls 98% of all the birds on the planet, only want skinny little egg machines, hybrids that they get from the Hubbard, Hi-Sex, and ISA type strain developers of the world. The meat industry is likewise dominated by versions of the CX and 98% of all birds eaten are these quick to market birds. The commercial industry has no use for any other chickens of any other kind save these two extremes of chickendom.
The small, retail hatcheries produce birds for the small holders and a huge portion of their sales are also selling these same egg machine layers and/or CX type broilers to the smaller operators.
So who really cares about the 200-300 other breeds and varieties? Frankly? No one, but those breeders.
That's right, the breeders. If you have followed the Plymouth Rock Breeders thread over the past year or two, you've seen spectacular Silver Penciled, Buff, Columbian, Barred and White Plymouth Rocks shown. Who has these birds? Who alone produces these birds? Who has preserved and still preserves these gorgeous, true examples of the breed? Nobody but the dedicated fanciers, the breeders. Do these breeders own a 1000' long poultry building? None I know of. Shocking? But breeders, most breeders I know? They are BackYarders. That's right, they are BackYard Chicken people.
Do the big commercial poultry conglomerates have such birds? Of course not. Do the mail order, smaller retail hatcheries have these birds? No way. They have birds that are "similar" or that are said to "represent" (think substitutes for) the true versions, but they don't have, don't breed them, and don't sell them. Can you buy such true examples of the glorious Plymouth Rock at a feed store near you? Of course not.
So, instead of taking aim at breeders, why not thank them for the work they do. The breeder is the only person who stands in the way of these birds extinction.
We may need to promote a "Kiss Your Breeder Week". For either we kiss these breeders in appreciation or we can kiss all these breeds goodbye.
.
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