Showing concerns

[Peachesbabychick]

Hi everyone

I am going to start 4H soon, and I am worried about showing my babies. Here are my concerns: 1. I don't want them to catch diseases or mites from the other birds 2. I don't want them to become sick because of all the stress 3. I don't want to have to quaratine for a month after every show.

I really want to do this.... but I also want the best for my babies.

Does anyone have any advice for me?

Thanks

 

[NYREDS]

The best advice I can offer is stop thinking of your chickens as your babies. You can eat chickens, you can't eat babies. As far as showing is concerned I've shown for 50 years & have never brought an illness home from a show. I also never quarantine birds when returning from a show. Mites are a possibility so I dust all the birds that were shown before bringing them home.

 

[kathyinmo]

If you are worried about all those things, maybe you should not show. Those are risks that show people take.

 

[Peachesbabychick]

Thanks for the advice. I don't think I will ever stop thinking of them as "my babies" they are very special to me and I love them very much.

 

[Cjarvis]

Never brought an illness home, healthy birds have a strong imune system which helps.. On mites and parasites, that does happen.. I bathe before they go and when they come home they get bathed again with a flea and tick shampoo. and then checked after a few days and a dusting of flea and tick spray.

 

[Hanna8]

I'm in 4H! This will be my 3rd year showing poultry. It's so much fun!

I wouldn't worry very much at all. At each of the shows I've been to, all birds had to have a blood test to check for disease before they were let in. I think that this is pretty standard throughout the country, I really don't know though. I guess it depends on the show, too. The test is really quick, just a tiny prick under the wing that doesn't seem to hurt them very much at all. Most people will refrain from bringing sick birds anyway, and all the birds at shows are usually very well cared for. I haven't had any issues with chickens getting sick. It can't hurt to quarantine them, but I don't think it is entirely necessary if after looking around at the show, all of the birds look healthy and are kept in a clean area, etc. Personally, I don't bother with it.
As for stress, it's only a few days, they'll be ok. It isn't that hard on them. They will be a bit nervous while they are there (They may lay less, eat less, drink less, and be a bit jumpy, but nothing major) but will seem to have completely forgotten the entire ordeal as soon as they get back home.
My birds are my babies too, and I don't have any problem with showing them now that I've done it before. It's like parents sending a kid to school- the first day is terrifying but every day after that is no big deal. I think you should definitely try it at least once.