Tell me about your chicken shows

[OrganicVanek]

My kids each entered a chicken into their first show at our county fair. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive, but I don't think we're going to do this fair again. We have to check in the chickens on Wednesday night. They stay there until Sunday night, in a small cage with a wire bottom. They give the chickens medicated water and scratch for food. My heart is breaking for my little guys and I can't wait to take them home. Is this normal to leave your chickens at the show for so long in (what I think) are miserable conditions?

 

[brahmabreeder]

Do you have a picture of the cage? At our fair the animals stay for a week, but we feed and water what we want. Our cages also don't have wire bottoms.

 

[BGMatt]

My kids each entered a chicken into their first show at our county fair. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive, but I don't think we're going to do this fair again. We have to check in the chickens on Wednesday night. They stay there until Sunday night, in a small cage with a wire bottom. They give the chickens medicated water and scratch for food. My heart is breaking for my little guys and I can't wait to take them home. Is this normal to leave your chickens at the show for so long in (what I think) are miserable conditions?

Our fair is 4 days, I would never allow anyone to force me to give medicated water to my birds. Wire bottom cages are not common practice at actual shows. I would suggest unless you are going to be there every day taking care of the bird yourself to skip fairs, and if the kids would like to show their birds get them involved in actual shows. You can find shows in your area by listings in the Poultry Press, or hopefully talking to a breeder in your area. You could also contact your APA District Director and ask about shows in your area.

 

[OrganicVanek]

thank you both. That's great advice. I'll look for some other shows.