Moulting and Showing X POST

[ladyfishkathy]

My children are participating in a youth poultry show, and the bantam brahma is in moult...(We DO NOT force molt our chickens, like I know some people do to reduce molt during show times). Should we take her??? How does this hurt her during judging, I mean, molting is a natural process and it is molting season here! Please advise and let me know! Thanks, KAthy If any of you are judges, I would love to hear you chime in!

 

[L&Schickens]

If she is going to be your only bird, then just take her, but don't expect to get 1st place.

If you are bringing other birds that are not molting, leave your molting birds home.

 

[NYREDS]

A poultry show is basically a beauty contest so a bird in full molt is at an obvious disadvantage.
That said, the approaches to judging youth shows can vary widely. In many cases these shows aren't judged by a licensed judge.
Myself, when I do judge youth show, particularly at county fairs, I tend to be pretty lenient. In a case like this, if the bird was clean and well cared for, I'd probably compliment the child on how they were caring for their bird and explain why I had to give it a second not a first. This approach is usually well accepted by the child involved.