Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Holm, as with most fowl lightly roasted they're best.

Just kidding they are transported South and released. Recently they have been requesting a release near ORock. They have said something about the good eats in that area.

While shooting of hawks and Eagles is a sentence for which one could spend the rest of his days in prison, shooting someone releasing a hawk in the area is only a petty misdemeanor, and subject to a $25 dollar fine. I believe if the hawks was accidentally wounded in said petty misdemeanor they would let one off with a slap on the wrist.

 

[holm25]

So you're saying I could bring Guineas to the Hutch show too!! Maybe I should sell my pied and buy more pearl? Oh wait I quit buying birds from people who aren't NPIP! I really think showing Guineas would be fun!


When is the Hutch show? I really want to bring some Bucks to that show!

 

[holm25]

BC she likes it on boat. She gets a little spunky when we catch something but other than that shes really good. Shes to old to get to crazy I suppose.

 

[ejb3810]

In light of Ralphie's above statements, I believe it prudent to instruct my transport driver to go no further South than Princeton with these hawks. If they are unable to fend for themselves there they can starve to death as far as I am concerned. Don't tell PITA that I said that, as Ingrid would be very upset.

 

[jerryse]

Ralphie here are the cold hard facts about showing . A pullet at point of lay looks great and is hard to beat . Condition and tameness are very important . Good stock is a must but a good bird in great condition can beat a great bird in only good condition .Now few judges use score cards but do it in their heads . The clerk takes notes and such . It is mostly comparison judging with the standard in mind . Go around and look at other birds . The one that catches your eye will also catch the judges eye . That bird will usually place well . If no flaws are found while handling . A good judge can recognize some bloodlines . It is common for attractive girls / women to have birds that place well . Not saying anything but they often ask questions of the judges and become known same with young men who are eager to learn .Plus they spend a lot of time with their birds They will give a youngster a break . You do not have that advantage . A bird that poses well or steps into a judges hand is a plus . People with time and patience to tame their birds do well . Old trios are often shown .

 

[lvie]

I am being lazy because I have a picture on my phone and my phone is upstairs charging and I am not going to go get it but tomorrow - something to anticipate - I will post a picture.

I have this spider that keeps building a web between the Rapunzel building and the coop. It builds fast! The spiders body is about the size of a dime and is black and lime green dots. The legs are orange. No, I am not kidding. Now I am going to try to find it on the internet. You guys could be my internet too.

 

[Cebarmlds]

I am being lazy because I have a picture on my phone and my phone is upstairs charging and I am not going to go get it but tomorrow - something to anticipate - I will post a picture.

I have this spider that keeps building a web between the Rapunzel building and the coop. It builds fast! The spiders body is about the size of a dime and is black and lime green dots. The legs are orange. No, I am not kidding. Now I am going to try to find it on the internet. You guys could be my internet too.

 

[lvie]

Hmmm I will have to get a better picture in the morning. Looking at spider pictures creeps me out.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have a question or ten for all, but I assume Minnie and Jerry would be the two most able to answer these.

I have decided I am going to show something or a couple something in Hutch. I have been going over the SOP's trying to see if my birds look acceptable and I will not get laughed out of there with them.

I am extremely happy with the Dominiques from Urich's eggs.

I know I can call the MPA, but I would rather here what you guys have to say first.



I am also very happy with the PC, both the young and the ones I got from EJB to start my PV flock. I know we talked about it the other day, showing of older birds. The PC's are not in Molt and seem to be through it. Is it unheard of to try and show an older trio? They really are a nice looking trio.

Some of my SS look pretty darn good. I have been looking over their combs for Sprigs and do not find any. I am thinking someone glued fake Sprigs on the roosters at the Benton county fair.

The parents while good looking the hens are not as good as the offspring, which is weird. The rooster also has winter trimming to his comb. The rooster is great looking but his tail angle is a tad high but not overly so as to be disqualifying...But the trim job,,,,,

I also see Guineas have a division. Mine are noting special, other than they have long rap lists of offenses they have committed. Also I screwed up. I have intentionally allowed them to breed towards pied. Now reading the SOP I find white on a Guinea is disqualifying... HOLM take note!!! You may not want to let the whites and pieds breed with the Pearl .

How many of each do people bring? I have two really nice PC roosters. if they do not die. I do not have the hens for them to have 2 each. Do I just have to flip a coin and decide who to bring?

IS there such a thing as an exhibition area without premiums or ribbons? I am thinking my CLBs and the white sports. I know I keep talking about how good they look, and you get tired of it, but IO really want to show a few of them off.


I know I will have a ton more as Oct 20th approaches, these are just starters.

Also the SOP's seem to be written with a wide berth of room for the judge to do as he pleases. How closely do they all judge to each other? Would they all pick the same winners? It appears somewhat subjective to me.


Anyways comments please.. I figured someone else here might want to know these things or I would have just asked in a PM..


When showing a Eagle caught in my Swedish hawk live trap do I show it with or without a hood over it's eyes?

The Hutch show is late enough that if you have older birds who have completed their molt, and if you think they are worthy of showing, bring them. I don't recall seeing much in the way of Speckled Sussex there in the past nor the Chanteclers, so bring them. You may not get on Champion Row, but you will gain knowledge and experience in going, and that is well worth the going. As for your CLB, you could bring them, but they won't award you anything above Best of Variety or Breed, and they are not eligible for anything more if they are not in the APA SOP. You will want to follow some kind of standard in your selection, but I believe most judges will look at them as those 'flavor of the month' birds and not spend too much time on them.
Jerry is right, condition and cage training go a long way. Just know the competition at Hutch is pretty stiff and there are breeders who are judges who are bringing birds in and breeders who have been doing their thing for 40-60 years. Clean the birds well, and that means bathing 10 days or more before the show and keeping them clean, this allows the natural oils to get back into their feathers and be in good condition.
The placings are 1-5 in each class, only Best of Breed gets any kind of ribbon and it is a pretty rosette. They will then select a Best of Class (American, English, Asian, Continental, etc. for LF and then Games, Feather footed, etc, for bantams), From there they select a Best Large Fowl and Best Bantam, Best Duck, Best Goose, Best Waterfowl, the Overall Champion.
The last show they had there, there were about 2600 birds, I believe. There are several breed meets, which are special events that breed clubs sponsor and award their own separate awards and points to. If you joined the APA, then you should receive or should have received a Yearbook that covers the points system.
Showing mature birds is a challenge when you live where we are, those single combs almost always get nipped a little, and sometimes it gets their toes a little too.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I should add, @duluthralphie that you can enter trios or single birds. The Lots are broken down as:
Cock
Hen
Cockerel
Pullet
Old Trio
Young Trio
Then if you have an entry there in each of those categories under one breed and variety, then you can enter as a Display as well.
When they are judged, for single bird awards like Best of Breed or Best of Variety, they will look at the Trio as individual birds as well for those. So, essentially, if you had a really outstanding cockerel or pullet in a trio, they could award one of those with any higher award.