Showing chickens for 4-H, 1st time, help?

[likkatron]

For my project I will be showing chickens for the first time, and I would like help selecting which chickens will be good candidates for showing, and also some links to the standards for my breeds.
I have:
Maran cockerel
Double laced barnevelder pullet x2
Amerecuana (cockerel with color leakage) and pullet
Buff brahma cockerel
Salmon faverolle pullet

I will add pictures later, for now if I could get some links to the standards for the breeds and some sample pictures of good breeds, and how to prep for a show please?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

I dont know if the standard is online, though if you wanted I could write it down for whichever breeds from my own standard ^^

I will start with show prepping though, make sure they are clean, visibly clean with a dirt free coat and clean feet, perhaps oil the faces (I make my own natural oil, dont know a alternative, sorry!) to make it bright red and shiny. Make sure feathers near the butt/vent are clean as well, make sure in advance that the bird is absent of any injuries, especially those around the face.

By the way, good on you for knowing Pullet and Cockerel! It can be a tough thing to learn sometimes XD

The only breed on that list I wouldn't recommend would be the Amerecuana. Chances are its not purebred unless you paid quite a bit and from a fancy breeder. Doesn't make them any less of a bird though ^^

And to make it easier, I could go through the standard and 'judge' so to say, your birds/images of your birds according to the standard, instead of writing out the stupidly long paragraphs per breed ^^

 

[likkatron]

That would be amazing if you could judge them! The pictures aren't the best and I couldn't get any of them to stand nicely, or lift their tails. I already have in mind who are more show worthy than others but I have zero experience.
I'm betting that my brahma and black/grey barnevelder will be a good enough bet, maybe the Amerecuana girl, her feather pattern looks a little weird to me though, her tail is droopy (might lift later) and she is very underweight (but gaining).
Anyways, pictures!:

My phone is being a jerk so the process of uploading the pictures without it crashing is long, so one at a time.
My only concern I can see myself is that I can't take whether she will be a blue barnevelder or a black barnevelder, she started out black but is now filling in with grey, and if it stays that way the different colors I know will not be pretty to the judges eyes.
Otherwise she's my heaviest girl of them all, doesn't mind being handled, and when she's in a good pose her tail is nice and full, and she's very broad in my opinion, but I could be dead wrong xD
Also the amerecuanas I know for sure are pure, and not an EE, though the cockerel does have leakage and my girl could carry it.

 

[likkatron]

Sorry double image, meant to show this one, which shows the blue and black.
Also these are my Amerecaunas

It's a shame because he's a really good looking guy, but the color leakage is so unfavorable for so many people (me included).

 

[likkatron]

I dont know if the standard is online, though if you wanted I could write it down for whichever breeds from my own standard ^^

I will start with show prepping though,  make sure they are clean, visibly clean with a dirt free coat and clean feet, perhaps oil the faces (I make my own natural oil, dont know a alternative, sorry!) to make it bright red and shiny. Make sure feathers near the butt/vent are clean as well, make sure in advance that the bird is absent of any injuries, especially those around the face.

By the way, good on you for knowing Pullet and Cockerel! It can be a tough thing to learn sometimes XD

The only breed on that list I wouldn't recommend would be the Amerecuana. Chances are its not purebred unless you paid quite a bit and from a fancy breeder. Doesn't make them any less of a bird though ^^

And to make it easier, I could go through the standard and 'judge' so to say, your birds/images of your birds according to the standard, instead of writing out the stupidly long paragraphs per breed ^^

This is the buff brahma cockerel. His tiny saddle feathers have just started coming in, and he's as tall as the cockerel almost twice his age when standing in his up right stance. He has a good disposition, but other than that I don't know if he's good or not.
Again none of my birds will pose to show off their tails/backs.

 

[likkatron]

Here are my two splashes now, maran and barnevelder:

I noticed that between my two barnevelders the splash is less full and more narrow, and the tail is longer and has a sort of hump of feathers.

 

[likkatron]

I dont know if the standard is online, though if you wanted I could write it down for whichever breeds from my own standard ^^

I will start with show prepping though,  make sure they are clean, visibly clean with a dirt free coat and clean feet, perhaps oil the faces (I make my own natural oil, dont know a alternative, sorry!) to make it bright red and shiny. Make sure feathers near the butt/vent are clean as well, make sure in advance that the bird is absent of any injuries, especially those around the face.

By the way, good on you for knowing Pullet and Cockerel! It can be a tough thing to learn sometimes XD

The only breed on that list I wouldn't recommend would be the Amerecuana. Chances are its not purebred unless you paid quite a bit and from a fancy breeder. Doesn't make them any less of a bird though ^^

And to make it easier, I could go through the standard and 'judge' so to say, your birds/images of your birds according to the standard, instead of writing out the stupidly long paragraphs per breed ^^

Finally my salmon faverolles, who I think is a great girl full of personality, but probably not show material. I'm almost 100% sure that pullers are not supposed to have black feathers at all, and she has black feathers on her wings and beard, though I've heard some peoples pullets lose those feathers when they molt.

She has the preferred 5 toes and feathers, I'm concerned about her tail especially though. The middle portion of her tail feathers are significantly shorter and I'm hoping they'll grow in. I also read a long time ago something along the lines that if they have a creamer brown around the tail then they have a blue gene? It's been awhile and I don't know if it's true but her tail region is defiently more creamer than the salmon color on her back.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Here are my two splashes now, maran and barnevelder:





I noticed that between my two barnevelders the splash is less full and more narrow, and the tail is longer and has a sort of hump of feathers.

There is no entries in the book for Splash Barnevelders, so I dont believe they can be shown conformation wise. Splash is a rare colour that makes its way into the show ring, most shown barnevelders are blue and black (and red/gold laced) that I've seen, though personally i love splashes and wise I could add one to my other 2 barne's! XD

And for some reason I seem to be overlooking Marans in the book... I've seen them show, I've seen them win, I just don't see them in the book. You're not hurting anyone by trying to show that gorgeous boy though!

 

[CascadiaRiver]

This is the buff brahma cockerel. His tiny saddle feathers have just started coming in, and he's as tall as the cockerel almost twice his age when standing in his up right stance. He has a good disposition, but other than that I don't know if he's good or not.
Again none of my birds will pose to show off their tails/backs.

Okay! (gorgeous birds ^^) Buff Brahmas cannot have one or more solid black, white or grey feather on their backs, necks, tails or saddle.
Eyes should be a reddish bay colour, in the images they look more of a shade of green, his colours seem fine and most things could be 'brushed off' since he's not quite done feathering out!

 

[CascadiaRiver]

That would be amazing if you could judge them! The pictures aren't the best and I couldn't get any of them to stand nicely, or lift their tails. I already have in mind who are more show worthy than others but I have zero experience.
I'm betting that my brahma and black/grey barnevelder will be a good enough bet, maybe the Amerecuana girl, her feather pattern looks a little weird to me though, her tail is droopy (might lift later) and she is very underweight (but gaining).
Anyways, pictures!:




My phone is being a jerk so the process of uploading the pictures without it crashing is long, so one at a time.
My only concern I can see myself is that I can't take whether she will be a blue barnevelder or a black barnevelder, she started out black but is now filling in with grey, and if it stays that way the different colors I know will not be pretty to the judges eyes.
Otherwise she's my heaviest girl of them all, doesn't mind being handled, and when she's in a good pose her tail is nice and full, and she's very broad in my opinion, but I could be dead wrong xD
Also the amerecuanas I know for sure are pure, and not an EE, though the cockerel does have leakage and my girl could carry it.

Where did you get your amerecuanas? I know at least for me there aren't many breeders around. XD
and I would say the Barnevelder here is a Blue, maybe a bit dark but a blue nonetheless. And I would say she looks just fine! She is still young so there is time to grow, but the only important thing for Barnevelders in general is for most feathers on back, side, tail, ect to have the full lacing on all feathers. I learned that the Judges absolutely love seeing all lacing on feathers visible. And the red/gold feathers on the sides of the neck seemed important to my club leader when I talked to her about my blue barnevelder (which are good to show, but not in the book???)