Vision Or Reality

By: Nino Bugeja
Date: 19 Feb 2006
Category: Breeding

How many of us strive to follow a "Breeding Plan"? To do so implies that we
have a goal we are seeking to hopefully better our stock. In each case your
proper goal should be the accepted "Standard" of the breed your are working
with. I know, I know that in Flying Tipplers there seems to be no
"Standards" as such. Look at it this way, as an aspiring breeder you are
also an aspiring artist, and by being so you will without doubt have a
vision, an "Ideal" of what this bird should look like. From this "Ideal" a
plan can be set in a forward motion.

With your "Ideal" in place, one must now consider the type of stock to
acquire, yes there are those that would, for the sake of a few bucks be
satisfied acquiring their stock from the corner pet shop or flea market with
hopes of grandeur in their back of their mind. To the true "Breeder" he
would endeavor to search out stock of the highest quality from other
breeders that have shown constant progress, and always they are at the "Top"
of their game.

The first task at hand is to thoroughly understand the ideal of the your
breed. On must be able to correctly evaluate your stock in order to breed
them properly, as this task of evaluation is a continuation process. The
real test starts when you sate to apply your 'Ideal" to living creatures.
While you have a mental picture or Vision of what this should be, a living
creature can vary from that picture in many ways, and to different degrees.
One should list the quality's of his stock in the areas of major
importance's first. In Tipplers, flying ability's is monument first, size,
"Type", general conformation for balance, feather quality, and such are what
we are targeting for. It goes without saying that if you are to keep your
breeding program in a positive direction, it is important to use stock for
their merits rather than to discard them for a minor fault, such as poor eye
color. Also one should search out a fancier that has great stock and ask for
permission to observe them in the air. Know their quality's of flying, do
they kit well, do they respond well, what other quality's are important when
they are in the air flying, as these are also the "Ideals" one would strive
for.

Not until you have a clear and complete understanding of what the "Ideal"
speculum, can you hope to begin to produce them with regularity. When I was
breeding dogs, it was well known that the "Ideal" just did not exist, but it
was knowing that it was out there somewhere that keeps us all going after
it. Even knowing this we continually chased our "Vision" our creation if you
will, always for the betterment of the breed.

What must be considered is the fact that there is nothing standing in ones
way to producing Ideal speculums expect the skill and determination of the
breeder himself, If a dedicated and informed breeder can conceive a
particular level of quality, then he can produce it. This is the essence of
Strain building and the consistent production of high quality stock.