Showing Ducks..

[Chick_a_dee]

I have a trio of Buff Orpington Ducks that came from a local very small hatchery. I am interested in showing them at the local fair next year. What should I expect out of showing ducks locally at a small agricultural fair. Would they need any kind of shots. I know they should be quarantined upon coming home, anything else? How are ducks usually shown. I remember when I was a kid at the fair, birds, rabbits, ducks were kept in cages in the small fowl and rabbit barns where they were awarded ribbons as the judges came around to look at them. Does this sound familiar?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Check with the coop-extension service they can tell you about medical requirements (lots of places require blood tests to show the birds don't have certain diseases. When the fair rolls around next year check with them usually any requirements will be spelled out on the entry forms. Don't wait until the fair is upon you to cage train your birds ducks are flock animals and it doesn't feel natural to them to be confined by themselves in a cage so they are likely to sulk in the back of the cage and not show well. Start with short times in the cage (treats help) and work up to the time they will have to remain caged at the show usually at least 24 hours. bring strangers by to view them in the cage if you can so they get used to that too. All ducks except runners are always shown in cages (runners are turned loose in a pen so the judge can see their gait(they aren't supposed to waddle) other than that I can't tell you much. fairs vary from place to place.

 

[chickenlover54]

Yes that is basically how it works.

 

[froggie71]

Quote:
Check with the coop-extension service they can tell you about medical requirements (lots of places require blood tests to show the birds don't have certain diseases. When the fair rolls around next year check with them usually any requirements will be spelled out on the entry forms. Don't wait until the fair is upon you to cage train your birds ducks are flock animals and it doesn't feel natural to them to be confined by themselves in a cage so they are likely to sulk in the back of the cage and not show well. Start with short times in the cage (treats help) and work up to the time they will have to remain caged at the show usually at least 24 hours. bring strangers by to view them in the cage if you can so they get used to that too. All ducks except runners are always shown in cages (runners are turned loose in a pen so the judge can see their gait(they aren't supposed to waddle) other than that I can't tell you much. fairs vary from place to place.

Depends on your fair. All ducks except for call ducks were kept in pens, the calls were in cages. Just how our fair was run. Also we did have an open poultry show, but majority of our fair was for 4-H'ers.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Thank you guys, I don't think we have a co-op extension (if Patandchickens would chime in, she'd know probably better than me). My little ladies are used to going into a duck house at night so they are used to being, ahem, cooped up

but I will crate train them. I was looking at a small sort of rabbit cage, the metal ones.. or are these also subject to rules?

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Our county fair provides a blood test; quick jab with a needle and mix it with some solution; other than that, there are no more tests done or were required.

EDIT: If you think your bird is sick, DON"T bring it; they are killed on the spot if they contain the illness. For the life of me, I can't remember what it was; I thought it was pullorum or something like that.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Sorry I failed to note your address, ON is Ontario Canada? co-op entension is in all the US states I believe. Usually the fair provides the cages so they are pretty much the same so they don't impress the judges (again I am talking US shows) I evidently didn't make my point that it is different for a duck to be cooped with their flock than to be alone in a cage with strange birds in their cages on three sides of you which is what happens in most shows. there are different sized cages usually, you don't stick a huge goose in the same size cage as a tiny call duck. All I can tell you is that they are usually metal and fold down flat for storage. Some one that actually shows can give you a better ideal of the usual sizes. Again Sorry about not noteing your address.