***Show Tips And Tricks to Make your bird look the Best for a Show!***

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

I wash faces with baby shampoo! Dawn dish soap on bodys and rise with vinegar 3 days before a show.

 

[Lofty Dreams]

Give them a bath with Dawn soap [Lice Shampoo] in the first tub, white cider vinager in the 2nd tub for white birds and apple cider vinager for dark colored birds in the third tub just water

 

[southernsickles]

In my opinion the place to start making a bird look it's best for the show, is in the brood pen.All of the washing,grooming and spray's cant make a bad bird showable.Exhibition birds have to start from day one.First,you must make the right breeding decisions.Second you must provide the cleanest living conditions,Parasite control is a must,The best nutrition,Never over crowd the chicks as they are growing,and cull hard.It is alot of time and work but it is all worth it when you can put the best possible bird that you can in front of the judge's.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
That is point I wanted to make also................ start early if you want a good show bird from the inside out. Examples are start feeding for plumage early and as you know what birds you will be showing months before seperate them alone into a smooth lined pen to protect their plumage. Top dress their feed with a small amount of veggitable oil daily, give Boss as a scratch, feed good breeder conditioneer feed, condition leg's and feet with an moisturizing cream, pluck a few errant vent feathers, allow 6 wks for any new feather growth as a minimum, things like that.

 

[sutillman]

Do have one suggestion. Wear a wet suit! Have only gotten one chicken ready to show before and I was wetter than he was when it was all over!

 

[I-Have-Happy-Hens]

What do you use for breeder conditioneer feed?

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I use a high quality 28-30% game bird breeder/conditioner feed Purina mainly, and then do some custom mixing of other things to get them in top shape. Using a horse show sheen regularly on the feathers sprayed on once daily a few weeks prior to showing will help keep the feathers strong and plyable to keep from breaking off. Point deductions for broken feathers after all your hard work and it breaks a feather the day of the show really stinks but these things will help prevent it.

 

[stephanie1992]

i use to put Baby Bird formula as a top dressing on there feed, and mixed scratch with there feed everyday, always had food in front of them, use purina feeds only, got first on all my birds, washed two days before show, kept them on cedar bedding and washed heads with baby wipes, used bag balm on legs, comb. and wattles, mixed chicken vitamins in the water and held them everyday and brushed them with a silk scarf. and right before show i spot washed them with baby wipes

 

[al6517]

A common trick used to clean ducks feet and undersides if they get soiled at the show is to put them into a small tub 1/2 filled with water put the duck in the tub and put the lid on it with holes in it. The duck swims around happy as can be and cleans it's feet and belly by all the swimming and water churning.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Quote:
Do you dilute the vinegar in the second bucket, if not that sounds pretty strong