Local fall Fair result today

[Dodgegal79]

I entered 7 of my chickens in the local fall fair in town today. There weren't many entries, but we had a judge come up and he judged the chickens right in front of us and told us all what he was looking for and found and even gave advise. It was great. My chickens did very well. My Barred Rock hen took 1st and Best in Show, Jersey Giant hen 2nd and the Columbia Rock hen took 3rd in the standards. My EE cross took 2nd in fancy. My OEG Rooster took 1st and my Banty Wyandotte hen took 3rd. The Best in Show won a neat ribbon but also 6 bags of pellet bedding, which I don;t know if I can use , they were eating it at the fair, and a bag of laying pellets. It was great and a lot of fun.

 

[redoak]

congrats, maybe you could trade the pellet bedding for shavings.

 

[smom1976]

our fair is in october and I plan to enter 11 of my chickens, maybe 12 depending on if my one polish is doing good.. the other 4 always get their head feathers pulled out .. not good to send bald chickens to the fair..

 

[debilorrah]

What do the judges look for? I think some of my chickens are gorgeous, and may be interested in entering them next year...

 

[whitecra]

My son showed 8 of his chickens today. He got 11 first place ribbons, 1 second and 1 third. He also got grand champion for his golden laced polish and reserve champ for his gray silkie. This was his first time and he loved it. Oh and he also showed his rabbit and got first for him also.
Chris

 

[Dodgegal79]

Wow you son did great!! Its awesome when you see some of your animals compete against other especially when you see them everyday and think they are just a chicken. The judge here used the APA Standards. I think most of them do. My hens that placed high were chosen becasue with the standard breeds, like Barred Rock and RIR's, they are barnyard production chickens. He checked to make sure they filled the breed standard, colours were right, and then he checked how much width they had between the pelvic bone to see if they would be good layers. Most people put in immature birds, which I guess if it was a bigger show they would have disqualified. If you are entering a show make sure you get the rules before hand. Also make sure you can which you have, males or females. One man entered 3 standard pullets and the judge determined they were cockerals. You could easily see the pointed neck feathers but not a lot of people realize you can tell that way.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Wow, even prizes. I have Jersey Giants. What do they look for in judging?

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
13 ribbons for 8 chickens? Were they in more than one category?
I would really love to see a picture of his winning Polish, cause I have polish and would like to see what a champion looks like. I hope you can post a pic!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Quote:
You need to study the Standard of Perfection for the birds you want to enter, especially if it is a really big fair. That will give you a good idea if your birds fit the standard for their breed and would do well at a fair.

You should give your chickens baths so that they get used to the prepping needed to make them look nice for the fair, and find out what kind of nutrition they need to have glossy, beautiful feathers.

You also need to make sure your birds have been "cage trained" so that they don't freak out and overreact when someone (such as a judge) reaches in to remove them or inspect them.

Finally, your birds need to have been vaccinated.

It isn't really that hard to do...

The best fun is meeting other chicken owners and feeling the pride of displaying your birds at the fair.