How to hold a chicken?

[ChickenPeep]

i dont know if this is the right place to post this, but i just realized that at the county fair here in kansas, you have to hold your chicken in the proper way. you hold them upside down and grab thier legs. However, i dont know how to hold a chicken in that way! Could someone please give me some advice on how get them in that postiton and hold them that way?

 

[feliciamckee]

Upside down? Really? Awww that sounds mean. I guess it is for a reason, but I would hate to try it. Is that the way you have to hold them to show them at the fair?

 

[call ducks]

heya


The way i hold them is by the legs so it "sits" in your hand. Put your middle figure between the two legs. If i am moving chickens around (between building and building) i well hold them by there legs so they can't get away

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

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Hold them the by their legs upside down? This doesn't sound right at all. This is an old timey way that farmers and industry folks use to transport and catch chickens. - I wouldn't want to hold a show or pet chicken upside down by their legs, especially not some of the more fragile breeds!!! Are you really talking literally upside down by the feet/legs?? If so, I would seriously rethink taking my birds to this fair. - it sounds counter productive to what you want in a showing chicken. - you want a chicken who is calm and tame to attention, holding them upside down can stress their bodies - it makes the blood rush to their heads, which is why they go 'limp' and quiet, when you do this, they get a head rush.

The only chickens I hold upside down are unruly or mean cocks on the way to a cage when I used to help wrangle roosters with a friend of mine who would pick up free roosters off craigslist for the stew pot and re-sale.

 

[Stuck in the Coop]

I watched a video recently on how judging is done. The man handles several birds, some upside down. You don't really hang them from the legs, they are cradled in your arm upside down with fingers between legs. I do this to my birds, they calm right down and almost go to sleep. It is a good technique when they are being crazy.

Here is the video, it will open in Windows Media Player "How Judges Judge Poultry"

 

[ChickenPeep]

yes thats how theydo it at the fair.
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[Lollipop]

Done it that way all my life. It doesn`t hurt the bird at all. Lessee, 53 years of holding chickens that way and no injuries? Hmm. Guess my granny was right. She did it that way her whole 100 year life, with no problems. Guess it`s just the newbie chickens that object to that method...........Pop

 

[feliciamckee]

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Very good information. The video was long so I didn't watch it all but thanks for posting. I learned alot!