Showing Chickens & Disease Control

[Thaney Design]

I've shown dogs (AKC & UKC) and horses but never birds. I'm interested in getting involved in this eventually but from what I've seen of the way these shows can be set up, it looks like it'd be easy for diseases to be transmitted.

What is your experience with this, and what do you do to lower the chances of there being any issues?

 

[Trish1974]

Great question! I will be following this thread.
Fear of disease is why I'm hesitant to show my birds as well.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

All birds must have been tested in past year or be from a current NPIP flock for APA shows. People who show at APA level wash their birds and in that also use Permethrin or similar to rid birds of mites and lice, they will also ensure dewormed. Getting parasites from a show is highly unlikely.

Birds will be Pullorum free, most will have been tested for AI and all birds entering show are inspected prior to being caged. Any sign of illness will be turned back at the door. APA shows appear to be a perfect breeding ground to send disease to all areas of the country but in fact are monitored and quite safe.

 

[The Moonshiner]

That is a real concern and the biggest reason I got away from showing.
Back in the day I never had an issue but by the end a few years ago it got to the point I wouldn't show a bird that I wanted to return to my breeding pens. I showed birds then came home and quarantined then sold.
Idk how it is in other areas but here to think it is relatively safe is a joke. There's a different breed of people showing and they don't seem to put the concern in as people did years back. Yes birds are tested but only for a couple things. There's still issues that aren't tested for that can be brought home and kill many of your birds. Respiratory issues are what I see most. I continue to go to APA shows and at any show I can easily pick out a handful of birds that anyone could plainly see are sickly.
People need to realize it doesn't matter how bad you want to show or what you've invested in a show do not take sick birds to a show.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Northeast Congress- Springfield, MA looks clean to me. National show for New England and upper east states.