Is it worth showing Chickens?

[LittleWhiteDove]

I have a Sumatra rooster I am planning on selling but I kind of want to keep him. I am at an impasse though. I am moving across the country in a few months. He meets his breed standards wonderfully. However the only reason I would keep him would be for show. So I was wondering how much it cost on average to show a rooster, and is it worth it to show chickens or is it just for fun? (Please keep in mind I would only be able to do local shows to start off with)

 

[Fred's Hens]

There's no category for "rooster" when showing. You'll have to enter him as either a cockerel, a male under 13 months, or a cock, a male over 13 months. Showing is a valuable practice as it shows you fantastic other birds, discussion and networking with breeders and many objective looks at him by your peers and by the judge. It is a terrific hobby.

The coop rental is normally only a few dollars. The costs are more in the line of transportation and a overnight in a motel near the show.

Thus, most hobbyists and breeders prefer to bring a half dozen to a dozen birds to show.
Showing opens your eyes to how well your birds are doing and whether your breeding program is working as well as you thought it was. Comparing your birds to the others allowing you to cut through the fog of your own subjectivity and see your birds in the glaring light of comparison exhibition.

The decision is entirely up to you. Attend a show and see what all the excitement is about.

 

[dekel18042]

I have a Sumatra rooster I am planning on selling but I kind of want to keep him. I am at an impasse though. I am moving across the country in a few months. He meets his breed standards wonderfully. However the only reason I would keep him would be for show. So I was wondering how much it cost on average to show a rooster, and is it worth it to show chickens or is it just for fun? (Please keep in mind I would only be able to do local shows to start off with)

My opinion is that only...my opinion, so worth little. I have never shown poultry (OK, I had a flock of RIR's as a 4-H project as a child.) although I have shown purebred cats extensively and continue today to show dogs in agility, obedience and tracking competitions and some of the rules cross lines of showing an animal. As Fred's Hens has pointed out, there is the cost and time of showing.
There is lots of money in showing animals....all your money you have put there to do it. Did I say LOTS? That's right. In return you may get ribbons and many lasting friendships and fun.
However I personally would not show poultry after talking to people who do. You need to isolate the show birds when they come home and be very careful about introducing disease into your flock.
So for me, poultry are just for fun. The "standard" I use when breeding (I have both pure and mixed breeds.) can be egg color, number and size of eggs or age when a pullet starts to lay.
Good luck in whatever you decide.