Showing

[SlowMoneyFarm]

Are shows pretty much as on here as far as conversation? (Some get lots of response others...well not a comment/feedback)

What are the most/least shown (especially in the south)? Where does one find them other than fairs?

 

[jsimon]

Get the poultry press to know where all the shows are. The biggest this year, and hopefully ever will be held in Indianapolis.

 

[SlowMoneyFarm]

OK - where do I find the poultry press?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

http://www.poultrypress.com/


Its a poultry newspaper that comes out monthly. With show information, articles, for sale ads, etc.

 

[SlowMoneyFarm]

Thanks.

Popularity of breeds? How to take part? Was recommended to come to this site for people who know but it's very difficult to strike up conversations. :-(

 

[dickhorstman]

There is also a new online exhibition poultry paper and it is free. Exhibition poultry.com I agree with the first post about the Poultry Press. It does list all of the shows and has a lot of articles. I have been a subscriber for 50 years and look forward to it each month.

 

[WallTenters]

There are many breeds that are rarer than others, but you should be more worried about what breed you love the most. If you find that you don't like showing (though I don't know who wouldn't) you won't be sitting there with a breed that's super high quality but you don't care for them.

Do you already have a breed of chickens that you love? If so, I would suggest asking around to find someone that is local (best) can meet you at a show (good) or can ship you chicks or live birds (still okay) or eggs (last option). Better to start out showing with really high quality birds - it takes just as much work and expense to raise them that it does to raise lower quality birds.

Also, I would GET A STANDARD OF PERFECTION! It will really help when you go to the shows you can learn even more! You will be able to see what the notes on the cards kind of mean because they will note something scribbled like "stibbss" and you know that they mean "stubs" which are feathers on the legs of a clean-legged breed.

And I second all previous advice.

 

[SlowMoneyFarm]

Thanks.
I do have chickens already and have had some for a while but not shown. So if my breeds will take all day to show - or there's no competition - or if they just suck and I shouldn't even try. Will check into the papers etc - I have some Seabrights, Anconas, Dominiques, Australorp, RIR, some other "odds & ends" but don't necessarily want to show all of them...maybe not any of them depending on what they are to the standard. What I think is 'blocky' or other terms may not be for show - so before going blind was trying to find out. Years ago I showed at the county fair and usually won - but that wasn't show birds really it was birds that foraged around the horses that were a distinct breed and the fair was an option. I've shown rabbits local to national level and aware of differences...but I don't know about *poultry* shows and how mine stack up. (or not!). It doesn't change my keeping them, but if I can upgrade with some key animals and do both why not try.