Australians - Where are you all????

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'Spose I should pop in here and say hi since I'm half Aussie, half Kiwi, and currently living in Brisbane.
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We're new to BYC and new to chooks in general, having only bought 3 Australorps 6 weeks ago. The girls (Penny, Florin and Tuppence) have gone from being shy and quiet, to following me around the yard like I'm the mother hen, and they are well mannered around my toddler and baby as well. One is getting a bit too big for her boots since she gave us a couple of eggs this morning, but all in all I'm loving being a backyard chicken owner. :)

Now I'm off to read back a few pages and see who's who.
 
To answer your question Ducky, the bird was not taken from the cage, and I have seen this happen to other people. I'm with you in the handling, I know that birds have to be handled, but I always worry about the fact that there could be birds there with infections,and it is then passed on to your birds by an unsuspecting judge! Too pedantic? I don't know, I would NEVER take a bird to a show that was under the weather,and I am sure the majority of exhibitors are the same, but there would be the "win at all costs" owner. And birds are very good at hiding when they are sick so one could just slip past the stewards. To your original question, maybe we need more judges per show, out of interest how much does a judge cost a show -on average of course! I suppose that I should know the answer to that, but don't!

Oh, Hi Nonny,
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, nice to have you on board.
 
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The way we saw it being done is this....the 4H kids would stand next to their birds cage and when the judge got to them they would take their bird out of the cage and hold it for the judge to look at. Spread out a wing, hold out a foot etc then the judge would make notes and go back later to mark cards. Most of the emphasis was on showmanship. The Judge never touched any of the birds.
If the owner wasnt at the cage at the specified time then their bird wasn't judged.
Thing is this county fair went on for a full week! And a lot of the judging for livestock was done in the mornings before the spectators were allowed in, we just happened to get in through the exhibitors gate as we had an Aussie friend with us and she talked them into letting us in
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Hi Nonny
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You have a lot of reading you can catch up on... not just this thread- but the whole site.

Wooklet- last show I went to- the judge did notice a small swelling on one bird right up near the back of the beak in front of the eye- while she hurried off to wash her hands I had a closer look at the bird- and saw the tiniest bump- I wouldnt have noticed had it not been pointed out. So they do take caution at least when they know there is reason to. I did also see lice on one of the ducks- Thankfully in a pen far from where mine are. I do treat my birds as a precaution thoughout the year- but still it sent shivers down my spine to see it. Poor duckie...

I know that my club will pay for transport or a motel room when needed- and there is usually a donation made for their time as well.

ChooksinChoppers - thats a brilliant idea - Out here the rules are that any junior has to pen there birds - and thats it. Often by the time of judging they are off at some sports event or music lessons or something. The birds my daughter shows are ones she feeds every day- she has chosen them from ones we have hatched as well as a few ring-ins. I am letting her show one of my drakes this year. Juniors cannot show the same breed as an adult from the same household- so she has a Cinnamon drake and I have the Harlequins. I know she has had a lot of input into the lives of these birds- but i know there are people out there that go and buy the best birds money can buy for their juniors to enter in shows- and putting them in the cages is the only time the kids go near the birds. Puts a bad taste in y9our mouth when you see those kids take home a load of trophies when you know they dont really deserve them.
 
http://www.4-h.org/youth-developmen...e-programs/agriculture-plant-animal-sciences/

That link is to just the agricultural side of 4H ...I didnt realise they had so many other programs for the kids as well. For the Horse show side as we went along the aisle of the horse barn there were posters featuring Parts of the horse, cycle of worms and other parasites, Parts of the hoof, Types of tack, Feed storage, different grains shown etc etc. Then when they show they have to dress properly and show their horse in a professional manner.
 
Went to another show today. I wasnt terribly impressed with the organisation. Having just been show secretary for my own clubs show- when I emailed in my entries a few weeks ago- I asked for a confirmation email.. So how in the %^&**(% after responding t say they had received my bookings- could I turn up today to find they havent entered my birds. I was as polite as I could be. The woman sent her husband off to try and find cages- and overcharged me for for my pens. My birds were judged- I could see pen marks made by the judge on the little plastic pen number holders. A one and a two... but the card for the duck that came second was placed on the cage of my duck that was not awarded with a place. Lunch time came around- and my daughter was overcharged when paying.

How so many things could have been so wrong today is beyond me!! I mean the woman couldnt even use a calculator to work out my pen fees- when It was easy to work out 5 x $2.75.. Placing a card on a wrong pen?? OMG people- you wrote pen three on the card- but put it on cage one!!
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Ok rant over- it was just so annoying since I have done all these jobs at shows and ITS NOT HARD to get right.

On a positive note..I do have a rather nice ribbon to add to the collection. I spoke to 4 other top breeders and judges- and got some very positive feedback on my favorite girl. ( who was placed second today ) So at least i know I am heading in the right direction with my breeding.
 

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