Strongest Breeds in Showing

[bantambury]

So I really want to start showing at my state fair this year.....then slowly work my way up to show in national shows and such.....

I just wanted to know some of the strongest breeds you've seen be shown.....how often they win and stuff.
or I would just like to know some of the winner breeds you have seen at shows
or id LOVE to see your birds that have won in shows!

I just relly need to see the strongest breeds......and were to order them for show quality. I wanted to show my jap bantam in the state fair for last October, but he was in a molt....I soon realized he has a small fold in his waddle....could I still enter him if its there? here are some pictures of the japs from my fair this year:

(the youth person, CF, who entered these had won VARIOUS prizes for his japs.....I hope to get that good!)
Here is my jap (not quite show quality, but that's why im asking for nice show breeds and hatcheries.)

these are the other japs shown....they have won VARIOUS awards at our state fair. bird credit goes to CF





It would help so much if you could let me know high placing birds, and where you could order for show birds. THANKS!

~Bantambury

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is just my opinion and I'm not a show expert by any stretch of the imagination. It may be completely different where you are but the major shows I've been to have a ton of game birds, seramas and just a lot of bantams overall. If I were starting out showing, based on what I've seen, I'd start with something much more obscure but still recognized by the APA. While the less common breeds may not win best in show, they will have a better chance of at least winning in their breed or class. To get some recognition would IMO be motivating.
I'm thinking something like Jersey Giants, Javas, Buckeyes, etc..
That's just my 2 cents.

ETA
I'd definitely attend a couple shows and see what people have there.

 

[bantambury]

This is just my opinion and I'm not a show expert by any stretch of the imagination. It may be completely different where you are but the major shows I've been to have a ton of game birds, seramas and just a lot of bantams overall. If I were starting out showing, based on what I've seen, I'd start with something much more obscure but still recognized by the APA. While the less common breeds may not win best in show, they will have a better chance of at least winning in their breed or class. To get some recognition would IMO be motivating.
I'm thinking something like Jersey Giants, Javas, Buckeyes, etc..
That's just my 2 cents.

ETA
I'd definitely attend a couple shows and see what people have there.

AWESOME! thanks! ill look more into the APA recognized breeds!

 

[BGMatt]

The most popular breeds in most shows are Old English Game Bantams and (at least in the NW) Silkies. However, that means you have a lot of competition to even win breed, but the breed winner has a good chance to win the class or the entire dang show.

I have two pieces of advice, and you'll have to balance them because they're not always totally compatible.

1) Pick a breed that really appeals to you, and then get the best stock you can find in that breed. Regardless of popularity or anything else. When raising birds for show you have to raise a LOT of them, and hopefully you'll stick with them for a lot of years. You'll have more fun, be more successful, and stick with it longer if it's a breed you really love. Any APA (or for bantams ABA) recognized breed and variety can win a show. It takes a dedicated breeder to produce show winners regardless of breed.

2) Solid color breeds, and breeds without extreme features are easier to be successful with. For example: Black Tailed White Japanese Bantams while an awesome breed and can be very striking have a difficult color pattern, extreme tails and extremely short legs (including a lethal gene to deal with while breeding). Does that mean you shouldn't raise them? No, if you love them keep at it, but it's a lot harder than something like a White Plymouth Rock, Black Jersey Giant, White Wyandotte etc etc etc that is one color with no pattern to worry about and no extreme features, which allows you to breed for type only.

Edit: When you decide on a breed track down a breeder, never get birds you intend to show from a hatchery. And it is worth it to buy the best stock you can find and afford.

 

[bantambury]

The most popular breeds in most shows are Old English Game Bantams and (at least in the NW) Silkies. However, that means you have a lot of competition to even win breed, but the breed winner has a good chance to win the class or the entire dang show.

I have two pieces of advice, and you'll have to balance them because they're not always totally compatible.

1) Pick a breed that really appeals to you, and then get the best stock you can find in that breed. Regardless of popularity or anything else. When raising birds for show you have to raise a LOT of them, and hopefully you'll stick with them for a lot of years. You'll have more fun, be more successful, and stick with it longer if it's a breed you really love. Any APA (or for bantams ABA) recognized breed and variety can win a show. It takes a dedicated breeder to produce show winners regardless of breed.

2) Solid color breeds, and breeds without extreme features are easier to be successful with. For example: Black Tailed White Japanese Bantams while an awesome breed and can be very striking have a difficult color pattern, extreme tails and extremely short legs (including a lethal gene to deal with while breeding). Does that mean you shouldn't raise them? No, if you love them keep at it, but it's a lot harder than something like a White Plymouth Rock, Black Jersey Giant, White Wyandotte etc etc etc that is one color with no pattern to worry about and no extreme features, which allows you to breed for type only.

Edit: When you decide on a breed track down a breeder, never get birds you intend to show from a hatchery. And it is worth it to buy the best stock you can find and afford.

very informative thanks! I wanted to show white silkies....I have been looking into catdance.....do you recommend that? a lot of people win overall breed and show on her birds. they place VERY high.

 

[BGMatt]

very informative thanks! I wanted to show white silkies....I have been looking into catdance.....do you recommend that? a lot of people win overall breed and show on her birds. they place VERY high.

She has some very nice Silkies. Marjorie Best in Oregon has some great ones too. There's others but if I was going to get into Silkies I'd get them from one of those two, I know both of them personally since they're up here in the northwest, excellent people and excellent birds. I see you're in North Carolina so you'd have to ship, but I would say it's worth it.

 

[bantambury]

She has some very nice Silkies. Marjorie Best in Oregon has some great ones too. There's others but if I was going to get into Silkies I'd get them from one of those two, I know both of them personally since they're up here in the northwest, excellent people and excellent birds. I see you're in North Carolina so you'd have to ship, but I would say it's worth it.

AWESOME! ill look more into those two! that's so great you know them! thanks for the info!

googled Marjorie Best but no websight came up.....what would you do? do they have a websight

 

[NYREDS]

So I really want to start showing at my state fair this year.....then slowly work my way up to show in national shows and such.....

I just wanted to know some of the strongest breeds you've seen be shown.....how often they win and stuff.
or I would just like to know some of the winner breeds you have seen at shows
or id LOVE to see your birds that have won in shows!

I just relly need to see the strongest breeds......and were to order them for show quality. I wanted to show my jap bantam in the state fair for last October, but he was in a molt....I soon realized he has a small fold in his waddle....could I still enter him if its there? here are some pictures of the japs from my fair this year:

(the youth person, CF, who entered these had won VARIOUS prizes for his japs.....I hope to get that good!)
Here is my jap (not quite show quality, but that's why im asking for nice show breeds and hatcheries.)

these are the other japs shown....they have won VARIOUS awards at our state fair. bird credit goes to CF





It would help so much if you could let me know high placing birds, and where you could order for show birds. THANKS!

~Bantambury

Do you own a copy of the Standard? If not you need one if you're serious about getting into showing. That's the first thing to buy-before you buy any chickens. For one thing it will help you to "speak chicken". For example you'll learn that the red, pendulous growths below the lower mandible are the wattles, not the waddles.
Also, you won't get "show quality" birds from a hatchery. You may be able to get birds rom them that will do ok at County Fairs but not at actual sanctioned shows. It's actually even getting harder to win at Fairs with hatchery birds because with the increasing interest in poultry the competition at fairs is intensifying.
Frankly, the idea often expressed here by people wnting to buy show winners is a little offputting. There's no glory to be had by buying something someone else produced & showing it. It's sort of like paying someone else to take a test for you & then bragging about the A you got.
If you're really interested in showing buy a Standard. Decide what breed you're interested in & study it. Then go to some shows & observe the breed you're interested in; talk to the people showing your breed & pick their brains. Compare the birds that are winning in the shows with the descriptions in the Standard to really learn to understand whatthe Standard requires of your breed.
Then you're ready to start buying birds. At many shows there are good birds for sale & by good birds I mean birds worh buying to breed from. It would also be helpful to research some information about poultry breeding. There's more to it than putting a male in with some females.
Follow this path & you'll eventually achieve success as well as the respect of other exhibitors. Looking to buy "show quality" birds without putting in any work will get you neither.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Well put.

It's like a kid in scouts with a boxcar derby thing built by his father and taking home the trophy.
Kinda makes the whole concept worthless.