Show birds for my daughter

[A.T. Hagan]

So my youngest daughter, the Kinder Minor, is six now and old enough for us to begin thinking about what sort of bird she would want to show. To that end the family will be going to the Sunshine Classic tomorrow which is I believe Florida's largest poultry show.

To get her thinking about what she might want we started talking about it last night in the truck on the way home. She really does not know much about poultry yet, but we talked about what color she'd like, does she like Silkie type or regular type feathers best, would she want one with a big comb or a small one, and so on. By the time we reached the house she'd settled on a white bird with regular shiny feathers (as in not Silkied or frizzled) with yellow legs and as near as I can figure out what she's trying to say a straight comb. Being as she's only six we'd be looking for a bantam breed.

So what would folks suggest? Bantam White Leghorns? Rhode Island Whites? White Rocks?

I'm a practical, working, large fowl kind of guy so the bantam breeds are all largely the same to me but for what I've learned these last couple of years with my oldest daughter's Silkies.

Hopefully tomorrow at the show she'll be able to narrow her choice down to a specific breed/variety but I'm not sure she'd be able to really distinguish between White Rocks, Rhode Island Whites, White Leghorns, etc so I want to help her out here.

Of course by the time she finishes the show she may go off in an entirely different direction altogether, but that's kids for you.

Any of you folks want to make a case for a particular breed/variety of white bantam fowl?

 

[punky rooster]

bantam plymouth rocks rock! lol

BTW the RIW only comb type accepted is rose comb

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Temperament is important; leghorns tend to be flighty. Have her check out light brahmas, rocks, modern game and old english.

 

[wegotchickens]

Look at d'Uccles. Small and very pretty, but with wonderful temperments! They only come in bantam and have been bred as showbirds for about 200 years, so they are very smart and tame and just generally expect to be adored. Being small makes them easy to tote, too.

 

[tinychicky]

bear in mind that leghorns have rather flaky personalities, even if they are tame. i'd go with a more laid back breed like a rock, or maybe cochins.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Cochins are adorable and many are very kid friendly.

No kids in our house, but my bantam cochins follow us adults around and will try to "climb/flap" up our body to get onto our shoulder, very talkative also. Yup, the birds do not care if we are standing - if they want up - they will go right up the back of us.

 

[Tanichca]

Ill go with Sonoran Silkies, and say a Old english game bantam. OEGB a very popular for first time showpeople because of their calm temperament and diminutive size.

 

[pips&peeps]

bantam white dottes or if you can find bantam white ameraucanas

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'm not sure she was really getting it as I was trying to explain comb types so it probably wouldn't be a problem with a rose comb RIW. I'm kind of hoping she'll go with a Rock myself, but the girls like those feathery feet so she may swing to the Cochins or Brahmas. One of their 4-H club members showed OEGB so they've got some familiarity with them already so she might like those if she finds any in white.

The Kinder Major taught me one thing about helping them to find the breed they want. Under no circumstances should I show any disapproval of a bird they are looking at because they will immediately seize on it as the one and only breed for them! I was relieved to later discover that Showgirls are not APA accepted so I had backup for my veto of those little buzzards in feather boas.

She can be mighty particular at times so I suspect we'll be going up and down those rows trying to come to a decision. Except for all that shrill bantam crowing I'm kind of looking forward to it. The sense of wonder on the K. Major's face when she realized that she got to choose what SHE wanted was priceless. Hopefully it won't be something that we're going to have a hard time finding...

 

[Celtic Hill]

Quote:
Yeah and have her look at Porcelains! they are so much better then white birds and easier to clean!