Showing chickens...

[roostercruiser]

Millie cochins are not able to be showen as they are not in the standard under any section. Also millie cochins are not even millie yet. This is a color people are working on so as of right now there's no such thing as a show quality millie cochin. The bird will be DQed at any open show and will not place in a county fair. Most judges will tell people and kids that are just starting out showing to get solid colored birds so you don't have to worry about the color patterns being correct.

 

[lildinkem]

I too think the term SHOW QUALITY is over used. To me a Show Quality bird, is one who has been in multiple shows and won something. And I agree, not shows where there are no other entries to compete aginst. But, shows where there is a sizeable numbers of birds entered.
And who knows, the bird you are getting might be a show winner. And IF a couple of dollars is what it takes to find out, GO FOR IT!

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Quote:
AAAAaaaaaamen to this! Thank you for saying that.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

You CAN show a nonrecognized color variety or breed that isn't in acceptance yet. But here's the catch. That bird will only be able to win the highest award of Best of Variety (BV), or Best of Breed (BB) in some cases whatever variety or breed it is in the making, in the class they are placed in, which for bantam cochins would be Featherleg. They cannot go beyond that level (win their class or beyond) because they are not yet recognized. They are usually shown under AOV, meaning Any Other Variety, aka those not recognized yet by ABA or APA. A few examples of this happening would be Seramas shown in the SCCL class while awaiting their acceptance debut, or BLRW bantams, also a color in the making awaiting acceptance. I've shown both. With a new breed in the making, calling it show quality is highly, what's the word I'm looking for... subjective I guess? If your bird is an excellent representation of the standard for their breed, then I would agree. The color may still be needing perfection, and that too also comes into consideration when calling a non-recognized bird a show quality specimen.

Showing can be a lot of fun, a great learning tool, a good way to gauge how your birds compare to others for the day, and a nice way to connect with others in the hobby. You won't get rich showing birds, because those who do it seriously have some serious quality birds. Lots of time, effort, culling and preparation go into making just that one Champion quality show bird.

I suggest you attend a few shows in your area, get a feel for a poultry show, connect with some people who have a breed you're interested in. And as was mentioned, do your research and study the standard for your chosen breed. And I agree that you should start out with a solid colored bird in your chosen breed because the color patterned varieties can be hard to manipulate in some cases, and a good bird can be ruined by a bad example of a color variety gone wrong.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

I just wanted to add that I've been breeding and showing Buff Brahma bantams for a little over 3 yrs now. It took me this long to win a Featherleg class that just happened last weekend. It was a double show, and I double Featherlegged with an '08 Buff cockbird that I bred and raised, and my daughter double Featherlegged with a '08 Buff hen that was from my project. Three years it took, and I started out with pretty darn good stock to begin with. It's not easy if you're going to take breeding/showing seriously.

Also, it's not just pulling a bird out of a coop, and taking it to a show. There is months of conditioning needed, bathing and grooming involved, toenails and beaks to be manicured, etc. That's just to get the bird to the show hall.

 

[bonnylass79]

High Roost, how did you learn to do all of the grooming and conditioning? I've bred and shown rabbits, but don't know the first thing about grooming a chicken.

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
I must politely disagree with this. A color variety that is not yet accepted into the Standard cannot win BB. It can win BV in AOV, but never BB.

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
I have written several articles on how to prepare for shows. See this page of my website for the links:

http://www.pathfindersfarm.com/Articles.html

 

[Chris09]

Pathfinders :A color variety that is not yet accepted into the Standard cannot win BB. It can win BV in AOV, but never BB.

I agree..

In bantam cochins the reconised colors are: Barred, Birched, Black, Blue, Brown Red, Buff, Columbian, Gold Laced, Mottled, Partridge, Red, Silver Laced and White.

Like others have said time and time on BYP learn the American Standard of Perfection inside and out on the breed you are going to show . You can get a Black/ White version from APA for $14.00.
http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/APA_ShoppingMall3.htm

Chris​

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Laura, I would agree with one exception. Since I've been showing Seramas in ABA/APA shows, and I know they aren't a recognized breed, I have many a score cards that are marked with BB. I think this may be an exception? Or an oversight? I know technically a non-recognized breed cannot win a BB. But they are consistently BB'd when it comes to Seramas. I know a breed not recognized can only go as high as BV. For exampe, I have score cards from last Saturday's ABA/APA double show showing the BB'd Seramas in the SCCL class under 4 different judges. Has this happened with any other nonrecognized variety I've shown? No.