Our County Fair has the usual selection of large and bantam SOP breeds. It also has market classes: Roasters, Broilers and your own meat-type crosses. Broilers are described as 3 young birds, 2-5 pounds each, heavier is better as long as you do not go over or under the range. Uniform birds, Firm fleshed and clean/well-managed. The boys worked hard to meet that description.
The judge at our fair found that my son's broiler pen more closely matched the standard for a broiler pen than any SOP bird there matched the breed's SOP description. He therefore wanted to give the "Best of Show" to the broiler pen. No one had heard of this before, and some families were upset. My sons and I explained the long-standing tradition of our show where the Champion Broilers would be auctioned for a great deal of money and "Best of Show" really needed to go to an SOP breed individual animal rather than a pen of future-meals that are only 42 days old. The judge graciously honored our request, and gave "Best of Show" to a very nice white silkie instead. We have no regrets.
I do wonder if the market classes are generally allowed to win "Best of Show". I had never seen it at any County Fair. What do others do? What do you think? It seems logical as a thought process, but gives way too much credit for the amount of work and time involved. I might feel differently if we were responsible for the breeding and genetics of the birds, but the chicks were given to us to raise and present. We may have done that well, but "Best of Show" seems rather higher praise than deserved.
In any case, we are VERY flattered and pleased to know we did so well, and will use the auction money to improve our poultry project work.
The judge at our fair found that my son's broiler pen more closely matched the standard for a broiler pen than any SOP bird there matched the breed's SOP description. He therefore wanted to give the "Best of Show" to the broiler pen. No one had heard of this before, and some families were upset. My sons and I explained the long-standing tradition of our show where the Champion Broilers would be auctioned for a great deal of money and "Best of Show" really needed to go to an SOP breed individual animal rather than a pen of future-meals that are only 42 days old. The judge graciously honored our request, and gave "Best of Show" to a very nice white silkie instead. We have no regrets.
I do wonder if the market classes are generally allowed to win "Best of Show". I had never seen it at any County Fair. What do others do? What do you think? It seems logical as a thought process, but gives way too much credit for the amount of work and time involved. I might feel differently if we were responsible for the breeding and genetics of the birds, but the chicks were given to us to raise and present. We may have done that well, but "Best of Show" seems rather higher praise than deserved.
In any case, we are VERY flattered and pleased to know we did so well, and will use the auction money to improve our poultry project work.
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