Molting and showing PLUS what to do when....

[salty]

How do you keep your chickens from molting when you need to show in January..I am new to showing. Also what happens when you are at a chicken show all day...I am use to showing horses. Do you bring chairs, food for yourself..hang around...need some advise 8)


**edited for spelling

 

[Dustin Biery]

If a bird decides its going to molt, from my experience, there isn't much you can do to stop it. You can increase their protein and hope to bring them out of it sooner, but I do not do this. Usually at the shows, I will walk around looking at the other entries, talk with other breeders, look over the sale area, check out the silent auction items, ect. ect. ect. They will usually have a small concessions area. Shows are a good time to meet other poultry fanciers, especially others in your area. Being new to poultry shows, I am not sure how much you know about your birds, but even if you are up on your game, I find that it is always a good idea to watch the judge with your birds (From the next isle over). A lot of the times they will talk the class as they are judging them and you can get good pointers as to what your birds has (the positives) and what to work on.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I wouldn't hurt to bring a chair, most of the shows I have been at have some chairs, but usually never enough

There are almost always food concessions--sometimes just a small variety of snacks, sometimes lots of meal choices as well as snacks.

There are usually raffles of various items, and sometimes auctions as well.

Talk to other breeders and look at all the birds. While I certainly enjoy my own breeds, it's nice to look at the others, too.