County fair--diseases and show prep questions

[RedheadErin]

We are showing our birds at the county fair this year. I could only find one picture of the poultry barn. Here it is:

As near as we can remember, the barns are long and skinny with 4 double rows of cages running lengthwise through them. The birds will be separated by species (ducks, chickens, etc) and penned in the barn for 6 days. All birds at the show will be tested in advance for Pularium-Typhoid. Each family farm will have an area for each species (all Smith chickens will be together near all the other chickens, all Smith's ducks will be together near the other ducks, and so on) and they will be placed as far from other Birds as space allows. Visitors will be able to wander through the barns from 10 am to 10 pm every day. The biggest farm there by far will be my neighbors, former home of Brigid the Wonder Chicken. Wr got Brigid last year before I knew about quarentine, and i just put her in the shed with the others. Nobody got sick that time.

How worried should I be about diseases? What can I do to help prevent them?


In other news, how do you get chickens clean for the show? Can you give them a bath? How do you make the white ones really white? And how do you get the poop off a poopy butt? A friend suggested feeding black oil sunflower seeds to make them nice and shiny. Any other ideas?

Also, I use big gallon feeders and waterers at home. What is a good cheap way to provide food and water for several small pens of birds? I have seen feeders and waterers made out of pop bottles but I can't find the parts on the internet. Does anybody know where to get them? My chickens know how to drink from a water nipple.

Any more tips for first-time exhibitors?

 

[brahmabreeder]

As far as quarantining the birds just keep the birds that you brought to fair separate from everyone else for like a week to a month. I would also wash your birds when you get them home and treat for lice/mites. Keep an eye on them for disease and treat accordingly. I know some people treat their birds before and after the shows but I only some times treat after the shows. For waters and feeders use half gallon milk jugs and cut them so the birds can get the food/water. I use shower curtain hanger things to hold them on the cage. I just bathed my chickens for fair today. I took and used dawn dish soap in one container. This was the first tub for washing. Then I used a tub with a bit of white vinegar in it to cut the soap from the washed bird. Last bucket is just plain water for general rinsing. To make white birds really white use liquid bluing in another tub. Only a few drops is needed. In the final rinse tub I used a tooth brush to scrub the face area and feet/shanks. To get poop off of butts take a rag in the wash bucket and scrub it off. If that doesn't works hold the bird and hose down the butt region. I had to do that to one of my birds.After they were completely dry I put vasaline on shanks/feet and comb, wattles and ear lobes. I also put powder on butts. The idea ( hope it works ) is that the powder will allow the poop to roll off without making fluff feathers dirty. I do feed B.O.S.S to my birds and it does seem to make feathers look more appealing. Tips just make sure for showmanship you know the parts of the head and wing. Those are the two main things the judge will ask about. Also know how to display the chickens tail. IF it diesn't want to push up on its shanks to it to display its tail. When the chicken is taken out of the cage the judge will check and see if you closed the door on the cage after you removed the chicken head first. Really alls you have to do is make sure you know your stuff and you will be fine. Good luck at the fair.

 

[RedheadErin]

How do you make them show their tail? We have mostly cockerels and pullets. The pullets have little bunny tails and the cockerels have about 2 feathers each. Unless I rob a feather duster, they won't have much to show at all!

 

[brahmabreeder]

Well if your birds don't have a tail for the most part I wouldn't be too concerned. Just in case you have to display one I'll tell you what to do. Take the bird and just hold it with one hand under the bird and one on top. Then you are going to try to kind of flip the birds tail in the air. Do this by tilting the birds head low and getting the tail higher than the head. Not sure if that made sense or not but its really quite easy. If your bird doesn't display it's tail like that then push up on it's shanks. I haven't had much success doing this but that's what a judge told me to do last year. I used to use my hand to spread out the bird's tail but the judges don't want you touching them ( the tail ). Just for a side note when displaying the wing keep your hand out of the way. Judges want to be able to see the top and the bottom while you are holding it. Last year when I was showing at the fair I was the only one to display the wing properly. Every one else would display it in a way that they would have their hand blocking the top or the bottom. Doing it their way they could only display part o the wing. Hope that isn't confusing.