Please help newbies

[Yontz710]

We are new to showing chickens, but not new to showing livestock. We need some help trying to figure out if these chickens are good enough to take to the fair. What I'd like to avoid is someone thinking "OMG why did they bring THAT??". This is a Mille D Uccle, I like to look at but that doesn't mean that he is good enough. Could someone help us out and tell us if he would be ok to show at a 4H show? Also in looking at him, it looks like the ends of some of his feathers are beat up a little, how can we fix and or prevent that.
Thanks in advance for the help,
The Yontz Family

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

He doesn't really look up to par. I'm not really a d'uccle person, so hopefully soneone with more specific breed knowledge will step in and correct me if I err.

He looks young, based upon his colouring (mottled birds get whiter as they age). He should have a much more uprighrt stance--his back should form a U between his head and tail. Wings should be more tightly closed, tail more even. Not sure about his comb--some of hte single comb breeds have very specific standards for the comb--number of points, etc.

It can be hard to keep footfeathers nice. Deep shavings help.

As to how well he will compete--if your child uses him for showmanship the birds faults will not count against him--you child's knowledge about chickens in general and his/hers in particular is what is judged. Some 4H exhibitions are not very competative, and he might fare well, but others are quite competative and he would not do well. It would be better to use him merely for showmanship and purchase a better quality bird from a breeder.

 

[Yontz710]

This is the help I was looking for, thank you. I know what good hogs and cattle look like, just trying to grasp this chicken thing. He is young, got him in around the 18th of March. He is fun to look at, just didn't know if he would be ok at a 4H show or not.