CHAPTER XXVII 

 THE ADVANTAGE OF A STANDARD 



Standards Written with a Definite Aim in View — Results of Ignoring 

 Standard — I-iearning and Interpreting Standards and its Reward — ■ 

 Advantage of Breeding Birds to a Standard — Standards a Guide 

 for the Beginner, and Also the Breeder. 



It is surprising to know how many people wlio enter tlie squab 

 business or that of breeding pigeons forget that tlieir breed has 

 a standard of perfection and year after year tliey go on breed- 

 ing their birds witli but one aim in view, namely: that of pro- 

 ducing squabs, forgetting entirely tire benefits to be derived 

 from carefully studying the standard and putting it into use. 



When standards are made up by the leading breeders they 

 are not thought out and compiled \\ithout any definite idea in 

 view hut are written with an aim toward bettering the breed 

 both from a commercial standpoint as well as from that of 

 exhibition. To disregard our standards and just A\'ork without 

 any aim in view is simply wasting time and money to say 

 nothing of hurting the breed we have chosen. To own a copy 

 of the standard for our chosen breed and not study it carefully 

 is nothing short of folly. The standard is a guide by which all 

 breedei's should work and by doing so better their stock in every 

 way possible. How foolish it is to purchase good stock and 

 allow their offspring to mate up promiscuously; to keep every 

 bird just because it is one more in the loft when we know that 

 a great many of these specimens do not enter the specifications 

 of the standard. If such is allowed to go on and on we get 

 further away from our ideal while the wise breeder is getting 

 closer and closer to it. The time will come when our Runts or 

 our Maltese or whatever the breed might be, will look no more 



152 



