DH entered eggs this year into both Reading Fair and Kutztown Fair ( both up the road a bit from York Fair!) We also went in rather blindly because altho we have shown dairy cattle for years, about all that did was clue us in to how to fill in the entry blank!
He entered a dozen Orpington eggs into the Brown egg category and after much thought on everyone's case, entered FBCM eggs into the "Other" category. You could only enter 1 dozen in each category and while we were hoping for a dozen EE blue eggs, the girls were not cooperative.
We have about 6 Orps laying regularly and while we only have 3 FCBM hens, they lay like crazy! The week before the fair we saved eggs, didn't mark them with the lay date like we usually do, and every day after day 3 there was a comparison of "which of these things is most like the other".
Things we learned:
There are categories for flocks of 2000 hens or more ( yeah, right.) and those under 2000 hens. Guess where all the entries were from? The farmers' wives who keep small flocks. At Reading, I think there were 3 entries of blue eggs plus an entry of banty and our FBCM in "other", and about 6-7 entries of brown eggs, and less than 5 entries of white. The judges have the right to open 2 eggs at random of each dozen. They opened one of each dozen. Our FBCM didn't place but our Orp eggs brought 4th place which we thought very respectable considering the competition.
We have NO idea of the why's of the judging and I am not sure how we might find out-- just for our future information.
At Kutztown a week later, a new set of eggs ( all less that a week old again) numbers of entries were a dozen or two less in each category but banty had it's own category. Our Orps didn't place but we were dumbfounded when the FBCM took Best of Show and were the talk of the egg competition! The judges did not open any of the eggs there and some of the same farmer wives entered eggs as in Reading. Granted, we thought it was a nice dozen of FBCM eggs both times
Now, someone told me that winning first place in a local fair entitles an entry into the Harrisburg Farm Show in January. I have no idea if this is true and who knows what hens will be laying then in a small flock. I think all PA fairs use the same rule book, but other that what the OP posted, that is all I know about the rules!
I have told DH he needs to join some official poultry group so he knows what he is doing! He is just tickled by the fact that he was allowed to enter something into a fair and actually won not only a ribbon, but a rosette!
Somewhere he has a pic.. need to find it!
He entered a dozen Orpington eggs into the Brown egg category and after much thought on everyone's case, entered FBCM eggs into the "Other" category. You could only enter 1 dozen in each category and while we were hoping for a dozen EE blue eggs, the girls were not cooperative.
We have about 6 Orps laying regularly and while we only have 3 FCBM hens, they lay like crazy! The week before the fair we saved eggs, didn't mark them with the lay date like we usually do, and every day after day 3 there was a comparison of "which of these things is most like the other".
Things we learned:
There are categories for flocks of 2000 hens or more ( yeah, right.) and those under 2000 hens. Guess where all the entries were from? The farmers' wives who keep small flocks. At Reading, I think there were 3 entries of blue eggs plus an entry of banty and our FBCM in "other", and about 6-7 entries of brown eggs, and less than 5 entries of white. The judges have the right to open 2 eggs at random of each dozen. They opened one of each dozen. Our FBCM didn't place but our Orp eggs brought 4th place which we thought very respectable considering the competition.
We have NO idea of the why's of the judging and I am not sure how we might find out-- just for our future information.
At Kutztown a week later, a new set of eggs ( all less that a week old again) numbers of entries were a dozen or two less in each category but banty had it's own category. Our Orps didn't place but we were dumbfounded when the FBCM took Best of Show and were the talk of the egg competition! The judges did not open any of the eggs there and some of the same farmer wives entered eggs as in Reading. Granted, we thought it was a nice dozen of FBCM eggs both times
Now, someone told me that winning first place in a local fair entitles an entry into the Harrisburg Farm Show in January. I have no idea if this is true and who knows what hens will be laying then in a small flock. I think all PA fairs use the same rule book, but other that what the OP posted, that is all I know about the rules!
I have told DH he needs to join some official poultry group so he knows what he is doing! He is just tickled by the fact that he was allowed to enter something into a fair and actually won not only a ribbon, but a rosette!
Somewhere he has a pic.. need to find it!
