show turkeys or chickens?

[nmayers]

Hi, I am going to show poultry for the first time this year and wanted to know weather or not I should show chickens or turkeys, and what are some of the pros and cons.

 

[Banana Hen]

Personally, I recommend chickens. They are easier to prep, and they are not as big of a nuisance to neighbors. (Plus, you can soften the neighbors with fresh eggs

) Turkeys are huge, making it hard to carry them. Plus, the toms (the males, also the prettier ones) can be loud. Chickens lay more eggs anyways. When you have the hang of the show, talk to a turkey breeder and see what they think. (I am not an expert on turkeys)


Chickens:

Pros:
Come in many, many many, different shapes and sizes
Are more portable
Lay more eggs
(can be) quieter

Cons:
Hard to get them just perfect for show
Prone to disease (depends on bird)
Can be mean
Hard to choose what you want


Turkeys:

Pros:
Pretty
Will impress some of your friends
Comes in less varieties (only one breed)


Cons:
Not as portable
Loud (toms)
Harder to prep for show (they're HUGE)

 

[nmayers]

Thank you and for our show we only have the chickens and turkeys for about 2 months so we won't get eggs even if you don't make the cut the chickens that we get are broilers so they normally don't get old enough to lay eggs. Do you know if turkeys or chickens put on weight faster?

 

[Banana Hen]

not sure... cornish x rocks put on weight fast, though.