Showing Chickens

[chicken19]

What would happen in a Chicken Exhibition?
How can I prepare my chickens for one and are cross-breeds allowed?

 

[curious chickee]

Simplified version

First, only standard bred and it is tough completion so you want to find the best of the breed you can afford. Exhibition poultry are judged on how close they meet the standard of their class-breed-variety according to the standard of perfection.

Once you get your birds you begin conditioning them. Feeding quality feed. Mine get 20% breeder pellets. Also trim and file nails and beak if needed. Then keeping their legs well conditioned no scaly legs. I use Vaseline and olive oil on my show birds. Also keep the coop clean. Basically good hygiene.

Week of show bathe birds, keep clean usually on deep clean shavings.

Night before or morning of: check in your birds, provide water, most do not provide food until after judging so they don't have a full crop. Judge then goes around comparing the birds to their standard (think of a dog show). Finally awards, best of variety, best of breed, best of class, best of show. Then the next day you take your birds home.

Most of the process of showing is breeding the best birds possible and only selecting those that are top quality for breeding. And then caring and conditioning those chicks.

 

[apajudgeca1962]

I stopped showing at fairs years ago. Although many show officials are people of good will. Many of the patrons are not. Pulling feathers. Scaring them taking eggs and theft of birds only a few things I have witnessed. I exhibit at sanctioned ABA/APA club shows only. That way I can monitor my birds and they are only there 2-3 days not a week. This is a group of mostly poultry breeders and bad behavior is not tolerated. In addition many fairs are during the summer during extreme heat not good.

 

[laurajb]

I'm happy to report that we had a great experience at the Denver county fair! This one is indoors so all the birds are in a comfortable air conditioner climate. Both of ours showed no signs of anxiety and seemed (surprisingly) relaxed with everything. The judge and all the other poultry officials were super welcoming to a newcomer and very informational about showing, chicken and breed specs, and basically all things chicken. They spent tons of time talking with me and providing advice for my son (since they're his chicks). I was very impressed and grateful. I was there each day and patrons were all respectful of the birds. One thing I wasn't aware of is the pre work- wow! I had no idea about all the primping that can go into readying a chicken for judging! We did not prep ours. And the icing on the cake was that my son's Ameraucana won 3rd in Jr backyard .

 

[paddock36]

I agree with curios chickee. You can also check with the show you are planning to enter. They will probably require them to meet APA or ABA standards and yes that means no cross breeds, and also check the color specifics for the breeds. There are a lot of beautiful birds out there that folks have created new colors, but if the color is not correct for the breed, then it will probably be DQ in the show.

 

[curious chickee]

Yeah can show other colors of a breed, if your bird meets the "type" for their breed; however the best they can do is best of variety. Birds of unrecognized varieties can not get best of breed, class, or show.

 

[curious chickee]

I saw a beautiful LF partridge brahma and buff laced brahma. The more people show unrecognized varieties of the breed the better chance it has to becoming recognized by the APA/ ABA. I believe it has to be something like 5 different breeders showing and breeding the same variety for 5 years and the birds keeping a standard color pattern and breed type for the variety to become recognized. Color doesn't get you DQ, color is a defect unless explicitly stated in the SOP. Breed type not being meet is a DQ

 

[Fred's Hens]

Birds can really only be judged when they are an accepted breed (varieties of that breed) and an accepted written standard. Without a standard, how would the bird be judged? All chickens are chickens, but "breeds" have carefully detailed description written in their standard.

The process for getting anything accepted is stringent. The process for the APA is laid out in detail. I won't re-type it all here, but it involves member of the APA taking the steps. Important distinction. Not just any 5 breeders, breeding and exhibiting for 5 years, but those folks must be members of the association the entire time.

 

[learycow]

Birds can really only be judged when they are an accepted breed (varieties of that breed) and an accepted written standard. Without a standard, how would the bird be judged? All chickens are chickens, but "breeds" have carefully detailed description written in their standard.

The process for getting anything accepted is stringent. The process for the APA is laid out in detail. I won't re-type it all here, but it involves member of the APA taking the steps. Important distinction. Not just any 5 breeders, breeding and exhibiting for 5 years, but those folks must be members of the association the entire time.

Not entirely true.
They can be judged and place (but no higher than BV) if they are not an accepted breed. Most unrecognized breeds have some form of "suggested" standard to go by. Though I've found that it really depends on the judge.
And those breeds that people are working on to get recognized- well the first part of the process is the breeders writing up and official standard for the breed which is then accepted by the APA so they can start their breeding and showing. So that gives judges something to go by as well once they get to showing their breed

 

[Fred's Hens]

I was mainly replying to the OP's question of showing "cross-breeds".