Getting baby chicks for show!

[sunny_bellyboo]

Sounds like a plan.

Congrats! Will these be birds you want to show in APA and ABA sanctioned shows? If so, I'd avoid getting them from a hatchery because they will not be competitive.

If they're for 4H shows only, I'm not sure how those are judged, so hatchery stock may be okay and competitive in that realm

The birds should look like this, correct?



(These are pictures a friend sent me from google)
@21hens-incharge @chickenmaster4131 @ducclesfromthehart @Bantam underground @BantamBabies @Bantambird @BantamBonzo @Bantamgirl715 @bantamgirl91 @Bantamma @BantamMama @BantammChick @Bantambird

 

[Azeria]

Those pictures are a good example of the breed, but I don't know how well they would do at a show.
The d'Uccle club is a great source to find the breed and and color standard.
http://www.belgianduccle.org/

 

[sunny_bellyboo]

Those pictures are a good example of the breed, but I don't know how well they would do at a show.
The d'Uccle club is a great source to find the breed and and color standard.
http://www.belgianduccle.org/

Thanks so much but we order from a high quality hatchery(my 4-H group) and I'm sure that they'll be of show quality. I just wanted to know if the pictures were accurate representations of the breed. Sorry if I seem bitter, I just wanted to make it clear

 

[Pyxis]

Guys when should I get them? I 100% have to get them before the end of May! Should I wait last minute so they look younger, and otherwise healthier? Or should I get them soon so they are mature, match the breeds requirements, and are easier to handle? Please suggest which one I should do!

I wish I could help, but I've never done 4H so I'm not sure what would be better. For an APA show, I'd want my birds to be older.

Thanks so much but we order from a high quality hatchery(my 4-H group) and I'm sure that they'll be of show quality. I just wanted to know if the pictures were accurate representations of the breed. Sorry if I seem bitter, I just wanted to make it clear

There's never a guarantee of show quality, no matter where you buy the chicks. Even if you bought from an APA Master Breeder whose birds had won grand champion at shows and were the parents of the chicks you bought, there'd still be no guarantee.

There's something called the "Ten Percent Rule". In the words of Rip Stalvey, an APA judge, for every 10 birds produced, only 1 is worth keeping. For every 100 birds, 10 will be good breeding stock. For every 1,000 birds, Stalvey says that 100 will be decent, and 1 will be an 'absolute knock-out bird'.

Hatcheries sell every single chick they hatch, so all the ones that aren't decent are going out too, and it's impossible to make sure you're getting the ten chicks out of 100 that will be decent and not the 90 that won't.

But if everyone in your 4H chapter is getting hatchery stock, then since you are only competing against other hatchery stock, it doesn't matter so much. I just wanted to explain what I meant when I said show quality before and why I said you're very unlikely to get a competitive show quality bird from a hatchery.

Those pictures you posted are indeed d'uccles, but since I personally don't breed them and know the breed standard, I couldn't say if they would be competitive at an APA/ABA sanctioned show. I've never done 4H either so I can't say if they'll be competitive in that type of show either, sorry!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I don’t know how showing in your country works or how 4-H works either but as for when to get your chicks, work it out so that they’ll be at the very least 5-6 months old before you show them, males should be a few months older.

Usually by that age you get a half decent idea of what a birds potential is going to be and if it has any faults. One thing you won’t know for certain though showing at that age is that they can get unexpected odd coloured feathers appear after their first full moult. So a bird that is correctly feathered at 5 months can look totally different the year after and not be correct for showing.

Also, since you are getting straight run, I’d suggest separating males from the females once sexable if you are wanting to show them at such an age. Young hormonal males can damage the females and their own feathers on the run up to a show.

 

[sunny_bellyboo]

I don’t know how showing in your country works or how 4-H works either but as for when to get your chicks, work it out so that they’ll be at the very least 5-6 months old before you show them, males should be a few months older.

Usually by that age you get a half decent idea of what a birds potential is going to be and if it has any faults. One thing you won’t know for certain though showing at that age is that they can get unexpected odd coloured feathers appear after their first full moult. So a bird that is correctly feathered at 5 months can look totally different the year after and not be correct for showing.

Also, since you are getting straight run, I’d suggest separating males from the females once sexable if you are wanting to show them at such an age. Young hormonal males can damage the females and their own feathers on the run up to a show.

thanks so much!!!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

thanks so much!!!

No problem

 

[NNYchick]

I wish I could help, but I've never done 4H so I'm not sure what would be better. For an APA show, I'd want my birds to be older.


There's never a guarantee of show quality, no matter where you buy the chicks. Even if you bought from an APA Master Breeder whose birds had won grand champion at shows and were the parents of the chicks you bought, there'd still be no guarantee.

There's something called the "Ten Percent Rule". In the words of Rip Stalvey, an APA judge, for every 10 birds produced, only 1 is worth keeping. For every 100 birds, 10 will be good breeding stock. For every 1,000 birds, Stalvey says that 100 will be decent, and 1 will be an 'absolute knock-out bird'.

Hatcheries sell every single chick they hatch, so all the ones that aren't decent are going out too, and it's impossible to make sure you're getting the ten chicks out of 100 that will be decent and not the 90 that won't.

But if everyone in your 4H chapter is getting hatchery stock, then since you are only competing against other hatchery stock, it doesn't matter so much. I just wanted to explain what I meant when I said show quality before and why I said you're very unlikely to get a competitive show quality bird from a hatchery.

Those pictures you posted are indeed d'uccles, but since I personally don't breed them and know the breed standard, I couldn't say if they would be competitive at an APA/ABA sanctioned show. I've never done 4H either so I can't say if they'll be competitive in that type of show either, sorry!

4H is different than apa/Aba it’s more about handling, interacting and caring for poultry, quality is not judged. Some judges will ask you about the breed, history And really like when the kids know breed standard and can talk about or point out their birds faults to standard. It’s a fun introduction https://extension.psu.edu/programs/...nformation/guidelines-for-poultry-showmanship

 

[Pyxis]

4H is different than apa/Aba it’s more about handling, interacting and caring for poultry, quality is not judged. Some judges will ask you about the breed, history And really like when the kids know breed standard and can talk about or point out their birds faults to standard. It’s a fun introduction https://extension.psu.edu/programs/...nformation/guidelines-for-poultry-showmanship

Good to know, thanks! So in 4H 'show quality' would be more about the bird looking healthy and being calm and easy to handle than it matching the breed standard?

 

[sunny_bellyboo]

Good to know, thanks! So in 4H 'show quality' would be more about the bird looking healthy and being calm and easy to handle than it matching the breed standard?

yes actually