One of the most popular pieces of advice given in the Holland world is to "build the barn before you paint it". Essentially, what this phrase means is that you should always start with the most competitive color (i.e., black torts), and produce quality in those before branching out into other varieties. This is seen as some sort of universal truth, and any disagreement with it is seen as completely foolish and uneducated.
While this might not be a popular stance, personally I'm not a fan of the phrase. Here is why I have a problem with it:
1. If a new breeder is going to screw up with colors, then odds are they're going to screw up with torts as well. To become a successful breeder, it takes a strong understanding of the standard, posing, evaluating, breeding, and culling. This goes for any breed and any color. It's just a fact. If you don't have the skill, knowledge, whatever, you will not produce good quality rabbits. If you do have the skill, then you will produce good quality rabbits.
2. We shouldn't be discouraging people from doing color. Just because many of us didn't start out with colors ourselves doesn't mean that it's inherently bad or wrong. If a new breeder is passionate and enthusiastic enough to want to work on a project color right off the bat, we should be encouraging and helping them. We are all on our own individual paths.
3. Color is really, really not that much harder than torts...if (and only if) you are motivated and passionate enough to learn the standard, ask the right questions, find the right mentors, put in the work, and invest the time and dedication.
Many of the top breeders of colored Hollands in the country started out with colors. Does this mean it's the only way to do it? No, but it does mean that it's entirely possible. Let's stop pretending that working with color is some sort of impossible goal for new breeders.
A while back, I saw a breeder who had started out with colors as well as torts sell out of all of their colors in order to focus on "building the barn before painting it". I saw a lot of people applaud this person for making the 'right' decision. Meanwhile, I was bewildered as to why they had just sold multiple quality colored Hollands to focus on their lesser quality torts.
For what it's worth, I started out with otters before any other color. At the time, I was told that I was foolish for working with color and that if I wanted to make quality Hollands, I should just stick to torts. Naturally, being a fairly stubborn 17 year old, I ignored them. Two years later, I won the Open SJD class at my first ARBA Convention with an otter. So perhaps I made the wrong decision, and maybe I made the right one, we'll never know. But do I regret it? Not one bit!!
Let's stop discouraging new breeders from working with color, and instead offer our help, advice, and support in achieving their goals. Who knows, a few years from now they might be kicking our butts with their chocolates, or BEWs, or steels! And I for one will be the first to applaud them. :)
While this might not be a popular stance, personally I'm not a fan of the phrase. Here is why I have a problem with it:
1. If a new breeder is going to screw up with colors, then odds are they're going to screw up with torts as well. To become a successful breeder, it takes a strong understanding of the standard, posing, evaluating, breeding, and culling. This goes for any breed and any color. It's just a fact. If you don't have the skill, knowledge, whatever, you will not produce good quality rabbits. If you do have the skill, then you will produce good quality rabbits.
2. We shouldn't be discouraging people from doing color. Just because many of us didn't start out with colors ourselves doesn't mean that it's inherently bad or wrong. If a new breeder is passionate and enthusiastic enough to want to work on a project color right off the bat, we should be encouraging and helping them. We are all on our own individual paths.
3. Color is really, really not that much harder than torts...if (and only if) you are motivated and passionate enough to learn the standard, ask the right questions, find the right mentors, put in the work, and invest the time and dedication.
Many of the top breeders of colored Hollands in the country started out with colors. Does this mean it's the only way to do it? No, but it does mean that it's entirely possible. Let's stop pretending that working with color is some sort of impossible goal for new breeders.
A while back, I saw a breeder who had started out with colors as well as torts sell out of all of their colors in order to focus on "building the barn before painting it". I saw a lot of people applaud this person for making the 'right' decision. Meanwhile, I was bewildered as to why they had just sold multiple quality colored Hollands to focus on their lesser quality torts.
For what it's worth, I started out with otters before any other color. At the time, I was told that I was foolish for working with color and that if I wanted to make quality Hollands, I should just stick to torts. Naturally, being a fairly stubborn 17 year old, I ignored them. Two years later, I won the Open SJD class at my first ARBA Convention with an otter. So perhaps I made the wrong decision, and maybe I made the right one, we'll never know. But do I regret it? Not one bit!!
Let's stop discouraging new breeders from working with color, and instead offer our help, advice, and support in achieving their goals. Who knows, a few years from now they might be kicking our butts with their chocolates, or BEWs, or steels! And I for one will be the first to applaud them. :)