Drawbacks to Showing Chickens?

[NateinFL]

Right, so when you bring them home from the shows do you Lysol everything and how long do you keep them away from your stock at home, and how far away do you keep them from each other?

 

[chickendales]

s ou want start breeding in the spring to have birds ready for fall winter showluckly u dont have to deal with winter

 

[NateinFL]

well for the cock birds, they take much longer to develop to mature plumage than my hens, so I would say they should be hatched at least a full year before the show and the hens, 8 months. i'm not sure about other breeds as these are the only type I deal with.

 

[chickendales]

Quote:
cockerls and pullets have be under a year old

 

[chickendales]

other wise the cocks and hens

 

[chickendales]

i have cage i keep birds in that im getting ready or show milie rooster probly need 2by2 pen to keep his feathers nice

 

[NateinFL]

Well I'm totally new to the showing aspect, but I get it now...if you enter it as a hen, it must be a year old, but it must be entered as a pullet if under a year, my question is who would know the difference? An 8 month old looks very similar to a 12 month old.

 

[chickendales]

yes at that age it is hard

 

[NateinFL]

Wow, what a small space, but I think I need to invest in similar cages, right now mine are out running with the girls, breaking all their feet feathers in the process, I hate to pen them up like that to ready them for show but it sounds like that's what needs to be one if it's going to be done right.

 

[chickendales]

but after that u start to tell if u put a cock in cockerl class he got spirs u know he older and hen start to lay and if hen female area realy stretched out or he nails are long or may things to tell age