grooming show birds

[Celtic Hill]

Quote:
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.

 

[Smoky73]

The pictures of my boots are on my website, on the for sale page, you can see the white girls and if you look closely, you can see their boots. I also have a pic of just the boots. I am trying to perfect the tie ons, but am making 18 pair tomorrow so my birds will have something to wear to the show...one less part of them I will have to wash AGAIN later LOL. Sorry that you cannot see them too well in the pics of the birds, but I have had my pictures stolen before so have to write over the top of them.
The other thing with sikies is to pull their food & water away from them the morning of the show. I give it back to them after they have been judged.

 

[Mr. Ree]

The bootie thing sounds like a great idea, never even thought about it. Do they all tie on or do you have some kind of elastic band to help keep them on?


~Casey

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I set my birds up in an "assembly line" in the bathtub (stopper OPEN so that the water does not stand at all). I can fit about 10 birds in at once, but sometimes do fewer at a time, and to an extent, it depends on the particular birds.

Run water from the faucet until warm, then get each bird thoroughly wet. A dishpan of water with vinegar to stand them in for a short bit helps get the water into their feathers, more rapidly.

After each bird is wet to the skin, I apply shampoo. I will usually use a flea/tick shampoo, but have also used everything from baby shampoo to body wash. I've tried and will not again use dish soap & laundry soap; much too drying to the feathers.

Anyways, thoroughly massage in the shampoo over the entire bird, set it aside and move to the next. Once everyone is soaking in shampoo, I let them set for 10-15 minutes.

Then one by one they get a shower under the faucet to remove all shampoo. I hold them upright, with their beaks pointed upwards so that water cascades down the back of their head, but does not get into their face when I am working on rinsing that portion of the bird. A dip into a tub that contains water and white vinegar helps get the soap out.

For birds with stained feathers, applying white vinegar directly to the feathers (and set aside for awhile to let it work, then another rinse) is helpful. Sometimes they need several baths to get all the stains out; note that for any bird who is extra dirty, and start working on them days or even weeks before the show. As has been said, it is easier to keep a bird clean in the first place.

Once the bird is clean, wrap in a towel to absorb most of the moisture. This is an ideal time to trim toenails & beaks, and to oil combs. After anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more, unwrap. Since I use an assembly line, by the time I finish a step with the last bird, the first is usually ready for the next step. If I plan to use ivermectin on the bird, I prefer to do so while the feathers are still wet; makes it more likely that the product will absorb into the skin, not the feathers.

I will sometimes spritz on a preen oil product or a mix of glycerin & water to clean, wet feathers. Then dry. Depending on weather (hot summer is very different than cold winter), I may let the birds air dry, use a heat lamp or a blow dryer. Sometimes it is a mix. Never let them dry in the sun; it bleaches the feathers.

I disagree that complete drying by blow dryer is drying or damaging to the feathers. It CAN be if the dryer is too hot, and if the cleanser product is very drying, it can exacerbate the condition, but with a product that is pH balanced, and or with products that provide moisture, that should not be an issue so long as the temperature is no higher than one would use on a small child.

 

[Mr. Ree]

Question: You know the pet perfume you can get for cats and dogs, would it be safe to spritz a little on birds after a bathe and before a show to make them smell extra nice?


~Casey

 

[catwalk]

I know I'm a little late, but on the first page there is a post about altering the bird's color with magic marker or spray chalk. I believe that is against the rules, whether or not one gets caught. So is cutting the feathers in any way. Plucking is acceptable, but if you have to paint your bird the acceptable color, it is not show quality in the first place.

 

[Mr. Ree]

Quote:
Thats just the thing, ANY bird can be SQ. The term is used so loosely now adays unless you see what your getting right in front of your face you might end up with anything. I was on ebay last night and saw someone advertising (not SQ) Frizzle Cochin Bantam eggs, and the birds looked more like Japanese bantams then Cochins. They could take that to a show, have no competition, get BV or BB and call it SQ. Thats what is so (for lack of better word) annoying about the whole thing. Unless the bird conforms to breed standards set forth by the APA or ABA Standard of Perfection then it should not have any kind of quality attachment to it, unless its hatchery.



~Casey

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Mr. Ree :

Quote:
Thats just the thing, ANY bird can be SQ. The term is used so loosely now adays unless you see what your getting right in front of your face you might end up with anything. I was on ebay last night and saw someone advertising (not SQ) Frizzle Cochin Bantam eggs, and the birds looked more like Japanese bantams then Cochins. They could take that to a show, have no competition, get BV or BB and call it SQ. Thats what is so (for lack of better word) annoying about the whole thing. Unless the bird conforms to breed standards set forth by the APA or ABA Standard of Perfection then it should not have any kind of quality attachment to it, unless its hatchery.



~Casey

If the bird does not conform to the APA or ABA standards, then it should not get BB or BV it should be DQ'd.​

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Thank you Sonoran, that was very helpful. New tricks I have to try later.

 

[Smoky73]

Quote:
Its funny though how this in NOT acceptable (painting the bird) in poultry, but, you can do it in dogs. I have a really good friend who showed dogs all his life and he gave me dozens of examples in dogs.


My booties are a work in progress. I started with velcro, but could not get them tight enough and they kept falling off. Then I started just duct taping them on. Right now and the ones I sell I am to ties, like a drawstring. This weekend will be my first actual use of them, the whole key though is knowing how wide and long you need them for each bird. I have a general template for size, but sometimes they are too small or too large, depending ont he bird.