How do I prepare to show for the first time? Any tips?

[danceswithronin]

There is a poultry expo show near my hometown in the fall and I would like to try my hand at showing. At that point I'll have eight purebred chickens to choose from for show, so I was just going to pick the one that is prettiest/closest to SOP and groom that one. I believe my White Sultan, Silver Spangled Hamburg, and Dominique will all still be too young for show, but I think the rest of my flock should be old enough (Silver Laced Orp, Black Jersey Giant, Speckled Sussex, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Golden Laced Polish).

So for people who have been doing this awhile, what should I expect? I will be doing some more research of course, but any tips on choosing a chicken for show or how to approach exhibition? I've never showed animals of any kind before but I would be excited to learn how.

Right now as long as she conforms well to the SOP with no disqualifying faults I'm leaning towards my silver laced Orp as they are easy to handle and the silver lacing on the Orp is an eye-catcher. I'm going to go over the SOP tonight with all of my chicks and see if any of them have disqualifying faults.

 

[-BOGGS-]

I want to know this also..following

 

[Birds of a Feather]

The main problem with showing Silver Laced Orpingtons at shows and APA shows is that they are not a recognized variety and I believe that as a result the highest award they can compete for is Best of Variety (excluding Best of Breed, Best of Class, etc.). So at least according to the APA they don’t have an official SOP.

 

[danceswithronin]

The main problem with showing Silver Laced Orpingtons at shows and APA shows is that they are not a recognized variety and I believe that as a result the highest award they can compete for is Best of Variety (excluding Best of Breed, Best of Class, etc.). So at least according to the APA they don’t have an official SOP.

Good point. I will check conformation on the other breeds I have and see if I have anybody that is more suitable.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would start by going to some shows and pick the brains of a few competitors.
Contact the show administrators and get copies of all the rules.
A big problem with fall shows is just about the time you think you are prepared, the bird you choose will start molting so your first year birds would be the way to go.
I would think that going with a less common breed would limit the competition. Perhaps the first two you mentioned.
Whichever you choose, you want the bird cage trained. That means putting it in a cage every day and give it some treats so it associates the cage with goodness.
dJudges don't like birds that are hard to handle so you want the bird very tame.
After you've cage trained it for a couple weeks, you'll want to start having friends come over, pull the bird from the cage and return it. That will get it used to strangers reaching into the cage and handling it.
You'll want to give the bird a bath a couple days before the show using special shampoo for the purpose or a mild baby shampoo.
If you are going to use a white bird, keep it indoors until the show. Sunlight and some feeds can cause the feathers to turn brassy.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Stand a little ways behind the judge and when he gets to your bird then crank the Rocky theme song on your phone.
Its hard to hear that song and not see a winner.

 

[333113]

If you have decided on a show, the first thing to do is to get the show catalog. (If you haven't decided on a show yet, poultryshowcentral.com lists shows by month and by state.) Many shows have a web site or a Facebook page and they generally either post the catalog for you to download or give the contact info for the person who can send it to you.
The show catalog provides the rules for the show, including the entry form, the deadline for entry and the fees. Some shows restrict participants to youth or 4-H, other shows accept participants of all age groups (an "open" show), and some have both. There are a few shows that only accept entries from people in their county or state. Also, some shows accept only bantams, or only specific breeds of chickens, or they might accept all APA or ABA recognized birds. There are usually entry fees per bird, plus sometimes an overall entry fee, plus sometimes an overall fee for post-show cleanup. Some shows required NPIP testing papers be sent in with the entry form.
Most shows ask whether your bird is a rooster (meaning a male over one year old), a cockerel (male six months to a year), hen (adult female over one year old, or a pullet (female six months to a year), and there are separate prizes for each. Some shows will also set out rules for trios, "meat pens" or "displays."
So, you will have to decide which bird(s) to enter, fill out the entry form, and send the completed form with the fees and any NPIP or other health paperwork to the address that the show catalog provides before their deadline for accepting entries. I usually keep a copy of everything I send in.

A very few shows, mostly state fairs, have electronic forms for entry.

Be aware that some shows are double shows that have two judges work through the birds, so you get the opinions of two judges for one day at show.

Be sure to follow all the show catalog rules for times to "coop-in" and "coop-out" your birds. Some shows are strict about the published times, and will not issue a prize or ribbon for a bird that you remove from the show early.

Once you have your entry mailed, you will want to get your bird in the best condition possible. This usually means a bath anywhere from two weeks to two days before the show. The bird will need time to dry and straighten out the feathers after the bath. You might not believe how many products are available for grooming a bird for show. Basically, if your bird has good housing where tail feathers don't break when he turns on the roost and the coop is clean, then cleaning the bird for a show will be much easier.
Hope this helps! There's a bit more to the grooming and to bird selection for showing, but this covers a lot of the stuff I had to learn by experience.