There are shows, and then there are shows...

I do believe this started out to be educational for folks, now it seems to be turning ugly.......

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And i also belive that if you show at a poultry show and you at least get a circle 1 and not a DQ, Then that bird has the poteinal of a SQ. If the judges did not think so then they would DQ that bird, or not even look the bird over.

I believe this thread has veered off into different territory than Laura intended. The subject is local 4H type and county fair shows as opposed to APA sanctioned shows, not the difference between pets and livestock, so please let's get back to showing birds, okay?

Okay, I may be new here, but isn't this off topic? Not to mention being one of those conversations that tends to get ugly fast? Back to showing, where would I find info on which shows will be happening near me? I know that the Stockton show is coming up at the end of the month and have read that it is the largest California show. For all you regular show people, is this accurate? Assuming all goes well, is this the show that I should shoot for in 2011 or 2012? Are there others that I should be looking for in Northern California?

I firmly believe that those of us with Heritage breeds need to help educate the public about them. Showing our birds is one great way to do this! The more people interested, the more likely we are to save our Heritage breeds. The more new people that we can get involved with our rare breeds, the less likely they will become extinct, and showing is a great way to find new people who are interested. I already will talk to anyone interested about how important I think preserving our biodiversity is as well as answer questions at length to new and curious horse and dog people. We actually host a Dachshund Sunday In The Park gathering once a month for socializing our dogs, helping to educate the public about Doxies, not to mention helping to mentor new Doxie owners. I utilize Myspace, Facebook, and craigslist to help get the word out and it has definitely grown over the years. I wish that there was something here similar for chickens, but BYC is pretty close!! Thanks to all!!!

ETA: It took me too long to type this & didn't see the 3 posts right before mine posted.

IMO the best way to find out about shows near you is to subscribe to the monthly newspaper Poultry Press. It has coupons for $5 off Purina feed that will more than pay for the subscription if you use them every month.

See them here: http://www.poultrypress.com

Hope to see some of you at some shows this spring!

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Interesting point... given that the standard is so specific, it could be possible to create point totals for a bird.

I show horses in dressage, and it is scored in a similar fashion. Each competitor gets a score sheet at the end of the show, and from that score sheet, you know whether your ride was embarrassing, good, or stellar regardless of how many entries there were or what ribbon you were awarded. It also has the advantage of allowing for national comparisons of scores, even for people who live in an area where they are the only competitor at that level. The highest level competitions are judged by multiple judges at different locations around the arena, and the scores are averaged.

Now, this kind of judging takes time - the score sheets add about two minutes per competitor on a 5-6 minute performance - and so it's expensive and it limits how many entries can be judged in a day.

But, for example, it might be very appropriate at a National Championship meet to do a scorecard on the champion and reserve, and/or it might be a way to have some regional and variety comparisons - the best Silver-headed Eagledotte might be a 70 while the best Gold-headed Eagledotte might be an 89. And, scorecards like this, even if only used sparingly for a few top placings, might be very helpful in educating exhibitors about the good and bad qualities of each bird.

One thing I've noticed is that humans are very good at finding patterns that don't exist. I've seen someone say, "That judge only pins horses with white socks" and the judge has no idea that that is inadvertently so. But, if enough people notice that pattern, then at the next show, they'll bring more horses with white socks and leave the solid colors at home. I imagine this can be true with poultry as well, and sometimes cause people to see a preference that isn't there. For example, a judge might pin a chicken with an off-type tail because it is superior in every other way to the other birds being shown - and people watching the judging can easily form the conclusion that the placing was BECAUSE of the off-type tail instead of DESPITE the off-type tail, and start actively selecting for that shape, unaware that it was not desirable. A scorecard that shows 2/4 for tail shape creates a clarity that would otherwise not be present.

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I know nothing about anything, but there is a show in Eureka Feb 13/14 (http://www.humboldtpoultry.org/) and a show in Bakersfield March 6/7 (California Poultry Expo).

Smithzoo,

Stockton is indeed the largest show in CA, and perhaps on the west coast. I have met breeders there from all over the western states as well as from Canada. It is coming up soon and you should definitely go there this year to look over the birds. Dont hesitate to ask the owners of birds in show cages to tell you about the qualities of their birds. Most are happy to give share pointers on what to look for in stock. Sometimes, you'll even find that they have stock for sale.

There is also a large show in southern Washington (Elmira, I think) every spring. Many many other shows are held in CA from Sept through May or even into the summer, including Fresno, Humbolt county, Ventura, Paso Robles, Hollister, Bakersfield, etc. During the summer the shows are primarily state fair shows which have more of a 4H orientation with public exhibits. Also worth while visiting but, for me, they are too long (birds usually have to stay all week) and too hot.

Here is a link to the ABA calendar:
http://www.bantamclub.com/cgi-bin/abashows.cgi


Here is a sampling of some of the shows from the Central Coast Feather Fancier's website:

Saturday, September 12, 2009
CCFF Poultry Sale
(Central Coast Feather Fanciers)

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Santa Barbara County Fair Benefit Show

Saturday, October 10, 2009
Central Coast Feather Fanciers 24th Annual Show - Paso Robles Event Center
Sunday, October 11, 2009
CCFF 24th Annual Show - Paso Robles Event Center

Saturday, October 17, 2009
3rd Annual 4-H and Youth Poultry Show - Hosted by Placer County 4-H & El Dorado County 4-H

Saturday, October 24, 2009
Seaside Feather Fanciers Bash at the Beach VI (Ventura)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Seaside Feather Fanciers Bash at the Beach VI

Saturday, November 14, 2009
Golden Gate Bantam Club/Bakersfield Fancy Feathers Club Joint Double Show


Sunday, November 15, 2009
Golden Gate Bantam Club/Bakersfield Fancy Feathers Club Joint Double Show

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Northern Nevada Poultry Fanciers Association Show

Saturday, December 5, 2009
Pacific Coast Bantam Club Show

Saturday, January 16 2010
Gold Coast Poultry Fanciers Show (Hollister)

Sunday, January 17 2010
Gold Coast Poultry Fanciers Show

Saturday, January 30 2010
Pacific Poultry Breeders Association Show (STockton)

Sunday, January 31
Pacific Poultry Breeders Association Show

Saturday, February 13 2010
Humboldt Poultry Fanciers Association Show

Sunday, February 14
Humboldt Poultry Fanciers Association Show

Saturday, February 20
Greater California Society of Poultry Fanciers Show

Saturday, March 6
ABA Semi-Annual - Golden Gate Bantam Club/Bakersfield Fancy Feathers Club Joint Double Show

Sunday, March 7
ABA Semi-Annual - Golden Gate Bantam Club/Bakersfield Fancy Feathers Club Joint Double Show

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No. I have, on rare occassions, started a clas at 2nd & gone down from there because there wasn't a bird I thought was deserving of a 1st placing.

At my 4-H county's poultry show this past summer at the fair, there was only one non-bearded white silkie entered. It hardly looked like a silkie at all. The judge marked 3rd on its coop tag and wrote "not worthy of first". So, yes, a judge can award a bird lower than first if they do not measure of to the SOP.