Showing chickens at the fair, help needed so they stand on a table.

[tiki244]

I've never shown but this worked for me when I was documenting the weekly changes in one batch of my chickens and had to get them to stand still for pictures and weighing.

First make a chicken friendly place to practice. If there are a lot of distraction and stuff it may get nervous.

Second place chicken on stand and give a treat. Wait and then give it again. Start raising your hands towards her/him. If it jumps off, put it back and comfort it with a treat. Keep practicing different stuff (like walking away then back again).

Third add the distractions

Fourth, get someone to help you and put on a "practice" show. Set your chicken up, treat, walk back, let the other person come up, if need be let them give a treat so the chicken will think everyone will give it a treat.

Hope it helps

This sounds excellent. I have done something similar with my modern games for show. Chickens are very trainable and although they do not act this way in the barnyard I do believe they enjoy being trained and interacting with a person they trust. I believe they are a lot smarter than many people give them credit for.

 

[tiki244]

Thats a good point Narrangasette, not all breeds are as trainable. Which kind of limits the choices of ones 4Hers would want to show with doesn't it?

 

[15shenyl]

I agree with you! I really don't understand why they have to hold still on a table.

 

[Narragansett]

4h is a product of, and just perpetuates the mentality of so many Americans today, which don't understand the basic nature of animals. We have become so far removed from the natural and agricultural world that's it's an embarrassment to thinking people everywhere. As those types of people also are prone to name everything and anything, trying to cubbyhole the entire world into neat little blocks that often don't fit, or don't need to be categorized, I refer to them as suffering from Agricultural Deficit Disorder. I bet that there is a drug for that, a government program paid for by my tax dollars, and a special teacher needed in the schools, also funded the same way, for children who have those "special needs".

 

[write2caroline]

As a former 4-H er........Showing animals is not about cubby hole-ing parts and what not. It is learning about animals. Raising them to be healthy and it is often a lot more about the child showing the animal - ability and less about the animal being shown. You need to be able to think in the ring and be able to answer questions from the judge. This is also a great way to learn to interview too. The skills learned by showing really are more about teaching leadership and responsibility than showing animals.

So ease off a little on placing the entire program of 4-H in the trash with very vague references and tossing the baby out with the bath water..... it doesn't have to be your perfect youth program but 4-H did a lot for me and other CIty dwellers in suburban SAN JOSE -
(GO MISSION 4-H Club). If it had not been for the local 4-H half my suburban neighbors would not have gotten into stealth Chicken Keeping!

4-H is not "a product of and perpetuating the mentality of Americans who as you claim don't understand the nature of animals...."

As for teaching an animal to be comfortable while being shown..... practice, love and treats. Talk in a quiet voice, use lots of positive reinforcement, consistent practice in a situation as near as you can to what judging is like and you will either teach your chicken to be shown or get a good idea how it will react while being shown and you can work out some strategies to compensate. You may also apply that technique to life.....it is a wonderful way to handle most challenges. Good luck.

Caroline

 

[15shenyl]

Well, come to find out, I'm going to be the only FFA shower there, everyone elce is 4H. I show tomorrow at 8:00AM. Everyone wish me luck.

 

[Narragansett]

Caroline, I disagree. In my experience 4h does teach all of the wrong lessons, as far as the poultry programs anyway. Some of the large animal producing states still do have a sensable outlook with those animals in their 4h programs, thankfully, but many of the others teach that everyone gets a reward just for showing up. IMO they're preparing the next generation of children who expect to get good grades just for showing up at school, but who don't have to study, who get paid just for showing up at their employer, but who don't have to do any work, or who get a welfare check just for showing up at the office.

 

[write2caroline]

I am sorry your chicken showing experience in 4-H was not better. I still think Future Farmers of America and 4-H have valuable lessons to teach. I don't think mediocrity is enforced by rewarding everyone participating nor is this only a 4-h issue. I had plenty of experience of not winning and not being rewarded as I came up in 4-H and I got a lot of good advice and positive critiques. When I listened to what the judges were saying I learned a great deal and when I began to implement those lessons, I started to win. We can agree to disagree and I am fine with that.

As for you FFA ......Don't worry if the rest of the people are from 4-H ...It happens a lot at the fair. Sometimes the ring is heavy ffa and some times the opposite. Just do your best and that is all you need to worry about. When your showing, it is all about you, the animal you are showing, and the judge. Really, you have nothing else to consider. You will be fine. Good luck....please let us know how you did.

Caroline

 

[NYREDS]

Actually in 4H it's only the very young children [Cloverbuds] who get an award for just showing up. Othere age levels are competitive. I was a 4H member as a child, have been a 4H club leader & judge 8 or 10 4H poultry shows each summer.
The purpose of posing the bird on a table is to illustrate that the child actually has spent time caring for the birds as opposed to catching one the morning of the fair. It's only real world application would be to present a tamer bird in the show cage, something many exhibitors ignore.
For my money 4H is a good program. It gets young people away from the TV, computer & video games & it also teaches what are in my mind positive values. In addition 4H does address that disconnect from understanding where our food comes from by affording children the opportunity to actually raise food in a number of forms. One of the 4H shows I judge provides the participants with a dozen broiler chicks to raise at the beginning of the year. Theyare required to show a pen of 4 of these birds & the birds are auctioned for meat at the end of the fair.

 

[4hchickmama]

Actually in 4H it's only the very young children [Cloverbuds] who get an award for just showing up. Othere age levels are competitive. I was a 4H member as a child, have been a 4H club leader & judge 8 or 10 4H poultry shows each summer.
The purpose of posing the bird on a table is to illustrate that the child actually has spent time caring for the birds as opposed to catching one the morning of the fair. It's only real world application would be to present a tamer bird in the show cage, something many exhibitors ignore.
For my money 4H is a good program. It gets young people away from the TV, computer & video games & it also teaches what are in my mind positive values. In addition 4H does address that disconnect from understanding where our food comes from by affording children the opportunity to actually raise food in a number of forms. One of the 4H shows I judge provides the participants with a dozen broiler chicks to raise at the beginning of the year. Theyare required to show a pen of 4 of these birds & the birds are auctioned for meat at the end of the fair.

I totally agree. My oldest daughter just had her first show as a novice and it was anything BUT a cakewalk. She was expected to have studied up and worked hard. Nothing was just handed to her. She had to be able to handle her bird, answer questions about the strengths and weaknesses of her bird, and answer questions about chicken care, breeds, and breeding. Even my 8 year old who was still a primary was given a critique sheet with things she could work on and things she did well. This made her want to fix those things and work harder to improve herself. I'd hardly say that 4H is teaching her bad values as Narragansett is implying. Perhaps things are different where he/she is from, but I'm not sure bashing an entire organization and spouting that it teaches kids all the wrong lessons is appropriate in this forum. I agree with NYREDS. My kids are out taking care and raising animals that they show at the end of the year with pride. They are spending time outside caring for their birds instead of inside playing video games. They get out and play with other kids at shows and at meetings. They learn a beginning set of skills for entry into the poultry world. My children have learned where their food comes from and how it gets there. I can safely say they have a better understanding of animals and the agricultural world than most kids their age and that is something I am proud of.

15sheynl- Good luck today! Let us know how you do!