Heritage Poultry Exibition Thread

[Robert Blosl]

Official Heritage Poultry Exhibition Thread:

My personal message account is full again from messages from you who read this web site. Last night I got a message that I have not thought of in 45 years. How do you force molt a large fowl chicken into a molt to get them ready for a Poultry Show in about three to four months.???

I thought this over and do not want to take away the momentum on our Official Heritage Large Fowl site so I thought I would start a new thread.

This is for new bees and also experienced poultry people who want to take on the wonderful hobby of Showing your birds at a county, state or a Weekend Poultry Show.

It is our goal with this thread to let you know what Poultry Shows are in your area and if you wish to join a certain breed club to help you do this by providing you with the web site or address of the Secretary of the Club you want to join.

OK to kick off this thread does any old timers have a SECRET on how to FORCE molt a chicken so they will be ready for a Poultry Show???? We are talking HENS and COCK birds.

Look forward to helping you all out there and even if you raise hatchery chickens and don’t want to Show your Poultry that’s fine. If you want some great entertainment with your family some weekend it sure would be fun to go to a poultry show and who knows you may find that rare breed you are looking for in the for sale section of the show to bring home. So many people have found these rare breeds of chickens, bantams and waterfowl in these sections for a low sum of money. Also, if you have a web site or blog that could help a beginner on how to show thier poultry or friend who would not mind listing their site please do so. This is a thread to learn from and ask questions on how to get a bird ready for a show and transport this bird to the show of your choice.

Enjoy this should be a lot of fun to read and learn from.

Bob Blosl Secretary Plymouth Rock Fanciers Club of America

 

[lildinkem]

Bob,

I really appreciate you starting this thread.
For me coming next year at this time there will be the biggest poultry show to hit Indianapolis. The Crossroads show. To be ready with our best birds, a forced molt is a must. This year everyone of my adult Orpingtons and other varieties are in molt right now. Not one looks good. I look forward to hearing others thoughts on this topic.
I have heard from one of my poultry experts we need to deprive light and feed only when the lights are on. This is how I was told to induce an early molt.
Great topic to start off this wonderful thread!
Let's keep it going.

thank you Bob!

 

[punky rooster]

how does forcing a molt help the birds for a show?
does it help with feather quality?

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
The biggest thing is a forced Molt stops the bird from going into a molt the week before a show. With the forced molt the bird will be in full feather when you want. Don

 

[punky rooster]

OHHH ok thanks!

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

We don’t plan ahead very well and end up substituting birds because another is molting…… or just go with Pullets or Cockerels that were hatched in Feb. Our best SLW hen just started molt last week.

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/tech_manuals/induced_molting_commercial.html

I found this on the web and should work. I had a guy do this when I visited his home as a teenager. He was one of the top Rhode Island Red people that mentored me in the 1960s.

He would put lights on these birds for about a week 24 hours a day then stop feeding them for I guess five days. I cannot remember if he has water for them or not. Then when they started to go into a big molt he would let them come back to feed and then about half way through the molt he would hit them with lots of protein. I don’t know if it was a high protein feed as this was 35 years ago.
He would give them about six worms and six grass hoppers per day. He had them in a 1 foot tall Alfalfa grass patch which I could not grow I used clover, He would give the birds about two months before the shows ten sun flower seeds per day to put the oils on their feathers along with the worms and grass hoppers. The insects and worms was what he felt what they would get on free range. All I know this guy had feather quality on his birds and a luster that could not be beat.
He would win the best display awards because he had better cock birds and hens. His displays had a old cock bird, hen, old trio, pullet, cockerel and young trio.
Hope this helps you. I have never done this but it should work. Bob

 

[Chris09]

Bob,
I have always just shortened the amount of light and lowered the protein percentage to send them in to a molt.

For example;
I move the birds into,"training cages" in the barn where I can control the length of day. I shorten the lighting to 9 hours a day and feed a 14% feed once they start to go into molt, I put them on 15 hours of light and feed them a feed that has a protein amount around 18 to 20 percent protein and that is about 5 to 8 percent fat.

Chris

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Bob I know nothing about the show world But what I do know is 24 hours of light and Up the protein levels to 28-30 % causes a Forced molt. I had a very very old man teach me this. not that it holds any credentials But has worked for me thus far. I keep 24 hour lights in my hen house and slow feed a High custom Protein so that my layers will all get there molts out of the way and begin egg production again. the Feathers will also Come back in very nice. I didn't quite believe him and did some research on it and asked a few people around here and they say 20-30%.

 

[Chris09]

Exhibition Poultry --
November 2010
http://www.exhibitionpoultry.net/images/Issue_1-2.pdf

(Has listing of some of the upcoming APA /ABA shows.


Chris