Is there a website or book for this? I am thinking about showing a few at the end of the year, and would like to prepare them somehow. Anybody got any advice? Sara
for one thing you need to buy a couple of show cages the size that shows use and keep them in that cage at least a week before the show so they are used to being in that small area, then practice taking them in and out of it so they are not so jumpy for the judges
Quote:For the most part, the top show birds are kept seperate in cages 24/7. This is to protect from feather picking & mating that can damage the plumage. Mine are all kept in large dog crates in my house. However they do get to free range together when I can supervise them. Baths before shows are mandatory, as well as toe nail clipping & mine are handled every day so they are not skittish around judges. Unless you are a serious breeder, showing for fun only requires that you present a clean bird that falls within the standard of perfection.
another thing you can do is teach them to stand pretty-use treats and get them to stand up and then also pet behind their rump so that they hold their tails up and not droopy-just do that a little while each day and they will catch on and also pick them up and open their wing to inspect that just like a judge would