Is 16 weeks too young to show??

[Eggcellent Adventure]

Hi,
Our welsummers will be 16 weeks when the county fair is here. Is that too young to show a pullet? it's a big fair, lots of birds, open show. Thanks!

 

[snowbird]

With Large fowl especially in a large show 16 weeks is much too young. Might work if she was 9-10 months old.

 

[tinychicky]

they'll probably be all right as long as they don't get spooked too easily. just specify that they are pullets so they are judged correctly.

 

[NYREDS]

Some bantams are ready to show at 16 weeks as they mature faster. At 16 weeks large fowl are not mature enough to show well. For one thing they will likely be below standard weight which would be a disqualifying factor.
Not sure what getting spooked has to do with your question.

 

[tinychicky]

well i wasn't sure if the OP was asking if the birds would be okay with it or if they'd do well in the show. most shows have four divisions: hen, cock, pullet and cockeral so if they were shown as pullets it think they'd be all right

 

[pips&peeps]

Most fairs have an age limit and generally it is 20 weeks. I think 16 weeks is too young.

Check the rules.

 

[sjarvis00]

In my opinion 16 weeks is too young as they are not filled out to represent the breed well. for pullets it is more ideal to time them for the show so that they are within a few weeks of point of lay. the bodies have filled out much more and they should be in thier first adult feathers.
It is always tough with LF as they tend to develop a little slower although some breeds do mature quicker than others.

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Pullets still have to meet breed standards in order to show successfully. One breed standard that can be a disqualifying factor is weight. It's unlikely that a 16 week old large fowl pullet will have reached standard weight. As a general rule 6 months is a minimum for a large fowl to be mature enough to show & for many large fowl breeds even that is too young.
Can you show them at 16 weeks? Sure. Is it likel;y they'll do well at 16 weeks? No, they won't be finished growing out & feathering out.

 

[TK Poultry]

I showed a bantam pullet at 15 weeks at took Reserve Champion Bantam at a county fair... three months later she took reserve AOCCL at an Open show. It depends on how mature they look,

 

[NYREDS]

I think you'll find I distinguished between bantams & large fowl. Some bantams may well be ready to show at this age but that's unlikely to be the case with large fowl. They take longer to mature. The OP asked about a large fowl.