Why do you want to keep showing if you never win?

[Sonoran Silkies]

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All you need to say is "I enjoy it." If your "friends" are not supportive of the things that give you pleasure, they are NOT friends. Some people enjoy gardening; others enjoy sewing; or woodworking; or hiking; or shopping; or ... And quite frankly, DH should be supportive, not trying to "protect" you. (If it is that, and your showing at a distance is not merely an inconvenience to him.)

It is not your job in life to live your life in a way that someone ELSE would enjoy, but rather in a way that gives YOU pleasure, joy and meaning.

Lots of breeders and exhibitors (probably most) never place better than BV or BB. Expecting to place higher than that when you have only shown twice would be like expecting a person brand new to racing cars to win the Indy 500. Or a high school football player to play as well as one who has been to the Super Bowl.

I have a couple of chicken friends who, knowing that silkies are my breed will make disparaging remarks about them. Pulling peoples' legs and getting their goat is a part of their personality, so I merely reply back about their breed. Harmless teasing, but not everyone handles that well. If someone seems to be trying to pull your leg, pull back. And if someone is truly trying to say something mean, let them know that their comments are hurtful. If they are merely being insensitive, ask "how would you feel if I said "xxx" to you? (xxx being a similar remark about something they care about: "it's only s dog" etc.

Whites and blacks of certain breeds DO tend to win more, but that does not make them better. Dominiques ONLY come in one variety, so if that is the breed that sings to your heart, work on having the best dominiques that you can breed. Meet up with other dominique breeders and find someone willing to mentor you as you work with your birds. Since you are interested in heritage breeds, consider joining one of the organizations that promote them.

 

[halo]

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I think you're way overthinking this. My answer would have been....


because I want to.

 

[NC Giants]

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Oh, this is so true! NC Giants I was at the show this weekend and saw your lovely birds. Great job!


It's funny that you said the thing about the party, because a lot of times before I go out with my husband I have to ask if talking about the chickens is appropratie conversation or not.


Another cool thing about showing is that is is a lost art. There aren't a lot of people who do it and there are so many old books about exhibition poultry from back in the late 1800s/early 1900s, where it was a huge thing to do, since agriculture was so significant. It's like keeping a tradition going.


kelliepulido - awesome advice and success with the dogs - he is sooo cute!

catwalk yes - we don't have kids so the chickens kind of fill that void.

Thanks all!!

Thanks, What birds were you showing? I enjoyed the club raffle and the heated building. I think that clubs got it going on, especially for a new show.

 

[Gallusfarm]

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Awesome! I love this!

 

[Sumatra503]

I show simply because I enjoy it. I like raising my birds and getting them ready for the show. I enjoy talking with my friends and discussing chickens with the other exhibitors.

I won't lie and say I wouldn't like to win the show, but to me it isn't the whole reason for going.

I've never found a person who was rude to me when I mentioned my show chickens. Mostly people just seem surprised by the idea of a show chicken.

My worst experience with showing was at the county fair 3 years ago. The original Judge we had hired couldn't make it because of her back, so the Superintendant just hired a person she knew. This supposed "Judge" was the worst person for the job. She disqualified every chicken out of 100 accept for 3 because, even though it is not a rule for 4-H exhibiting in my county, they weren't wearing leg bands. She then proceded to tell me that I shouldn't even be at the fair at all, because my chickens were crossbreeds. she then proceded to tell me everything she thought was wrong with my chickens. She spent an entire hour just telling me how horrible she thought I was as a showman and a breeder.

Needless to say I was in tears by the end of the judging.

the year before that she had brought some of her chickens to show. They had leg mites, feather mites, and lice and their nails were so long they couldn't evn walk properly. When asked her if I could trim their nails she told me it was fine with her, because she didn't care.

 

[Abundant Hope Farm]

Tell 'em "It's a poultry 'culture' thing that has been going on since 1829 in America. While you may not understand it, you are more than welcome to give it a try and I or many others of this 'culture' can help you get started... It's not about the win; it's about the culture, breeds, preservation and history."

While not uniquely American.... Poultry Shows are still so dang "AMERICAN." Don't you agree?

While I enjoy shows I have not shown my poultry. Folk Have asked me why I Raise chickens. I tell them I am aiding in and working towards preserving the genetic base of particular breeds for future generations... And I get great eggs and meat to boot! Generally people begin to respond favorably to the idea of preservation and leaving something beautiful behind to continue on in this world after we are long gone. They just have not thought of it from that perspective... ...

 

[blackred]

Because the voices told me to.........................

 

[sourland]

Everyone should have a passion. I find that people without a passion are basically boring people. They don't have to be interested in the same things as me, but should have something that energizes them. Competitions of any sort serve several purposes. Friends are made. You get to see what it takes to win. You get to know judges' likes, dislikes, and hangups. Sure there is a written SOP or in my case a rule book, but that is open to individual interpretation. If you know that a judge overemphasizes certain traits, you do not show birds under him/her that are deficient in those traits. It's a learning procedure. YOU get to evaluate your animals against the competition, and decide what traits YOU want to improve. Breeding for the judges can only get you so far. As far as money to be made? What money? I have been breeding and competing (fairly successfully) with field trial beagles for over 50 years. I have spent plenty of money, but sure as heck haven't made much. Continue in your hobby. Delight in minor successes and gradual improvement in your stock, and the heck with what anyone else thinks! I am one of the lucky ones in that my wife supports me 100% in my hobby. She figures it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I grew up on a dairy farm and we had other animals too that us kids showed for 4-H. I always showed back then. I loved, lived for it. We worked our butts off all year long so we could take the time off to go to the fairs and show our animals. Sometimes we sucked, but it was the thrill of showing.
Now I am 44, and I have 3 kids who show our rabbits and chickens at the fair. If it weren't for my love of showing, they wouldn't be doing it. My husband doesn't understand it because he never did it. It is thrilling just to be there. There is so much to learn at shows, not just about what the animals look like, or should look like, but you network with people and learn about caring for them and breeding them, much like we do here on BYC but in person.
I love to breed my animals and see if I can make them better. It gives me a thrill too to take an average specimen and breed it so I can produce a better one in the next generation. Some of us are just those kind of people who enjoy doing that. People who never have done that, may never understand that feeling.
And geez, I would say if ALL I GOT was a Champion of Beed, well, that sounds pretty darn good to me. What if you got nothing at all? To me, it is still worth it.
I started showing my rabbits again a year and a half ago, and it is a feeling like I am a teenager again, without having to go back and have the acne and stupid clique centered social life.

Like others said, if it brings you joy, then that is what makes it worth it. I told my husband, I miss have small children, my youngest is 8. It fulfills a maternal space in me that he should be glad I am not filling with having more kids to support. So, I think he can consider himself lucky.

My friends all laugh at me because chickens come up in every gathering we have. Too bad. They talk about their kids and work. I talk about my chickens, rabbits, puppies and kids. At least I have more variety.

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

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my husband also ran field trial beagles....not as long as you, but around 20 years. He just stopped 6 years ago.