MARYLAND THREAD!

[itsbob]

Setting duck eggs tonight. Got in 10 Khakis and 5 Pekins from Metzers..

If anyone has Marans available I would love to add some Marans to my flock/hatch.

 

[madamwlf]

Has anyone used Blue Seal Multi Flock Starter/Grower? I'm getting a bag to try it out.

 

[Anna Lee]

Friday the 13 was lucky here. One of our Welsummers from Whitmore farms laid her first egg! I was pleasantly surprised it was so dark and that she would start laying in such nasty weather.

 

[FergieChick]

Friday the 13 was lucky here. One of our Welsummers from Whitmore farms laid her first egg! I was pleasantly surprised it was so dark and that she would start laying in such nasty weather.

That's good to hear. I have a flock of 20 week olds and thought I'd have to wait until spring for my first egg! I'll keep checking the nesting boxes then

 

[Anna Lee]

These girls hatched on May 20 which makes them almost 7 months old. My previous birds (different heritage breeds from different sources) were all 9-10 months old before they started to lay and most waited until the days started getting longer. Hope you get eggs soon.

 

[HaplessRunner]

Just wanted to follow up on an earlier post in which I attended the show in Frederick on November 3rd.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/63745/maryland-thread/1030#post_12262921

Based on my experience and observation at the Frederick show, I decided to pull the trigger. I entered a black ameraucana cockerel and pullet, a blue wheaten ameraucana cockerel, a wheaten ameraucana cockerel and pullet, two cream legbar pullets and three cockerels, and an euskal oiloa cockerel in the following show on November 23.

The Virginia Poultry Breeders Association was my first show ever. I showed the following poultry with the following results:

• Wheaten ameraucana cockerel – RV
• Wheaten ameraucana pullet – BV
• Blue wheaten ameraucana cockerel – BV
• Black ameraucana pullet – RV
• Black ameraucana cockerel – BB/BV
• Cream legbar pullets – BB
• Cream legbar cockerels – RB
• Euskal oiloa (marraduna basque) – BB/BV

While I had the only cream legbars and euskal oiloa at the show, there was strong competition in the ameraucanas. So getting best in breed and best/reserve varieties in a very competitive class was a pleasant surprise. After the show in Frederick, MD, I felt that some of my birds might be competitive. But I never would have guessed that they would do this well. An exciting day for sure!

 

[madamwlf]

Has anyone used Blue Seal Multi Flock Starter/Grower? I'm getting a bag to try it out.

Anyone???

 

[Anna Lee]

Just wanted to follow up on an earlier post in which I attended the show in Frederick on November 3rd.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/63745/maryland-thread/1030#post_12262921

Based on my experience and observation at the Frederick show, I decided to pull the trigger.  I entered a black ameraucana cockerel and pullet, a blue wheaten ameraucana cockerel, a wheaten ameraucana cockerel and pullet, two cream legbar pullets and three cockerels, and an euskal oiloa cockerel in the following show on November 23.

The Virginia Poultry Breeders Association was my first show ever.  I showed the following poultry with the following results:

• Wheaten ameraucana cockerel – RV
• Wheaten ameraucana pullet – BV
• Blue wheaten ameraucana cockerel – BV
• Black ameraucana pullet – RV
• Black ameraucana cockerel – BB/BV
• Cream legbar pullets – BB
• Cream legbar cockerels – RB
• Euskal oiloa (marraduna basque) – BB/BV

While I had the only cream legbars and euskal oiloa at the show, there was strong competition in the ameraucanas.  So getting best in breed and best/reserve varieties in a very competitive class was a pleasant surprise.  After the show in Frederick, MD, I felt that some of my birds might be competitive.  But I never would have guessed that they would do this well.  An exciting day for sure!

Congratulations!
If you get a chance can you briefly define the different categories? I love to look at other people's birds at shows but don't show mine so am unclear on this.

 

[HaplessRunner]

Congratulations!
If you get a chance can you briefly define the different categories? I love to look at other people's birds at shows but don't show mine so am unclear on this.

While I am new to showing my chickens, I can give you the information with which I was working. As noted above, I was only showing three breeds of chickens: cream legbars, euaskal oiloas, and ameraucanas. Neither the cream legbars nor euskal oiloas (EOs) are recognized in this country by the American Poultry Association (APA). While there are three varieties of legbars which are all recognized in the UK, the cream legbar is the only variety that is crested and lays a blue/blue-green egg. With respect to the EOs, these chickens originated in the Basque region of Spain and are recognized in Spain. Historically there were five varieties but one is probably extinct. Of the remaining four varieties, three can now be found in the USA: marraduna basque, goreia, and punta pinta.

With respect to the ameraucanas, the APA recognizes eight varieties. The three varieties that I showed were the wheaten, the blue wheaten, and the black. Within each variety, each ameraucana cockerel, pullet, cock, and hen will be compared to other cockerels, pullets, cocks, and hens, respectively. The best of each will be ranked first, second, etc. Once this ranking is done, the determination for the best in the variety is then made. To determine this, for example, the best black ameraucana cockerel, pullet, cock, and hen are then compared and ranked. First place is given the title Best Variety and second place gets title of Reserve Variety.

Once again, for example the ameraucanas, when the Best Variety has been identified, then all of these Best in Varieties are then compared against each other to determine the Best in Breed (First Place) and Reserve in Breed (Second Place).

After the Best in Breed has been identified, these Bests are then compared to determine the best in Class. There are a number of classes of chickens, e.g. English, Mediterranean, Asia, etc. After the best in Class are identified, then these chickens are compared for one final determination. That is for the Best in Show and Reserve in Show.

Hope this helps!

 

[Anna Lee]

Hapless Runner, thank you that was very helpful and interesting!