"The FAIR" WHO HOO! We're done!

[DoctorGoose]

So, I slept about 4 hours last night. I was a nervous wreck! I kept thinking about how small Tiberius is, and how she was put betwixt those two big roos, and how they would tell her dirty stories, and she would come home completely traumatized.

Again, to add--Tiberius' crest was picked free of all those waxy-quill thingies (what are they called?) and I really tried to poof it out...does anybody know if its OK to use hair gel to try and get it any bigger?

Judging ins't till Saturday morning (I have to work, OF COURSE! BLEH.) And they said the barn will be closed then anyhow, so we won't know how they did until Saturday afternoon.

I'm going to stop by tomorrow night to try and spruce the girls up a bit before judging--especially Dolly, for some reason, when I put the oil on her comb, it kinda turned yellowish-pinky in the middle, like she had a big boo-boo on it. Weird. I wish I would've thought to put some chapstick on their wattles a few days ago--the "lip-plumping" kind for Dolly, because her wattles and comb could use a little of that....hm...maybe a stop to Victoria's secret is in order, for clear lip plumping gloss. That's just brilliant.

I should have thought of that ages ago....I guess it's just because she's a young 16 weeks, and Wyandottes mature slowly? There seems to be a general consensus here about that.

I hope Dolly looks better than she did yesterday, at least, because she was on the verge of looking as if she was moulting when I got done grooming her.

Do feathers fall out due to stress, kinda like cat's hair? (Or our hair, for that matter!)

 

[silkiechicken]

Feathers can fall out during stress but chances are at this time of year they are going through their light moult. Go figure right? Gotta be just during the fair!

 

[DoctorGoose]

So, I just came back from visiting the chickies at the fair. Parking alone is $10. But that's not the issue--they wouldn't let me handle my own birds! un

I'm really worried about Pharaoh--you know all these discussions we've been having about her wattles and comb being so red? They're not right now. She looks SO PALE! I didn't even recognize her when I went to look at them. I am so worried. I want to go back tomorrow morning and give her some vitamins and electrolytes with a bit of tetracycline (yes, I know, I'm contributing to antibiotic resistance!) But I'm SO worried. She seemed to be eating and drinking OK (Not like Tiberius, she was going hog wild over the food) but I wanted to clean out her water-bowl and all the cages were zip-tied shut! I went to go talk to the lady at the counter, and she said I could not handle my birds. *SIGH*

Any ideas of what's wrong with her?

 

[silkiechicken]

She could just be very stressed or very hot. Either will cause a pale comb. Especially ones used to free ranging. Fairs are VERY stressful on birds. Some take it better than others. They zipped the cages shut due to people stealing birds, so that might be a good thing that they are being wary. I don't think I'd show my birds due to risk of picking up junk from other birds and the fact it is so stressful on them. I hope she is ok though. She's probably just out of her element and is stressed out about thousands of eyes looking at her and little kids poking their fingers though the cages.

 

[SpottedCrow]

It's also because some people will enter a bird then switch it out for another bird that may look better before judging. Sort of sneaky...
Someone lost a bunch of their silkies at a fair in the spring because some blankety blank swiped em right out of the cages.

 

[DoctorGoose]

Hm. Well, I guess that makes sense, but then we all have 1 hour to get our chickens out on Sunday night--that would just be a perfect time for chicken napping! They should give us claim cards like at a child's daycare to make sure we're taking the right chicken home.

I have their quarantine all set up--XXL doggie crate to sleep in, like the clean birds were before the show, and doggie run covered with some bird-netting (so they can't fly out, they will be in the crate at night.)

I've purchased some "Rooster Booster" vitamins for the girls to take, along with their electrolytes. I'm still worried about Pharaoh--she's not going to die because of stress, right? Just a little....stressed out?

Tiberius, on the other hand, was being a complete ham for attention. She was as happy as happy could be, sitting there, eating her "special food" (I think they were just feeding them scratch, never had it before, so I don't know what it looks like--but seeds and corn with a little bit of crumble?)

But this is the funniest thing--she had just taken a bit of a dust bath when I got there, and of course she said hello to me, but she still had 1 shaving that had not completely left her back.

I said to her: "Tiberius, you still have a shaving on your back--just so you know, it looks funny." (I would have taken it off her, but my hands are too big to fit through the bars

) Anyhow, she turned right around, and picked off the shaving and set it on the ground! I swear, she understands me!

 

[thndrdancr]

DG, usually they give you a fair pass and/or parking pass if you have something entered! Check on that please, gosh you are using up all your $.

I hope your chickens do well, I dont know what kind of set up they have, I know ours are in a big old barn type setting with no a/c and they hold it mid August, so the poor things get terrible hot.

I think some chickens love the attention, like your Tiberius, but maybe Pharoah just isnt that type. I hope she is ok, I have never shown so dont know. If you get too worried about her, you could probably withdraw her.
Also, I read that a piece of silk to wipe down their feathers really makes them shine naturally too. I been thinking of trying it on mine, just to see.

Good Luck.

 

[DoctorGoose]

Hi y'all!

I was so worried about Pharaoh's health this morning that when we got there at 10:00, I just ran from the car to the barn to make sure she was OK--She looked better, and then I saw she had 2nd place written on her coop!

She was knocked down a little for her color--she got some brassiness from the sun, I guess--does anyone know if it's OK to put sunscreen on their feathers?

Tiberius won best of variety!

Dolly didn't do as well--she got 4th, but I guess that's better than some of the other pullets--I think there were seven in all. And--she got knocked down for her color, and her type as well. I think my girls are just tan. The GLW next to her got Res. Champion American--and she was this deep burgundy-like gold; a big hen too. Maybe next year Dolly'll be that big.

Anyhow, pictures to follow tomorrow when I've gotten some sleep and don't have a headache. I've just spent the last hour or so playing policeman to the three girls---I made them a quarantine coop and run yesterday, and apparently pecking order does not last over five days when they haven't seen each other. But now they're all cuddled together in their dog crate, making happy sounds. Guess what?? There were some folks there who transported their chickens in plastic storage boxes!

I would've never thought of that--too hot? Dunno; but they had little air holes in them.

 

[barg]

Wow you did great!!!
Grats Pharaoh and Tiberius!!!!

I Just found this thread, WTG!!!

I scanned this from an original shirt I bought while at the fair in... yup, 1982. I have a better scan but a shrunk it to be kinda like an emoticon.

 

[thndrdancr]

Congrats, wow that is excellent. And glad your girls are all ok! Wonderful! I have enjoyed reading your fair story.

Jill