this year's poultry show's

[texasrangers1]

I am going to try to enter my chickens into the 2014-2015 show season. this is my first time showing poultry so I need some tips from fellow showers.

I need any tips that will help me during the shows.​

 

[Fred's Hens]

Best guide for beginners I've ever read. Hope it helps.

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Post by Matt Lhamon on Dec 16, 2011 at 8:34pm

Showbirdbid’s Advice to Newcomers to Exhibition Poultry - 2013

1. Have a thick skin and listen to advice whether you agree or not. Ultimately it is you decision on what to do with it. Don't bother arguing with the advice giver, you can ask for clarity but remember you asked their opinion and you have little chance of changing it.

2. You cannot be the savior to every rare breed and variety. The more breeds and varieties you start with the less chance of success you will have. Do not pick a rare breed or variety because there is less completion or because you think they are easier to win with. In the end this will not be true.

3. If you know anything, memorize the written Standard for your chosen breed. If someone asks what the Standard for the head of a Wyandotte is and that’s your breed, you should be able to recite it to them. Own the current edition of the APA and ABA Standards and read them often.

4. Evaluate your facilities before you load up on birds. The game is not how many you can hatch or collect, but how many you can raise to maturity so you can select your keepers.

5. Set goals to improve your birds every year even if it is a small thing. Keep records and know what birds produce what.

6. A true breeder only exhibits birds in top condition. Remember a bird you exhibit is a direct reflection on you as a breeder and your skills. If you’re going to show birds, study the current winners of your breed. Compare what the best of breed bird looked like to the Standard. If your breed is on champion row study them even closer and compare them to the Standard. In your mind, does the bird on Champion row mirror the Standard? Also look at how they were prepared for the show. I don't think I have seen any dirty birds on champion row at any show I have ever been to.

7. When I go to a show, I expect nothing so I am never disappointed and if I win something I am pleasantly surprised. Don’t judge poultry pictures and birds from the aisle. You really never know what a bird is like until you handle it. Most all judges will tell you why they placed the birds and you can then decide if it is correct to your interpretation of the Standard.

8. If you can, ask judges questions after the judging is over. They can share their ideas about your birds from a judge’s perspective. You do not have to agree with if but it is best to hear them out and go on about your business. Most all will tell you why they placed the birds and you can then decide if it is correct to your interpretation of the Standard.

9. Do not ask a judge about breeding qualities of a bird unless he is a breeder of that breed. So often folks will ask me and I tell them I do not breed that breed and can't tell you. As a judge we look at the birds as show birds not breeding birds. One of things most judge’s struggle with when they judge their breed is just looking at the show aspects of the birds and leaving out all the breeding aspects.

10. If you want breeding advice, ask a prominent breeder of your breed. Ask intelligent and specific questions and not ones like I often get "Tell me everything you know about breeding Wyandotte bantams?" Some of us are sarcastic, grumpy and jaded but will be glad to help after we get through all that. We have had hundreds of newcomers dazzle us with enthusiasm and only a few have became Exhibition Poultry Fanciers. We need to see your commitment and passion before we invest a lot of time in you. Instead of asking to buy my very best show birds, try asking to buy some birds which I can breed good show birds from. One little addition to point 10 (from Rich Barzcewski), about asking questions of prominent breeders. "remember after you ask the question that you learn a lot more with your ears open and your mouth shut than the other way around". One disappointing thing to me is when someone wants information but then tries to dominate a conversation with their own ideas. I never mind answering questions but I can't stand it when someone asks a question and then goes out of their way to try to answer it themselves.

11. Last, you feed them and care for them every day. Raise what you like and love and have fun and enjoy the hobby. There is no place in the world I would rather be than at a poultry show. Enjoy winning, be gracious when you don’t! Help a new fancier get started, remember when you were a beginner and how overwhelmed you were with all of this!

Matt Lhamon
Ring Master SHOWBIRDBID.COM
ABA President
[email protected]
ABA & APA General License Poultry Judge


Read more:

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

I don't know anything about showing birds. Freds Hens has given you some great advice. You can also stop by this section of the forums for more help as well...https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/16188/exhibition-genetics-breeding-to-the-standard-of-perfection

Good luck in the show circuit!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

You've received some great advice above.

 

[drumstick diva]

You also need to familiarize your birds to being handled by strangers without freaking out.

Get them used to show size cages & traveling in a car. Quarantine birds after a show to be certain they don't have stowaways like disease or parasites. If you have a breed that is table judged spend enough time with your bird so that is it comfortable under that circumstance.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. You have received some excellent advice. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in showing your birds. What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[texasrangers1]

I have 12 chickens there are:
2 austrolorps
2easter eggers
1 partridge rock

all of the above are 15-20 weeks
--------------------------------------------
now for the younger ones these are still in the brooder
4 silver laced wyandottes
3 gold laced wyandottes

all together I have 4 cockerels and 8 pullets

 

[Michael OShay]

That's a nice mixed flock you have. Black Australorps are my favorite standard breed; very hardy, calm and gentle, and the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. Easter Eggers are my granddaughter's favorite. She loves the colored eggs. One thing I would advise is being careful of is your cockerel to pullet ratio, unless you plan to keep some of those roosters in separate pens all to themselves. The recommended ratio is 1 rooster for every 10 hens. With too many roosters in a flock you will end up with aggression, fights, injuries, and bitten, spurred, and over-bred and battered hens, and your birds won't be in any kind of condition for showing. Good luck with your flock.

 

[texasrangers1]

well im going to breed my roosters to my hens like the wyandottes im going to breed them to get pure breeds so they will be in different pens anyway

 

[Michael OShay]

well im going to breed my roosters to my hens like the wyandottes im going to breed them to get pure breeds so they will be in different pens anyway

Shouldn't be a problem then. You can just keep one rooster in each pen with hens of the same breed.