The Fair

[CYGChickies]

I attended my first fair as an animal exhibitor this week and I can't believe the results! I took eight birds--they had to be shown in pairs of male and female--and six rabbits. My rabbits did very well, all blue and red ribbons, but the biggest shocker was the birds! My two-month-old Austrolorps Roosty and Caroline beat out a pair of full-grown Barred Rocks, RIRs and even Auracanas! I can't believe it! My silkies of the same age took blue over Quail, Cochins and even a pair of frizzles! Needless to say I was a very proud mama. My very first fair turned out very well and I can't wait until the local fairs start up again next year. I've had so much fun talking to people about my birds. The Silkies and Narragansett turkeys have drawn the most attention and I've already got a waiting list on Austrolorp eggs and chicks!

Anyway I see people on here all the time with winning birds and I am so jazzed I just had to announce my birds' success. Thank you for reading!

CYG

 

[Debbi]

CONGRATS!!!!

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Hey, that is great! I'd love to attend some shows, but there isn't anything around here. I went to two local fairs and neither one even had any chickens. People were showing off cattle but that was it. It would seem that as popular chickens have gotten to be there would be more places to show off birds.

Congratulations on your wins. That is really cool.

 

[CYGChickies]

Thanks everybody! Orange Ribbon, you should contact the Fair Board in your area and speak with them about a test run with poultry. I am schduled to speak with my county's Fair Board at their September meeting since poultry--and rabbits--are no longer shown. I have to convince them that there's enough interest to bring it back. Even if I'm competing solely against myself I'll bring all of my 41 birds and exhibit them if it will help raise interest. I had such a good time and got a lot of egg, chick, poult and baby rabbit sales. Plus the commotion helped my Narragansett Tom Rene gobble AND present for the first time! That is until his hen Ms Kitty pecked him on the head--everyone's a critic.

Anyway, the fair is a great place to teach people what poultry and rabbits are all about and spark some interest in the 4H and FFA kids that up until that point only saw pigs and sheep as interesting livestock. I was simply floored at how much I enjoyed it and just how many great people I met in the area that shared common interests. I absolutely reccomend attending the local fair to anyone even if you don't expect to place. The people and getting to watch their reactions to the birds you worked your butt off to care for is just as good as a blue ribbon--ok it's really close anyway.

CYG

 

[Oregon Blues]

Orange Ribbon, no poultry classes offered, or no entries?

Around here, all of us will enter the county fair because the poultry barn is air-conditioned. But nobody will enter the other fairs because of the heat. There is too much risk of having birds die from the heat and stress. Weather around here is too unpredictable to take the risk.