Exibition Chickens

[Bo Garrett]

If you are looking for true exhibition birds that adhere to the American Standard of Perfection or the American Bantam Standard you should find a reputable breeder of the breed/variety in which you are interested. There are many good poultry breeders that are willing to part with their stock to those who seriously want to work with the birds but they tend to be aprehensive about selling to fly by night individuals who quickly get and then get rid of birds for the next newest fad.
I do not recommend online sales, auctions, craig's list or others unless you personnally know the person selling the birds and they state that they will stand behind the quality of the birds you recieve. Beware of birds/chicks/eggs advertized as exhibition or show quality this is usually a suspect campaign to move birds quickly and ends up in buyer disappointment.
I recommend you buy birds that you can inspect in person prior to the purchase so as to accept or decline the birds based upon their merits. Get a subscription to the Poultry Press at www.poultrypress.com and learn who is winning with the breed that intrests you, then contact them and plan a visit to purchase some birds.

Blessings,


Bo Garrett

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Or just save yourself some heartache and buy from Bo!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: If you want birds that will exhibit well, you need to purchase from breeders. This can be from people you contact at shows you attend, that advertise in Poultry Press, that you see on BYC. Birds from Craigslist, feed stores and ads in a local paper are very unlikely to be show worthy.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

If you want birds that will exhibit well, you need to purchase from breeders. This can be from people you contact at shows you attend, that advertise in Poultry Press, that you see on BYC. Birds from Craigslist, feed stores and ads in a local paper are very unlikely to be show worthy.

I have gotten some very good chickens from craigslist. One guy that i bought my three gold laced was a breeder he just wanted to get down to about twenty chickens instead of the 200 he had. And another i guy that i got my black cochin bantam hens from bought and sold chickens to people and these also turned out to be good birds. i never say i will buy a chicken untill i see and check. i look at health, feathers, comb, beck, toenails, and size. Also my best show chicken that won 1st, champion, and reserve showmanship at county fair and 1st at state fair and best variety in her classs at a show in lebanon and she was a $3.00 chick from rural king.

 

[sumi]

Ya it is kind of hard to remember, i couldnt think of anything else. I also thought it had to be chicken related. I was goign to change it but i dont know how. Thanks

If you want to change it, PM one of the mods and ask him/her to change it to whatever you choose. I think you can only do this once though. Just make sure the name you choose hasn't been taken before you put the request in..

 

[NYREDS]

I have gotten some very good chickens from craigslist. One guy that i bought my three gold laced was a breeder he just wanted to get down to about twenty chickens instead of the 200 he had. And another i guy that i got my black cochin bantam hens from bought and sold chickens to people and these also turned out to be good birds. i never say i will buy a chicken untill i see and check. i look at health, feathers, comb, beck, toenails, and size. Also my best show chicken that won 1st, champion, and reserve showmanship at county fair and 1st at state fair and best variety in her classs at a show in lebanon and she was a $3.00 chick from rural king.

On another thread you lament the fact that your birds are not of good quality & ask for advise on getting started with good birds. Here, you get good advice from some experienced people & you argue with them. The sources you cite are not going to provide you with birds that do well in open shows. Winning a Showmanship class at a County Fair is nice but it's a long way from winning in an open show.
Instead of continuing to collect a variety of $3 chickens you'd be better served by first learning to identify quality in the breed you're interested in. For example, you offer your Black Cochin Bantams as "good birds" but the picture of one of them on another thread doesn't make that appear to be the case. From that picture I have to take your word for the fact that the picture is of a Cochin Bantam. The type is so poor I wouldn't have guessed Cochin.
Back up a few squares: buy a copy of the Standard of Perfection, go to a couple of open shows & really look at the birds on display talk to the exhibitors, then you'll be in a better position to start buying birds. If you do some homework in advance it will save you time in the long run, money & disappointment.

 

[1muttsfan]

"good birds" and "show quality" are very different. Investing in excellent stock is more expensive than the $3 bird from the feed store, but remember the seller has many more dollars invested in time, stock, and feed to produce that much better than pretty good bird. Most people who do this get little financial reward, their reward is the satisfaction of producing and excellent bird, and the enjoyment that raising chickens brings them.

 

[saladin]

1. Shows
2. SPPA Breeders Directory
3. Through individual breed clubs


Though you might luck up here are the places I'd stay away from (generally speaking as there are exceptions):
1. Swaps (unless run by a local Club or Show
2. Ebay
3. Craig's list and the like

Real Breeders can be located. If you'll attend a local show and talk to folks they'll point you in the right direction as will SPPA members.

 

[saladin]

"good birds" and "show quality" are very different. Investing in excellent stock is more expensive than the $3 bird from the feed store, but remember the seller has many more dollars invested in time, stock, and feed to produce that much better than pretty good bird. Most people who do this get little financial reward, their reward is the satisfaction of producing and excellent bird, and the enjoyment that raising chickens brings them.

There is real truth stated here. I will go further though. If just starting out in the Exhibition world then expect to pay money for birds (hatching eggs are the cheapest way to go if you can get them: personally I don't sell hatching eggs). After you have been at it a few years and prove that you have both staying power and a love for the birds then you'll find breeders who will give you better qualtiy birds than you paid top dollar for, but that ain't going to happen when you first walk in the door nor should it.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'll add that real breeders who sell through Craigslist or local ads or to feed stores typically are looking to get rid of birds that are not up to exhibition standards. There are plenty of folks who simply want birds for eggs, meat or simple enjoyment, and their meeting the standard is not something they really care about. Birds that are up to standard are kept, sold at shows or through exhibition poultry connections.