There are shows, and then there are shows...

[Nava]

well here are my new babys,i want to learn all i can so that i can teach them at a young age,so when they are older they can be all that they can, Show Chickens

wacha think Katy?

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

well, they already love the camera so you are off to a good start.

 

[Nava]

Mrs. Turbo :

well, they already love the camera so you are off to a good start.

hey Hollywood is an option too thanks, i'll tell them about you when they are big stars

 

[Katy]

I would say you've got two blues and one splash.

 

[TK Poultry]

I found this thread very interesting it took some nasty turns and twist though. That professional person scared me!! But I think that county fairs are for fun and should be viewed that way at least that is how I see it. I'm big into showing and trying to get the best but my sister isnt so she takes EE's and mixed ducks to the county fair, where I take cochins and ameraucanas its just a county fair. I think the real hurah is the open show. I also think that the junior shows are looked down upon as much as the county fairs are. I saw a post on here about Jr./Youth shows and I was offenended by it a little. I put as much work and effort into my bird on the Jr. side as did the forty year old lady did on the other side. I think that is mean. I buy from the people who show and raise birds for OPEN shows and I take birds that represent the breed that I'm taking. I also HATE the people who bring like a thousand birds and fill a class. This happens alot in cochins I've found not saying it only happens there but that is where I've noticed it. They bring birds of all shapes and variations of the breed/variety that they are showing when they could have brought those 5 best birds and there had been as much competition with out the birds that didnt really belong there. Did that make sense? I've also been one of those who have shown against myself especially with my ducks. But my judge did not have a problem with just putting a second on the card and moving on. His favorite words were wing condition and condition! So I find it an honor just for him to place my birds even thought there were only three of that color and breed. Because he could have just went on. I also have a slight pet peeve against loosing to hatchery birds but I'm not going to get into that because I'm still pretty bitter. I also have a slight opinion on the uses of SQ and PQ. I'm only going to touch on the SQ thing. I hate seeing SQ eggs for sale. YOU CAN'T SHOW EGGS THEY CANNOT BE SQ!!! I always put (if I have room) "....from SQ parents" because that is all you can say. I also list in my listings my wins at "county fairs" and at "real shows" so that the buyer can be the judge and get the full story.

 

[Illia]

A lot of good points made here - First, yeah, it is entirely ridiculous to sell "Show Quality eggs" - Umm, the eggs never went to the show, and there's a slim percentage that will, even if they were from show quality parents. The key word is SQ parents and stock.

Second - I'm not even an expert on Wyandottes, especially BLR, but even I can tell you that the auction I just saw yesterday or the day before on "Show Quality BLRs" - Is ridiculous. The birds weren't the greatest, the photo was horrible (dust bathing? . . . As if I can see the body when they're dust bathing?) and the seller constantly used the word Show Quality eggs. . . Then finally, people put the seller to the test by asking were the parent stock even in shows. . . Umm, 4-H and some local small thing really don't count. - Like mentioned before, there are so few birds there that a hatchery bird can win.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Arizona's State Fair, and most, if not all, of our county fairs are ABA/APA sanctioned. More and more of our 4H leaders are working to get good quality birds for their kids. Unfortunately, as a whole there are not many 4H clubs outside of the Tucson area devoted to poultry. Tucson has quite a large group of poultry 4H clubs.

IMO, it is not winning at a show that makes a bird show quality; it is meeting the standard for the breed and variety.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
But, if all were fair and equal, the winning birds should meet the standard for the breed.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
But, if all were fair and equal, the winning birds should meet the standard for the breed.

Yes, but hopefully the birds who didn't place as well would, too. (Yes, that is somewhat idealied.)

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
This should be the standard for winning. 4H fairs are to be for the kids.........too many adults are involved and not enough kids. Anyone who buys based on "SQ", should be prepared for disappointment. I love partridge wyandotte bantams but I've yet to see any who meet the standard. I have some nice ones but they have faults if you compare them to white wyandotte bantams--legs too long, legs not thick enough, tail to much like cochin tail....other than that, they're great.

Most of us want a few eggs & let them out to run making us feel good. If you like the way they look, you pay the bills, so who cares what some other person thinks? If you want production, buy birds that have been bred for that purpose. I'm always amused when I hear someone bragging up their birds because no one else will. When you win the Nationals, brag away. Want to see real quality, go to the nationals.