PolishExibitor
In the Brooder
- Jan 8, 2024
- 7
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If you clicked on this, then you might be interested in preparing your birds for a show! here are some steps to take to come better prepared to show!
A few months before the show:
Check out the show online on facebook or their website to learn as much as you can about the specific show you plan to attend.
Make sure to resister all of your poultry on time. If you do not sign up on time you will have to pay extra fees and have a less likely chance to get any accomodations, such as a double coop because you are late. Make sure that you resister all of you birds! You would not want to show up at a show and not have enough spots.
Know what your birds are!
Know what breed, age, variety, ect. while registering. You could have a beautiful bird that will get disqualified because it was under the wrong breed.
Choose your birds:
If you have more birds than are allowed per exibitor, or you don't have room to bring all of your birds, then you have to choose your best birds.
You should stay away from bringing any birds that are in molt. They will not do well and will be stressed out!
Choose at least one bird specifically for showmanship(find your friendliest and more cooperative bird) this bird does not nessisarily need to be the best bird for show, but thats ok! Showmanship is about you, not your bird!
You might find it benificial to seperate your show birds frm the rest of your birds to keep them cleaner and to focus on their diet and apperence more.
Feeding:
Some people change their chickens diet to something like Feather fixer to focus on the quality and sheen of the feathers. Adding sunflower seeds to your chickens diet will also inprove the feather quality.
water:
If you have a crested, muffed, or bearded bird, then look into getting nibble waterers (rent a coop is an amazing brand for feeders and waterers. I have had them for years and the chickens love it. I waste so much less water and it keeps the crested breeds from getting their crests wet.) Rent a coop nipples on amazon
Housing:
Get any white or ligh colored birds out of the sun! Chickens can get their feathers sunburned. To prevent this, move them into the shade, if any yellowing occurs, get some purpling shampoo(see bath time)
A few weeks before the show:
If you can, move them from their coop and put them in a show coop or a coop with a wire floor so that they get used to it and they have cleaner feet. Have something under the wire so that the droopings don't get left on the floor. This helps exspecially with feather footed breeds.
Start aclimatating them to sounds and sights of shows. Have a speaker playing noises of people and other livestock. In addition have as many people as you can walk by the coop and touch and handle your birds.
Week of the show:
Depending on the breed, you should have your bath day either the day before, or a few days before. Here is how to wash your birds.
What you need:
3 5gallon buckets
dawn dish soap
purple shampoo(if your bird has sunburn or yellowing feathers)
vinagar
gycerin
towels(one for each bird, plus or or two, just in case)
blow dryer, or room for the birds to airdry
Step 1:
Set up your buckets
bucket no1: put a gernerous amount of dawn dish soap mixed with warm, not hot! water.( do not fill up more than 3/4 of the way, beasue you need room for your bird) if you use purpling shampoo, use it on this step, add directly to the bird
Bucket no2: add a few tablespoons of vinagear with 3/4 full warm water
bucket no3: add a tablespoon of gycerin to 3/4 warm water bucket
Step 2:
Captue bird, dunk it into bucket no1 and run your hands through its feathers to make sure the soap gets to the skin. now take your bird out
Step 2.5: THIS ONLY APPIES FOR BIRDS THAT NEED PURPLE SHAMPOO(if you do not apply, go to step 3):
Let your bird drip for a minute to let excess water run off. Apply purple shampoo to the bird and scrub it well into the wet feathers. Dunk him into into bucket no1 and scrub the majority of the shampoo out.
Step 3:
Let your bird drip for a minute to let excess water run off. dunk it in the vinagear bath of bucket no2. Vinagear will get the remainer of the shampoo or dawn out of the feathers. run your hands through its feathers to get rid of the soap.
Step 4:
Let your bird drip for a minute to let excess water run off. Dunk the bird into bucket no3. The Gycerin will improve the shine of the feathers.
Step 5:
this step will be split into air drying and blow drying. choose one to do and follow those instructions.
Air dry. Find a room in your house or (if it is a warm sunny day) a contained area to put your birds. Put down towels to catch the water. Try to get as much water off of your bird as possible. You can roll them up with a towel and create a chicken burrito
to keep them warm if you do not have much room. Improtant: Watch your birds, do not leave your birds alone. Even if you used warm water, they can still catch a chill. Once they are dry, put them back in their show coop, or if you do not have one, a clean coop with fresh bedding.
Blow dry: The most important the is to not have the blow dryer to hot. A good rule of thumb is, if it is to hot for you to blow dry your skin, it is to hot for your bird. Blow dry them on a warm setting. Another tip for blow drying is to blow dry in the direction of the feathers. You should never blow dry against the feaths because it can break or damage them. Once they are blown dry, put them back in their show coop, or if you do not have one, a clean coop with fresh bedding.
Step 6:
Trim toenails and beak: Have some one hold your bird. Find the quik on your bird and cut above it to prevent bleeding. Make sure to file thenails so that it is not sharp.
For the Beak your should be able see the extra beak on the upper manible. cut this then file it.
Prepare your show kit:
Things to put in yur show kit to bring with you for grooming the day of the show:
A few months before the show:
Check out the show online on facebook or their website to learn as much as you can about the specific show you plan to attend.
Make sure to resister all of your poultry on time. If you do not sign up on time you will have to pay extra fees and have a less likely chance to get any accomodations, such as a double coop because you are late. Make sure that you resister all of you birds! You would not want to show up at a show and not have enough spots.
Know what your birds are!
Know what breed, age, variety, ect. while registering. You could have a beautiful bird that will get disqualified because it was under the wrong breed.
Choose your birds:
If you have more birds than are allowed per exibitor, or you don't have room to bring all of your birds, then you have to choose your best birds.
You should stay away from bringing any birds that are in molt. They will not do well and will be stressed out!
Choose at least one bird specifically for showmanship(find your friendliest and more cooperative bird) this bird does not nessisarily need to be the best bird for show, but thats ok! Showmanship is about you, not your bird!
You might find it benificial to seperate your show birds frm the rest of your birds to keep them cleaner and to focus on their diet and apperence more.
Feeding:
Some people change their chickens diet to something like Feather fixer to focus on the quality and sheen of the feathers. Adding sunflower seeds to your chickens diet will also inprove the feather quality.
water:
If you have a crested, muffed, or bearded bird, then look into getting nibble waterers (rent a coop is an amazing brand for feeders and waterers. I have had them for years and the chickens love it. I waste so much less water and it keeps the crested breeds from getting their crests wet.) Rent a coop nipples on amazon
Housing:
Get any white or ligh colored birds out of the sun! Chickens can get their feathers sunburned. To prevent this, move them into the shade, if any yellowing occurs, get some purpling shampoo(see bath time)
A few weeks before the show:
If you can, move them from their coop and put them in a show coop or a coop with a wire floor so that they get used to it and they have cleaner feet. Have something under the wire so that the droopings don't get left on the floor. This helps exspecially with feather footed breeds.
Start aclimatating them to sounds and sights of shows. Have a speaker playing noises of people and other livestock. In addition have as many people as you can walk by the coop and touch and handle your birds.
Week of the show:
Depending on the breed, you should have your bath day either the day before, or a few days before. Here is how to wash your birds.
What you need:
3 5gallon buckets
dawn dish soap
purple shampoo(if your bird has sunburn or yellowing feathers)
vinagar
gycerin
towels(one for each bird, plus or or two, just in case)
blow dryer, or room for the birds to airdry
Step 1:
Set up your buckets
bucket no1: put a gernerous amount of dawn dish soap mixed with warm, not hot! water.( do not fill up more than 3/4 of the way, beasue you need room for your bird) if you use purpling shampoo, use it on this step, add directly to the bird
Bucket no2: add a few tablespoons of vinagear with 3/4 full warm water
bucket no3: add a tablespoon of gycerin to 3/4 warm water bucket
Step 2:
Captue bird, dunk it into bucket no1 and run your hands through its feathers to make sure the soap gets to the skin. now take your bird out
Step 2.5: THIS ONLY APPIES FOR BIRDS THAT NEED PURPLE SHAMPOO(if you do not apply, go to step 3):
Let your bird drip for a minute to let excess water run off. Apply purple shampoo to the bird and scrub it well into the wet feathers. Dunk him into into bucket no1 and scrub the majority of the shampoo out.
Step 3:
Let your bird drip for a minute to let excess water run off. dunk it in the vinagear bath of bucket no2. Vinagear will get the remainer of the shampoo or dawn out of the feathers. run your hands through its feathers to get rid of the soap.
Step 4:
Let your bird drip for a minute to let excess water run off. Dunk the bird into bucket no3. The Gycerin will improve the shine of the feathers.
Step 5:
this step will be split into air drying and blow drying. choose one to do and follow those instructions.
Air dry. Find a room in your house or (if it is a warm sunny day) a contained area to put your birds. Put down towels to catch the water. Try to get as much water off of your bird as possible. You can roll them up with a towel and create a chicken burrito
to keep them warm if you do not have much room. Improtant: Watch your birds, do not leave your birds alone. Even if you used warm water, they can still catch a chill. Once they are dry, put them back in their show coop, or if you do not have one, a clean coop with fresh bedding.Blow dry: The most important the is to not have the blow dryer to hot. A good rule of thumb is, if it is to hot for you to blow dry your skin, it is to hot for your bird. Blow dry them on a warm setting. Another tip for blow drying is to blow dry in the direction of the feathers. You should never blow dry against the feaths because it can break or damage them. Once they are blown dry, put them back in their show coop, or if you do not have one, a clean coop with fresh bedding.
Step 6:
Trim toenails and beak: Have some one hold your bird. Find the quik on your bird and cut above it to prevent bleeding. Make sure to file thenails so that it is not sharp.
For the Beak your should be able see the extra beak on the upper manible. cut this then file it.
Prepare your show kit:
Things to put in yur show kit to bring with you for grooming the day of the show:
- nail trimmers: in case you fogot to do it ahead of time
- vaciline or baby oil: to rub on legs, comb, and wattles for that extra shine
- Microbristle toothbrush: for brushing dirt or droppings off of your birds feet.
- silk hankercheif: rub this over your birds feathers to give them an extra shine
- a putty knife: to scrape droppings off the bottom of the cage.
- all of your regerstration details: put these in a folder and keep them together.
- A carrier: I would suggest to have one for each bird to keep them cleaner for travel
