grooming show birds

[NYREDS]

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That's pretty much what I do except I do use a spray sheen product when I coop in. The best way to get your birds ready for show is to house them in such a way that they don't get dirty & out of condition. I rarely bathe birds for a show.

 

[muddyhorse]

do certain breeds need to be trained to stand a certain way in the show coops. We are showing OEGBs, polish and silkies. at the show last weekend the judge only took some birds out to look at them ( top contenders ) and the others he look at while in the cage. although I wouldn't want to handle the Toulouse geese either those things were huge and rather grumpy

 

[Smoky73]

I believe that either APA-ABA or both it says in most show paperwork that the judge is to handle all birds except in cases of the bird showing obvious signs of problems, such as illness or bugs. I have seen judges not handle birds though that were so wild that they were bouncing off the cage walls and ceiling. And he would mark the card "wild" Those were large fowl American Games.
If your show was just a county fair, and not a APA-ABA judge, he might not have to handle all the birds, but it is really difficult to see and know what the bird feels like under all those feathers.

 

[muddyhorse]

no it was an APA show.

 

[TK Poultry]

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That's pretty much what I do except I do use a spray sheen product when I coop in. The best way to get your birds ready for show is to house them in such a way that they don't get dirty & out of condition. I rarely bathe birds for a show.

yeah I've only gave bathes a couple of times. I find it less stressful if you just house them in such a way they don't get out of condition. I use the same birds for show as I do for breeding. I only keep gentle roosters so that they don't mess with conditioning! the less stress you have the more fun you'll have IMHO. I'm kind of a lazy showman.

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I don't think you need to "train" them to stand a certain way a show bird should have all the correct componets to stand the way the are suppose to. I do however "train" them to stand in the cage calmly. Taking them in and out of a practice cage I have in the garage. I desensatize them a bit in my garage by playing the radie. Keeping them in a cage just like in the show hall. I run things up and down the cage I do anything and everything to make sure they are calm and confortable in the cage. That is the only training I do.

 

[Celtic Hill]

Judges walk down the line of cages and close and open the doors real quick to get their attention and normally a chicken will "pose" so you don't want to desensitize them toooo much!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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Pink oil is an arican american grooming product. You will find it in the hair product section of most stores. I tried it on my silkie and decided that I did not care for it. On a regular feathered bird it does a nice job of shining them up.

Incidentally, I have seen a bird DQed from bluing--too much, and it was noticed.

 

[Mr. Ree]

Everyone that has posted does things pretty much the same way I did. But one MAJOR thing to remember when drying a bird,...you DO NOT want to blow dry the entire bird. It gets the job done quickly but their feathers are not meant to withstand the constant heat from the blowdryer and could damage the feathers rather than dry them. Its best to let them sit in a warm dry towel (throw it in the dryer and let it get warm) for about 15 mins and let them get all the access water off the feathers and then blow dry the birds until the down (under fluff) is dry and then let the bird dry the rest of the way itself. Its also important to bathe birds at least 2 days before a show. It can take that long for them to dry 100% and if you give them the few extra days to dry they will look better. I know people who bathe birds the day before a show, and thats ok if you dont have the time before hand to do it, but its best to bathe them a few days before the show(depending on how many birds you have to bathe) and give them the extra time to dry off and really poof up. And as stated before, anything with blueing in it is a good thing for white birds, but to much of it can actually turn the birds blue, or give them a bluish color cast to the feathers. I used a whitening shampoo once on a white bird and it turned the whole bird blue and he stayed that way until he moulted. I usually have a radio or something playing at all times in the coop as well. It helps the birds get used to different noises so they arent as jumpy and also helps keep predators at bay. You can also use vinegar in the rinse water to help cut soap and what not from the feathers. When I bathed my white birds I always used plain Ivory body soap and mixed in a little bleach and shook the bottle up. This will whiten the bird as well as kill mites and such things.


~Casey

 

[Smoky73]

I used to blow dry my birds partle, but, ove rthe last couple years, it just is too time consuming. I wash them up, I can do one every 15 minutes to a half hour, and I let them sit wrapped in a towel for about 15 minutes after. Then I put them in the dog kennel with shavings and a light bulb for heat, food and water and leave them there for a full 24 hours.
The only other thing I do before a show is put the booties on because I raise the feather legged birds so clean feet is essential to me. They can still get damp, but you do not have the poop in the feathering that way.

 

[Celtic Hill]

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Could you post some pictures of your boots? Those sound like a good idea!


I was two days before the show with baby shampoo, I wrap them in a towel and let them soak up that way, then i do a little drying with a blow dryer and then lock them in my bathroom with a heat fan on. It's not direct but keeps it warm and helps them dry. I also keep the lights off to help them relax and not get into any trouble. Once they are dry i put them in the show coop.

After the night before the show i will go out and put neosporin on the rooster's combs

At the show i take them out of their show box and put them on a grooming table i bring, i wipe them down with a microfiber cloth, if any of my duccles have poop stains on their vulture hocks i will clean it with a baby wipe. Then i put baby oil on their combs (you can also use Vet Rx) and i put a spray sheen on their feathers and put them in the cage.