Someone Stole My Best Silkie Hen At a Show Today :(

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Well, being tattooed won't keep anything from getting stolen per se unless there is check in/ check out... BUT, it would make it impossible to show the bird subsequently, and enable a person to definitely establish the bird as theirs if it should turn up later.

As opposed to just one chicken among chickens "oh it's not the one you're looking for, it just happens to look similar", you know?

Pat

 

[EweSheep]

Sorry to hear about your bird being stolen. It is awful when it does happen.

Yes a door checker would be a good idea but need more than ONE checker because some can go out the back door.

There gotta be a way to keep theives from stealing birds. Maybe hot wire the cages at night LOL!

 

[Smoky73]

And tattooing would not work with silkies as they have black skin.

I am a show secretary for my local club, but, we just started putting on shows, this is the third year and we are very small so far, not a lot of foot traffic. I think that it should be mandatory to zip tie all cages if the birds are to be left overnight. I might implement that into the rules page of the showbook this time.

There is no problem with counting number of birds going in by which party, either sale or so forth.
When the show secretary or show superintendent get a person at the door, they physically count a number of birds in each breed brought in by each person. If there are sale birds, those get counted too.Each person gets a page with their birds listed. At coop out time, all birds are accounted for with a check mark by each bird.
When a sale bird sells, the person pays the owner and get a receipt written by the show secretary or superintendent. When the secretary writes this out, they go back and check the list to be sure that the person who sold the bird actually had that bird to sell. Each person who bought a bird needs to show a receipt that was written by the show secretary.
Our National Western Stock show requires you to check in at the stock show entrance with the number of birds you have brought (you just tell them) in to the fairgrounds. However, upon checking out, they do not physically count all the birds, as the gate keeper is far away from the building and your birds are already loaded into the car or truck, making it impossible for the gate keeper to actually count heads. Also no receipt is given when a bird is sold in the sale area.
The problem begins as most fairgrounds have several entrances and exits that are left unlocked during showtime, so you would have to post a person by every door.
I think at my show, I could implement this program as everyone would need to go by me to check out. It would basically be a checklist upon exiting, as all the actual writing would be done on entry. Check out would be fairly quick. Something else could be written in the rules of the show that anyone who does not follow these rules do so at their own risk, though most show books have this written into the book anyway that the club or the facility are not responsible for loss, accident or theft of property.

 

[LilPeeps]

Quote:
This is true, but then what if someone wants to sell this bird? Then you would have to set up some kind of database where people would NEED to record each and every purchase and sale of any birds (otherwiseall these non registered birds could be considered stolen) and that would not be acceptable to a lot of people...it would basically be NAIS, which is never going to happen.

 

[dixiechick]

OMG!!!! I lock my cages at shows, but there is a short time when they have to be unlocked so the judges can judge....GOOD GRIEF!!!!!

That is simply the lowest form of life--chicken thievery!! Hope Betty pecks out their eye!!

 

[mrandmrschicken]

This theft makes me angry and disgusted. I have no sympathy or empathy for a creep that that would do something like this. They should be hung up by their lips, in public. That type behavior is intolerable be it at a poultry show, cattle show, rodeo or a pumpkin show!
Rodriguezpoultry, uses a great example of a simple system that could be in place and successfully implemented. It would merely require trusted people at all entrances with a predetermined code for each exhibitor. If a sale occurs, the exhibitor should be required to issue, to the puchaser, a receipt with the corresponding code on it.
I hope those of you who are involved in poultry shows will take this to heart and approach your local clubs or the APA, with a proposal of this type. If any of you know one of these creeps... step on their head!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
This is true, but then what if someone wants to sell this bird? Then you would have to set up some kind of database where people would NEED to record each and every purchase and sale of any birds (otherwiseall these non registered birds could be considered stolen)

No, all you would have to do is include the ID # on the bill of sale. Then if the seller goes nuts and decides to claim the buyer 'stole' the bird, the buyer has proof they didnt.

The idea would not be to prove current ownership (that *would* require a national database). It would just be a way to firmly distinguish one bird from the next so that IF a bird were stolen, there would be a way to unquestionably identify it later on.

Similar things exist with many other kinds of livestock -- accepted ways to reasonably well establish that a particular animal IS that particular animal -- and have worked reasonably well, I don't see why something similar couldn't exist for show poultry.

Silkies having black skin is a very good point re: tattooing, of course <doh!>

I still wonder about other identifying marks, like how unique leg and foot scale patterns might be.

Pat

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
I agree that there needs to be someone checking the birds going out..They check you when you are coming in to make sure that you are NPIP tested..At the last show I entered, I partnered up with a lady that was showing Silkies beside me(I bought one of hers also) and while she was loading up some of her birds, I watched hers that were still in the cages, and then she would watch mine.(Hers place BB/BV & mine got RB/RV). This was a show after the Silkie Nationals when a silkie was stolen. We were paranoid with all of the people walking around. We took turns going to our vehicles...It's terrible that it is coming to this. There needs to be some kind of viable system worked out. Maybe someone who is a judge or has organized a show can let us know what is being discussed after some of these thefts. There needs to be something in place especially for the kids that are showing. If one of my granddaughter's birds were stolen, she would be devastated and probably wouldn't want to show again. We need our kids & grandkids to feel the sense of accomplishment they get when they show, not be scared their bird will be stolen..Let's hear from some poultry judges or organizers on this subject..

I do the same thing with another family. I'm usually the only one in my family that makes the long trips to the shows and I catch up with the other breeders while I'm there. I've been around long enough and am "out there" enough that other breeders know my birds. The family watches the birds and I'll be darned if I'm not the LAST one of the people to leave the barn and one of the FIRST to be there the next morning.

 

[wilds of pa]

Wow, you here about this happing all the time it seems now days, those people should be ashamed of them selves, they really should have a surveillance camera system set up at these shows, it wouldn't be hard to set a temporary system up that can be taken down after the shows are complete..at least if someone goes out a door you may be lucky to get there face on the camera.. then give them the beating they deserve

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I'm so sorry to here of your loss.. I hope your bird turns up sooner or later..

Charlie

 

[katrinag]

I am so sorry that this has happend. I hope you get her back safe and sound.