Best breed choice for 4-H?

[New2Chicks97]

My daughter is 10 and is in love with our chickens. She would love to join a local 4-H group and have a couple of “show” chickens.

My daughter loves our Easter Eggers and specifically one pullet who is gorgeous but I have told her that as much as she loves them they aren’t show birds because they are the “mutts” of the chicken world.

I am looking for breed suggestions for show birds that would be easy for a child to work with. I don’t know enough about breed standards but once we choose a breed I am willing to dive in and figure all of that out. Would Ameraucanas be a good choice? Cream Legbar? Marans? Faverolles?

Is it best to obtain birds from breeders rather than hatcheries for showing? I really like the looks of Faverolles but haven’t seen any available locally so would have to order those from somewhere. Can you get birds that are decent quality from hatcheries? There are farms/breeders for Ameraucanas, Cream Legbars & Marans locally.

We live in Eastern Washington and have pretty balanced weather so only really hot in the 100’s for a week or two tops usually 80’s-90’s. In the winter we do get snow and days that are in the 0’s occasionally but mostly 30’s when it is cold. We do have radiant heaters for the coop to keep them from getting too cold.

I do plan on talking to adults and kids from the local club we are thinking about having her join at the local fair this fall. I figure they would be able to help with some advice.

 

[JedJackson]

Both Ameraucanas and Faverolles look somewhat similar to Easter eggers in that they have beards and muffs, so your daughter would probably like either. Faverolles are a little more fragile but I think they can handle the weather in E. Washington. Ameraucanas can take most climate conditions in stride.

Faverolles are more gentle and probably easier to tame and handle, but they are heavier than Easter eggers and Ameraucanas. So it depends on what you both decide you want.

Cream Legbars and Marans are nice, too, but I think you are less likely to get show birds from those breeds and are likelier to pay more for them because both are fairly new on the scene in America. But again, it depends on what you want.

It's also worth mentioning that solid colored birds usually do better in shows than multi colored birds. You generally don't have to worry about shafting or other color defects with them, and can focus on size and shape.

If I were recommending a breed for children it would probably be a bantam like black or buff Cochin. They are mellow, easy to handle, readily available, and a real pleasure to work with. They aren't as fragile as they look, either. But if egg or meat production is important to you, then bantams aren't the best bet.

Now, as far as hatcheries versus breeders go, reputable breeders who know the Standard and breed for it are the best bet. It is still no guarantee that chicks you buy from them will be show quality, but it's much more likely. And many good breeders will ship chicks, so they don't necessarily have to be local. Being local is good but you still need to know the parent stock is quality, and the only way to know that is to see the parents and see how well they conform to the Standard of Perfection, a book you will definitely need to have and study if you are serious about showing, even if it's just in county fairs.

There are a lot of shysters out there, and a lot of crazy chicken hoarders, so you need to be very careful. This website is an excellent resource for weeding out the weirdos. If you see an ad for the chickens you want or find a breeder, local or not, you can post as much information as you can get in one of the forums and ask if the breeder seems knowledgeable, before buying from that person. You can probably even post pictures of the breeder's parent stock, if available, and get critiques from BYC members.

Hopefully the group you are thinking about joining will have good, local information for you and can give you both a good start. Best of luck!

 

[New2Chicks97]

I found someone that had two silkies that she is going to give my daughter for her 4-H project. We are working on building them a small coop so they can be separated from our big girls. I don’t want them to pick on the Silkies.

 

[KendallMetz]

Silkies are super popular and easy for kids to handle. As long as you find a quality breeder they are great. If they meet most standards but aren’t quality then they tend to be fragile in my experience.

 

[New2Chicks97]

Unless she's only going to do Showmanship, you'll want breeder birds rather than hatchery birds. My idea would be to put feelers out locally and see who you have breeding good birds toward the standard in your area, and then go from there. Not as fun to get set on a certain breed and then find out the closest breeder to you is 500 miles away. Unless of course you plan to buy chicks and have them shipped.

Thanks for the information. I know there are some breeders locally for quite a few of the breed we were originally considering. I know that my daughter would probably want to do both showmanship and breed class as well. I don’t mind having chicks shipped if I have to but I prefer to find them locally if I can as that would be easier.

 

[New2Chicks97]

I showed rabbits in my youth, and what I know is that you have to find a breed they love. Most people wouldn't pick out Checkered Giants (they are huge) for a tiny ten year old girl, but I was fearless, they were what I loved & what I was passionate about. It's fair time around here, you could take her and let her look at the chickens and see what stands out to her. Seeing them in person is so much different than seeing pictures. Within reason of course, they still have to fit in your criteria too. Once you narrow down the breeds I would recommend checking the breed club websites for local breeders, and make sure you get from an NPIP certified one. My twelve year old really wants a chicken to show next year, so we've been trying to navigate this too. He has his heart set on a French Black Copper Marans rooster, I'm not 100% sure why, but it's what he loves.

I agree that desire plays a big part in being invested in 4-H and showing. I showed goats. We started off with Nubian diary goats and those weren’t my thing but then I found Pygmy goats and loved them.

It is good that you son knows what he wants. My daughter likes a little bit of everything. Her favorites of the chickens we have are the Easter Eggers that is why I was thinking Ameraucanas because they do have a similar look. She is a big 10 year old so the size of the chicken wouldn’t be an obstacle or issue.

I know at least two of the breeders locally have said they are APA & NPIP.

Mostly I just want my daughter to have a good experience and enjoy her chickens.

 

[New2Chicks97]

Both Ameraucanas and Faverolles look somewhat similar to Easter eggers in that they have beards and muffs, so your daughter would probably like either. Faverolles are a little more fragile but I think they can handle the weather in E. Washington. Ameraucanas can take most climate conditions in stride.

Faverolles are more gentle and probably easier to tame and handle, but they are heavier than Easter eggers and Ameraucanas. So it depends on what you both decide you want.

Cream Legbars and Marans are nice, too, but I think you are less likely to get show birds from those breeds and are likelier to pay more for them because both are fairly new on the scene in America. But again, it depends on what you want.

It's also worth mentioning that solid colored birds usually do better in shows than multi colored birds. You generally don't have to worry about shafting or other color defects with them, and can focus on size and shape.

If I were recommending a breed for children it would probably be a bantam like black or buff Cochin. They are mellow, easy to handle, readily available, and a real pleasure to work with. They aren't as fragile as they look, either. But if egg or meat production is important to you, then bantams aren't the best bet.

Now, as far as hatcheries versus breeders go, reputable breeders who know the Standard and breed for it are the best bet. It is still no guarantee that chicks you buy from them will be show quality, but it's much more likely. And many good breeders will ship chicks, so they don't necessarily have to be local. Being local is good but you still need to know the parent stock is quality, and the only way to know that is to see the parents and see how well they conform to the Standard of Perfection, a book you will definitely need to have and study if you are serious about showing, even if it's just in county fairs.

There are a lot of shysters out there, and a lot of crazy chicken hoarders, so you need to be very careful. This website is an excellent resource for weeding out the weirdos. If you see an ad for the chickens you want or find a breeder, local or not, you can post as much information as you can get in one of the forums and ask if the breeder seems knowledgeable, before buying from that person. You can probably even post pictures of the breeder's parent stock, if available, and get critiques from BYC members.

Hopefully the group you are thinking about joining will have good, local information for you and can give you both a good start. Best of luck!

Thanks you the insight . I really appreciate it

 

[BirdGirl2004]

I agree with KendallMetz! Silkies are beautiful, and have great temperaments for kids to handle. I've had a couple and they are the sweetest things to show, especially when showing it in front of a judge. My personal favorites are the white ones, but you can get other colors too! Here are a couple pics:

Good luck, hope this helps!

 

[Mosey2003]

Unless she's only going to do Showmanship, you'll want breeder birds rather than hatchery birds. My idea would be to put feelers out locally and see who you have breeding good birds toward the standard in your area, and then go from there. Not as fun to get set on a certain breed and then find out the closest breeder to you is 500 miles away. Unless of course you plan to buy chicks and have them shipped.

 

[LibbyR]

With showmanship you really want to use your most easy going and best bird. It can be any breed it just has to be calm and not flighty. Like someone said a rooster might not be a good choice unless he’s calm.