Sdwd

[kathyinmo]

I am not a show person, nor do I claim to be a breeder, though I do attempt to breed my stock towards the SOP, and I enjoy having quality stock in my backyard. Can someone set me straight ..... Can ANYbody enter ANYTHING (talking about chickens here) in the state fair, to be judged? If so, I must say, if I was one of the volunteers working (I am assuming volunteers work it) I would likely screw up on alot of things, such as names of the breeds. I sure do not know all of them, but I would volunteer to help set up.

I don't know how they handle the judging either. Would they be APA judges, or more volunteers, or what?

 

[joletabey]

Peace, peace, please. It takes a LOT of volunteers to run a fair or a show. Sometimes, due to lack of qualified people showing up or volunteering, you get people who are totally ignorant, but hopefully full of good will, trying to help. And that can lead to a lot of misunderstanding.

Think of everything that needs to be done- from the paperwork involved to the cleaning and setting up of areas for the exhibits, decorating, ordering ribbons and/or trophies, getting programs, advertisers, signing on concessions, finding judges, picking judges up at the airport, feeding judges, scheduling entries, posting results, dealing with emergencies,organizing volunteers, and then finding substitutes for the volunteers that decide not to show up at the last minute-- it's exhausting- and aggravating. I can not tell you how many times short little me had to handle the gate at a horse show at the last minute because the volunteer did not show up. Sometimes you just gotta take who you can get, and who you can get is not always gonna be the cream of the crop.

Sometimes judges make political decisions- and please let me finish before you yell-some judges also breed and show and there IS a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" brand of mentality in ALL areas of competition in the world- but there are lots of judges that are honest and do they best they can with what they have to judge. There are some owners who are not "barn blind" and can accept an honest evaluation of their animal and go home and use that information to build a better breeding program. But there ARE some owners/showers who can't or won't see their own animal's faults and can't deal with losing and have to shore up their pride by calling the judges names, and having all sorts of fits. There are both kinds of judges out there, and both kinds of exhibitors. So, PEACE. PLEASE.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
No rancher I have never used it and do not know anyone who has. There are alot of holistic type wormers on the market today, DE technically could be considered one because it does not affect with withdrawal either...but then again, if your birds have an amount of parasites that require worming, I am not sure how well such things would actually work. I think for maintenance it would be ok. I think Eprinex is a no withdrawal wormer too but do not quote me on that, I would have to actually look...I just use Ivermectin.

By the way....get tons of huggy pictures with Darcy.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
No rancher I have never used it and do not know anyone who has. There are alot of holistic type wormers on the market today, DE technically could be considered one because it does not affect with withdrawal either...but then again, if your birds have an amount of parasites that require worming, I am not sure how well such things would actually work. I think for maintenance it would be ok. I think Eprinex is a no withdrawal wormer too but do not quote me on that, I would have to actually look...I just use Ivermectin.

By the way....get tons of huggy pictures with Darcy.

Thanks I just saw it and don't see any signs of worms in my birds. I'm just looking for an ounce of prevention so I don't have to use a pound of cure. I have some unopen Ivemectin. I only have a few birds and a few regular customers so I can't afford to toss eggs.

On the other hand if I had two seperate flocks then I probably could right? I wouldn't have to treat all birds at the same time right? Go ahead give me a reason to build another coop.

All the talk of disease and parasites has made me paranoid, you know what I mean? I put DE on everything. I even filled the after shower powder container with it. The poor cats go running everytime they see. Our poor black cat had to be renamed Smokey cuz she now charcoal gray and leave a plume of dust everytime she's petted.

Love ya

Rancher

 

[joletabey]

Rancher- Build another coop!!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

I want to know from an actual poultry judge (NYREDS, you're welcome to answer) if there is the option of NOT awarding the blue ribbon in any category. Obviously, none of those birds I saw in rancher's post should have had any ribbon at all, even if they were the only bird in their category!

I do not show because I don't want my birds catching diseases. And I know for a fact that at APA shows on the west coast, ILT was spread from the birds of an NPIP breeder's flock. Astounding, but true. So, if I ever manage to get my hands on a truly stunning, show quality bird of any breed, I will not show, but, I think I'll have it stuffed and mounted and call the APA to photograph it. Maybe then we can see real birds in the standard.

 

[Cetawin]

LMAO Beth...that solves everything doesn't it? Just build another coop.

speckledhen, I agree about disease. I do not take birds to a swap even unless they are sold or spoken for. I just do not want to take the chances...the exception to that was my 2 extra drakes. *sigh*

I have seen ribbons presented to the only bird in the class...not that the bird was a good show bird but it was the only one in that category.

That is very misleading to the uninformed public. It sends the message that this blue ribbon bird is the thing...when in fact it is just the opposite.

So I would like to see the responses to that question also.

 

[joletabey]

Yup- if everyone built more coops, there would be world peace. I am convinced.

I am curious as to what the rules are in the poultry world, too. I can only personally answer for horse shows, about 10 years back. I believe awarding first place is at a judges discretion, but I think in all my years I only once saw a judge refuse to pin a blue. And unfortunately that system was abused in the Arabian horse arenas at least- to qualify for regionals and nationals in halter, you had to have so many blues/championships in performance also. People would enter barely broken horses in any class with 0 or few entries in order to get the ribbons to qualify.

Is there a judges book available for study? I imagine you have to do a bit of studying and pass an exam to judge, or at least to be an APA judge. Can the general public get hold of that? I believe it is generally a good thing to know how you are going to be judged before you show up somewhere; I do believe lots of people just jump in there, totally, gleefully, ignorant of what is supposed to happen.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well, in my cavy showing days, each characteristic of the animal was worth so many points. Then the score for each point is added up and the pig with the highest number won first and so on. Now I expect that Mr. Swollen comb five points would score high for that particular part of the roosters score against Mr. to many points in his comb. Then again I wonder if points would be deducted cuz each point of Mr. Swollen Comb was rounded off as though from frost bite.

Anyhow my point is that each aspect of the bird is worth so many points (not comb points

) Tail, hackles, etc. etc. (don't ask me what an etc. is on a chicken

) You get the point? No not the point on the rooster comb!

I just don't know how much each part of the chicken is worth, show wise. I do know around here legs are worth less than breasts.

joletabey: being a christian man I can't tell you what my DW told me to tell you about building another coop. (not really I didn't tell her, I'm the boss around here , just don't tell her I said so til we buy a couch that's more comfortable to sleep on. Lord knows my back hurts enough.

)

Speckledhen I agree, I don't know if I'd take a bird to a show I intended to bring back. I have heard Cavy (guinea pigs) people who won't show at the NYS Fair for just that reason. They do show at other shows though. Maybe we can get members to hand out BYC bumper stickers at the Fair next year.

 

[joletabey]

Tim, you are cracking me up!!!