California - Northern

[h2oratt]

I don't have any chicks. Just young birds. It is very hard to find show quality chicks. Any chick you get may or may not grow up to be show quality.

 

[centralcaligirl]

Hi all, haven't been on in a long while. I have a friend whose daughter is doing 4H and needs 2 youngish chicks that would be show quality. She needs to raise and show them. I don't have any experience with this, so I'm not sure where to point her. Anyone close to Tracy have anything??

It sounds like the chicks are for the poultry showmanship competition, in which case the handler is being judged, not the chickens. She will be judged on how she raises and shows them, not on the show quality of birds themselves, so pretty much any healthy, well groomed chicken will do. She might consider a breed that is relatively calm and not very heavy, as she will have to stand and hold and pose the bird for some time. Bantams could be good, or a smaller standard breed such as Dominiques. Avoid the really large breeds that could be harder to handle because of their size, especially if she is a younger child. You can google the UC Davis 4H poultry showmanship guidelines for the exact requirements for the birds.

 

[ronott1]

It sounds like the chicks are for the poultry showmanship competition, in which case the handler is being judged, not the chickens. She will be judged on how she raises and shows them, not on the show quality of birds themselves, so pretty much any healthy, well groomed chicken will do. She might consider a breed that is relatively calm and not very heavy, as she will have to stand and hold and pose the bird for some time. Bantams could be good, or a smaller standard breed such as Dominiques. Avoid the really large breeds that could be harder to handle because of their size, especially if she is a younger child. You can google the UC Davis 4H poultry showmanship guidelines for the exact requirements for the birds.

Thanks for helping!

 

[Honora]

Hi all, haven't been on in a long while. I have a friend whose daughter is doing 4H and needs 2 youngish chicks that would be show quality. She needs to raise and show them. I don't have any experience with this, so I'm not sure where to point her. Anyone close to Tracy have anything??

I have a couple of jubilee orpington chicks but they could grow up to be quite big.

 

[centralcaligirl]

Thanks for helping!

My tiny daughter raised a huge Austrolorp this year and she's way to big for my daughter to show! So we are adding some bantams next year ourselves

 

[h2oratt]

I have some beautiful polish young birds.

 

[Birdlady141]

Exactly on point centralcalgirl.
4-H showmanship is about their knowledge and handling of the bird not it's quality. The bird will be judged in confirmation also but not as a part of their showmanship score. That being said it costs as much to feed a lesser quality chick.
The big Poultry show is coming up in Modesto, used to be the Stockton show. I've only been to a few shows but there have been young bird for sale at them.
Breeds that have worked well for my daughter are Old English Game Bantams, Dutch Bantams, Brahma Bantams, D'anvers are good little birds for showmanship also.
Breeds I would shy away from are Sebrights and Andalusians. Polish can fall into this category also but only because it is so easy to sneak up and startle them. Polish that have been handled and worked with can do very well.

 

[ronott1]

Exactly on point centralcalgirl.
4-H showmanship is about their knowledge and handling of the bird not it's quality. The bird will be judged in confirmation also but not as a part of their showmanship score. That being said it costs as much to feed a lesser quality chick.
The big Poultry show is coming up in Modesto, used to be the Stockton show. I've only been to a few shows but there have been young bird for sale at them.
Breeds that have worked well for my daughter are Old English Game Bantams, Dutch Bantams, Brahma Bantams, D'anvers are good little birds for showmanship also.
Breeds I would shy away from are Sebrights and Andalusians. Polish can fall into this category also but only because it is so easy to sneak up and startle them. Polish that have been handled and worked with can do very well.

Very helpful!

Do you have pictures from the show?

 

[centralcaligirl]

Exactly on point centralcalgirl.
4-H showmanship is about their knowledge and handling of the bird not it's quality. The bird will be judged in confirmation also but not as a part of their showmanship score. That being said it costs as much to feed a lesser quality chick.
The big Poultry show is coming up in Modesto, used to be the Stockton show. I've only been to a few shows but there have been young bird for sale at them.
Breeds that have worked well for my daughter are Old English Game Bantams, Dutch Bantams, Brahma Bantams, D'anvers are good little birds for showmanship also.
Breeds I would shy away from are Sebrights and Andalusians. Polish can fall into this category also but only because it is so easy to sneak up and startle them. Polish that have been handled and worked with can do very well.

Thank you that is very helpful! I know almost nothing about the bantam breeds so it's good to know what has worked for other kids.

We met another 4H youth at the state fair this year who is breeding nankins, and my daughter loved them, so we might try to get a few of them and one other bantam breed to create a little bantam flock for showmanship.

I have to say I love the look of the Brahma Bantams. They are really beautiful.

 

[Birdlady141]

Nankins are another good little breed, they have both rose and single combed varieties. They do not require dubbing unlike OEG's males. Nankins are known for their brooding abilities, and can get quite protective of eggs and chicks. I don't see that as a bad trait though. If I have to deal with a grumpy Mom I would rather a bantam than an 8 pound hen.
Your Poultry leader may have contacts for local breeders also. We are hours away from anyone who breeds and she has LF Ameraucanas, not a breed DD was interested in. She wanted the silver Phoenix from GA.