Egg Swiping at Shows

[rodriguezpoultry]

Eggs laid become the property of the show staff. That being said, who is to say that the show staff do NOT take the eggs home and incubate them?



If you take without asking, you're stealing. Plain and simple. It's why I sit at my bird's coops all day when they're at the show. I wouldn't worry about it personally, especially since it was so long ago, but think twice the next time. Try and consider how hard some people worked, skimped and saved to get their breeder birds.

Anyway, I'm not bashing you, just wanting to let you know my opinion on this one.

 

[Sillystunt]

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yeah......what she said!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

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That's me.

At my state fair last year, I never left the tent once and stayed with my pullet all through the show, which lasted about 7 hours. She probably isn't worth much (although she is to me), but after hearing so much about people having birds stolen, I wasn't going to risk being a product of that truth.

Stealing eggs is one thing, but stealing birds is just disgusting.

 

[CityChicker]

The whole issue of stealing the egg aside, I cannot believe the number of people that think it is acceptable to stick their hands in another exhibitor's cage. Really, that just stuns me. I showed for years. I know how showing "works". All that said, unless a person is the show superintendent or volunteering (like as part of the host club), you have no business sticking your hands in someone's cage to do something like retrieve an egg. That is just my opinion. One of the biggest reasons I don't currently show is because of the disease risk. I certainly wouldn't want some random stranger that is attending the show putting their hands in my bird's cage to get an egg to turn over to the show staff.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

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My thoughts exactly. Id be pretty p'd if I saw somebody reaching in one of my cages.

 

[ChooksChick]

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That's the thing!! I'm telling you... the plague!!

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Well, I'm not sure I want to say this but usually, the birds I show are also in breeding pens up until I wash them for the show. I'm on a rail this last year or two trying to make numbers AND still get to some shows. So I DO try to collect my OWN eggs from the cages. I hate it when people poke fingers and such into cages. But I was at a show last winter, and Bobbi Porto was standing nearby when this spectator was opening cages and putting his hands on the birds. I kind of freaked out but gave it a second to see what he was doing, it was my bird he was doing it to. He was just petting them I guess. I asked him not to do it, just about the same time Bobbi said something. Very strange man, he wandered around petting chickens that day.

Redcatcher, I would have been shocked to have that little chick drop out of that hen, LOL. I hope it was OK! That would be something to see.

I feel it's very wrong for collected eggs to be auctioned off by a show committee. That's someone else's hard work, if in fact they are at all fertile. Most of the shows I frequent I know the show committees, and they are reputable people who when they say they are going to destroy the eggs, they destroy the eggs. I think it's only fair. If the eggs don't go to the owner, they shouldn't go to anyone unless the owner chooses to do so.

Several years ago there was a big to-do down in south FL I guess where someone stole eggs, hatched out chicks and showed against the original breeder. Bragged about it too. I don't know who, or even what breed, I wasn't there but that would be pretty arrogant if you ask me. I've had young seramas stolen at a show before, it hurts. And I know it seems to be happening more often. I've gotten to where if at all possible, I'll wait to coop in until the day of the show, not the night before. I have removed my most prized birds overnight during a two day show just because I'd rather loose an award than loose the bird if it came to that.

 

[redhen]

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I 100% agree!

 

[Penturner]

I will say that this thread gives me a lot to think about when it comes to considering shows. The egg thing could actually be anything from a minor who really cares to a fairly big issue. I have seen several birds sell at auction for over $300 in the past couple of weeks. What if it had been the hen to those birds that laid the egg? Some birds, and a show would tend to be magnet for them, have had a lot of money time and effort put into getting to the quality that they are. I know I would not appreciate anyone just walking off with the product of my money and effort in some cases. In many many other cases it really is a so what issue. If I where truly concerned about protecting my genetics I simply would not allow a hen to be fertile when at a show. The breeder that I know of that have the greatest reason to protect their genetics would never consider being in a show. Heck they will not even allow you in their facilities. They do not even want people to know how their cages are built or how they are fed and watered.

What is involved in being able to get your hand on an egg brings up a completely different set of concerns. One that visitors have access to the cages at all. If eggs can be stolen so can birds. I also would be seriously concerned about diseases. this would actually be my biggest concern if it where someone going through the cages taking eggs from various hens. that is simply a basic no no in animal husbandry. I also have the picture in my head of the small child walking along poking his finger in each and every cage just out of basic childlike fidgety behavior.

As for issues of confession and sin. I wouldn't hold anyone's opinion to seriously if they are not capable of grasping the topic of a conversation as simple as this one.

Thanks for starting this topic though, I have learned a lot from it about what is allowed at shows and what can go on. I would never have thought you could get into a cage to take and egg before reading it.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

As I said before, if it is listed in the show rules that eggs laid at the show belong to the show, then either accept it or don't show there. But it is a pretty universal rule. If you don't like it, you can complain, but don't expect the rule to be changed for that specific show; maybe for the next one.

No one but the exhibitor, judges or show staff should ever be opening cages (emergencies aside). However, sometimes you may not know who all is show staff. At our show last February, we had a 4H group help with feeding and watering birds. If someone hadn't known better, they might have thought that kids were messing with birds.