Harrisburg farm show - poultry show... :(

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
I also agree that the matter should be let go. This sort of situation is very uncommon at shows and the weeklong event is very stressful for the birds. All exhibitors that brought home their birds should practice biosecurity to keep the rest of their flocks safe. This one incident should not discourage people from showing. I feel horrible for starting something like this, and the situation is getting taken care of.

 

[justchickens]

I need to respond to some of the ludicrous comments and actions that have taken place on here in regards to the PA farm show. First I hope some valuable lesson's have been learned, if something is reported to you that you should contact the correct sources before making any further damaging statements. Second, consider the source!! The individual who started this whole hysteria of sick and dying chickens has shown for a number of years at the farm show and even achieved champion bantam duck and also champion game bird. What was this individual's intentions, to try and get others in trouble and upset. Because, only part of your plan worked and it only got someone in your own network in trouble. I know the chairperson of the farmshow(poultry) and he does an excellent job to ensure the poultry department is top notch. The birds from what I saw all had food and water, pens clean and looked healthy. If any issues did arise they were handled in an appropriate manner. Can you even imagine the enormity of managing such a task. I have shown at local fairs with far less entries and believe me it was a chore to ensure our birds were fed and watered DAILY and cages cleaned. This show is only 35-40 min NW of the farm show, and remarkably the person who co-chairs this show is the one who started this whole rumor. Maybe you wouldn't have been so harsh in your comments about the farm show if you didn't come to the farm show with a preconcieved notion of what you would find. The comment of, "well the quality wasn't there". There are 2 things here, one you have a large population of 4-Her's trying to learn about poultry,second, when you have 4-H leaders that their only agenda is having numbers(meaning a large club) and telling your kids you can get them chickens and then give them their crap or poor quality and expect them to show these birds. I think it's great we are having more youth interested in poultry and with learning the quality will come. I for on COMMEND PJC, and the farm show staff for all their hard work and commitment to educating the public and providing such educational opportunities. PJC has done great things for the poultry show at the farm show. I personally think the person who started this rumor with text messages should be banned from showing at the farm show in all areas due to all the negativity the farm show has recieved. This sort of thing not only affects the poultry department but the farm show as a whole. The farm show provides many opportunities for our youth and I hate to see the marred in any fashion. Lets all be good sportsmen and excellent examples to our youth.

 

[SunAngel]

Quote:
I also agree that the matter should be let go. This sort of situation is very uncommon at shows and the weeklong event is very stressful for the birds. All exhibitors that brought home their birds should practice biosecurity to keep the rest of their flocks safe. This one incident should not discourage people from showing. I feel horrible for starting something like this, and the situation is getting taken care of.

You didn't start anything though, Hannah! A few of us were already discussing what we had witnessed after seeing the birds the very first weekend of the show, before you even posted about being upset about Sgt. Pepper, so don't feel guilty. Maybe I should have found an official and drug them around to all the cages with the sick birds that I saw first thing Sunday morning. There was a lady weaving in and out of us while we were looking, refilling waterers and food. I thought for sure she would notice the birds that didn't look 'right'. Plus I just assumed someone else that knew the people in charge, or an exhibitor would have already mentioned seeing sick birds. I don't know what went on via text messaging, etc. but it evidently didn't happen soon enough. The fact that there were a lot of sick birds there and a lot of birds with very bad leg mites is not a rumor, I saw them with my own eyes. And none of it was from a week of stress, as they had only been at the show for a day and a half.

I will say, the cages were clean and the set up was pretty good for so many birds being there.

I would agree, that this can be dropped though. Hopefully the people in charge will watch the chickens more carefully in future shows and be more selective of which are approved to be shown. I am sure thats all anyone wants to come of this.

 

[hinkjc]

It is my understanding this was an APA show. This is not a fair, as some are leading to. This is a huge event in PA (probably the largest in our state), thus the significant response. I have not been there this year, but am sure the PA Dept of Ag is monitoring the situation. They are not going to devulge what they are or aren't doing, so I think any insight in that regard is not up to us to determine. They will take action where it is needed.

I'm very sorry for anyone who has birds in a show that get sick. This is something that has made me question ever showing my birds. They are just too valuable to me. This is also not as uncommon as folks lead us to believe. I read right here on byc about a person who got sick birds at a show out west this past year from well-known exhibitors. And it was an APA show. I've spoken with exhibitors and was told by some that they never bring a bird back home from a show..they typically offer them up for sale. This is due to risk of bringing something home and exposing their birds to stuff. Now I understand that mentality, but it doesn't make me feel any better about showing.

 

[SFF]

just chickens: thanks and I tottaly agree. PJC has always done a great job and the whole poultry department and helpers did an outstanding job of taking care of my birds. I would consider a ban for a period of time to be a just punishment. I talked to PJC at coop out about this issue and could tell he was not happy about the situation.

 

[wyandotte86]

Although this thread is almost a year old at this point, I feel revisiting the topic may be in order with the 2011 show just around the corner. And yes, this is an APA/ABA sanctioned show and more often- than -not has high quality licensed judges. And being a former "poultry caretaker" during a previous year's show, all the birds are well fed and bedded. I remember cleaning the waterfowl cages every other day...not fun.

To start out, I'd like to say that the Penn State folks who run this show do an AMAZING job, esp PJC. This person has really made an effort over the last few years to make this a better show and after reading the entry form this year, it appears there will be much more stringent visual requirements for poultry admission, besides the usual testing. As per the 2011 entry form "Birds showing any respiratory symptoms or signs of scaly leg, frozen combs or toes, or are extremely dirty or in poor feather condition will be denied entry into the show."...which is how it should be.

I will agree, there were some birds with obvious respiratory issues and the show has a designated "sick bay" room far away from the showroom where birds are taken ASAP. As others have said, it is a risk bringing a bird to any show, esp one where the birds stay for a whole week. I actually have not shown chickens at the Farm Show, partially for this reason. I will, however, have waterfowl there this year as they tend to be a bit more hardy towards stress.

As far as the quality of the birds, there are alot of pet quality birds entered, mostly by youth who may not know any better. There are plenty of really good birds entered as well. Unfortunately, some exhibitors bring everything they have and just throw a bird in a class just to get BB or BV, regardless of the bird's breed quality. I don't think it's a bad idea to enact an entry limit, which might encourage exhibitors to leave their lesser-quality birds at home.

 

[bawk47]

Well, it's 2011 and things don't seem to be off to a much better start. My family and I attended the Unifour Poultry Show in Morganton, N.C. on Saturday 3-5-2011 driving all the way from just outside of Charleston, S.C. (5 hour trip one way). I'll have to say it was a big disappointment and a wasted trip. My impression was that it was nothing more than a local competition and the "show" part never happened. As soon as the judges finished working an isle bird owners started pulling their birds out of the cages and going home. By the time we got there at 11:30 a.m. many of the cages were empty and by 12:30 we were leaving because there was nothing left in the cages to look at. The announcer practically had to chase the award recipiants down in the parking lot to give them their awards. I understand the weather was nasty but if you're going to publicize that you're having a show, the least you can do is leave the birds there long enough for the public to see them. I wont waste my time (or gas) doing that again.