whats the best breed to show?

[RAWR]

i would like to show my bhahmas, but i have some other chicks that i would like to show, and we're still getting more chicks, and i was just needig to find out some good breeds to use in the 4H shows

 

[LilPeeps]

Before you show, make sure your bird actually is SQ. For a 4H show this won't really matter as the quality of the birds honestly doesn't matter. The answer to your origional question of what the best breed to show is breed whatever breed you like best and get it as close as possible to the standard. Find a breed that has the characteristics you most desire: size, varieties, feather type, care requirements, etc. The most popular at shows is the oegb. If you're looking for some stiff competition, go with them. If you're looking for a bv and bb everytime, go with something less common, such as an araucana or pyncheon.

 

[okiron]

I agree, you'll do best with a breed you're actually interested in.

 

[Pathfinders]

As my grandpa once said to me regarding horses, "You've got to look at the animal every day, feed it, water it, deal with it, it might as well be something you like to look at as opposed to something you don't like."

Which my take on is, buy something that appeals to you visually, as you'll be looking at it a lot!

IRT 4-H shows, as a general rule the judging is not anywhere near as stringent as sanctioned ABA/APA shows, no. But you'd be surprised at the quality of judging at some, and it certainly is not a bad thing to have your bird be as correct as possible.

It takes just as much money and effort to feed an incorrect bird as it does a correct bird.

And just so I'm clear, what is your goal in showing? Do you want to show a whole bunch of different breeds and win a lot of ribbons? Do you want to concentrate on one or two breeds and perhaps win CH and/or RCH? It really depends on how your 4-H show is set up (they are not all the same.) But my vote, unless you want to be a junior stringman, is to focus on two or three breeds, get really good birds in those breeds, and work on keeping them in really good condition.

A lot of it is dependent on how much time/energy/space/money you have to devote to showing. It's not a cheap hobby at all. But can be a great deal of fun!

 

[SunshineSilkies]

I agree totally! I takes alot of time to get a Silkie ready for a show. And you are right about the fairs not being as strict. One of my first shows was a local fair and I spent 2 days getting my Silkies looking the best they could look. Bathing, blow drying, trimming nails, etc. They looked fantastic when I got them to the fair. Come judging time, I was so dissapointed. Here I spent all this time getting mine ready and someone had brought a whole cage of chickens in a rusty ole cage and they had crammed as many in it as they could. In with them was a poor white silkie that had been beat up on the way. Come judging time, My silkies got blue ribbons, but so did the one that was dirty and beat up!!! Go figure that! Didn't seem fair to me, but that's the way it is with county fairs sometimes. APA/ABA sanctioned shows are quite different than that! You have to love it to do it!

 

[RAWR]

omg

thank you so much for the advise!

 

[Quack Shack]

Sorry for intruding here but several of the contributors were discussing county fairs. I could use your input as veterans.

We have BB Red OEGs and my son wants to enter a roo into the poultry show. I know that from what the state site for the Dixie Classic that the judges go by 3 different handbooks on birds. My question is do I have to dub the roos to show or even sell them to potential buyers later on? I'm not debating the rights or wrongs of dubbing as I have my own particular beliefs. I just want boy and bird to have a good experience. What have you found with the judges? Does it really boil down to if there's competition in the class at all? Your input appreciated about fair judges and the use of "show quality" birds, please.

 

[LilPeeps]

Quote:
Is this to be a sanctioned APA/ABA show? If so, yes the roosters must be dubbed, otherwise they'll be DQed. You don't have to dub them to sell them. Birds get over being dubbed pertty quickly, it just takes a couple weeks for them to heal aferwards. If it's a sanctioned show, the quality of the birds will matter. If it's not sanctioned, as most fairs aren't, they may or may not judge true to standard and the judges, even if they have a copy of the standard, may not know what a SQ bird looks like. I've known of fair judges that are just employees of the fair just asked if they wanted to judge the birds and had never even touched a chicken before.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Compared to race cars it is!

DH thinks raising and chickens is quite inexpensive. Comparatively, it is.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

If the rooster is actually a rooster, and not a cockerel, then yes, it must be dubbed. If it is a cockerel, then it does not need to be dubbed until (I think this is the correct date) November.


To the original question, I agree with everything said--get the breed or two that most appeals to you/your kids. Get as good a quality of birds as you can and start small to learn what you're doing--you can expand later.


I personally think county and state fairs should be sanctioned, and the birds judged accordingly. It would significantly improve the hobby and the general public's knowledge of poultry if the standards of fairs were raised. We have a very good State Fair, but our county fair is the pits, at least as far as poultry exhibition.