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Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help you choose
which chickens to show
First, the Do’S:
- Whether you buy it yourself, share the cost with a group, or borrow it . . . look your pet chicken’s breed up in the
American Standard of Perfection. This book
details the proper characteristics of your breed, and it is this information the judge uses in order to choose winning
entries.
- Pick a pet chicken that is tame enough not to panic when the judge picks it up to examine its’ comb, wattles, feathers, legs,
and a myriad of other characteristics that may qualify it as a perfect specimen of the
breed you’re showing it as. Take some time to train your pet chicken to sit on a table without you holding it. You can buy
a training stick - and no, you never hit your chicken with it - you gently stroke the feathers on the bird's neck, for
example, which trains it to strike a more confident pose for the judge. This may take a number of repetitions with a reward
of your birds' favorite treat following each successful exercise.
- Study American Standard of Perfection carefully, and ensure you’re showing your
chicken as the correct breed. I once brought a gorgeous game bird to our county fair only to have him disqualified because I had
described him as an English Game instead of an American Game. It was an excellent learning
experience, though embarrassing.
- Start early. The fall and winter is an excellent time to get your show birds and to start taming and training them.
Even perfect physical specimens can perform poorly in competition if they’re not used to being handled and raise a fuss while being
judged. I learned from my 4-H leader and the book, Exhibiting Poultry for Pleasure and
Profit by Loyl Stromberg.
The Don’ts:
- Don’t be daunted by all these
rules and recommendations. You’ll be able to breeze right through the learning curve with
the information I’m giving you and by adding just a couple of the books I’ve found helpful and am recommending.
- Don’t concentrate so much on
winning that you miss out on the camaraderie you can enjoy by entering a contest. Whether
you win or lose you’ll enjoy visiting with other chicken enthusiasts and you can learn an amazing amount just by listening to free advice
from those who do win. People who genuinely love what they’re doing also love passing on hints and special tips you can put into practice
next time.
- Don’t give up and make the mistake of not entering in the next competition just because you don’t win the first
time. Practice and be persistent and you’ll become a winner in selecting winning entries .
. . then you’ll be the one leaving with a trophy or "Best" of something ribbon.
- Don’t ever. Ever. Ever—modify any
characteristic of your pet chicken. Here's what I mean. Let's say you've selected
a chicken that seems perfect in every way . . . you're ecstatic about your chances. But then you notice just the tiniest
flaw. The comb is perfect except for one tiny sprig. Some people may
advise you to use a sharp razor or scissors and just cut it off ! According to veteran chicken raising specialist Loyl Stromberg,
this behavior, which he calls "faking" is controversial. Some call it just a normal part of grooming - but a line has to be
drawn.
- A
major problem I see with faking is that the tendency to grow the extra sprig can be transferred to the offspring. If you're
trying to breed for perfection, faking will defeat your purpose. Therefore, my policy is "don't cut". A few years ago I
showed a chicken who had one of those small sprigs and the judge accused me of having cut some of the sprig off. I hadn't, but
obviously he'd been warned to watch for that possibility. He disqualified that bird because of his suspicions. It made me angry,
but there wasn't really anything I could do about it.
- Don't ever interupt the judge while he's doing his work. Most judges will be happy to
speak with you after the judging is finished, but they sure won't appreciate losing their concentration during the
process.
In every competition I've entered the judge first evaluates each contestant in the show. After he's
finished you'll see a note or ribbon tied to your chicken's cage. If it's a blue ribbon you'll know you have a chance to win a higher
award during the second round where the judge re-examines each of the chickens of one class. You may go back at
the end of the fair to find a trophy atop your pet chickens cage. I'm sure you'll agree that's well worth working
for!
For the past couple of years, neither of the county fairs I've entered has had trophies for open
class exhibitors. Bummer! It's still fun, though, for all the other reasons I've detailed. Usually, you'll receive a
little money for your effort if your chicken is judged to be of high quality. It's not a lot, but pays for some chicken
feed.
Well, that's been a pretty good rundown for you on showing your pet chickens. I'd like to
take this opportunity to wish you great success should you decide to go ahead with showing your chickens. Don't forget to have fun,
though!
Oh, there's one thing I forgot. I mentioned bathing your pet chicken before showing, but I
neglected giving specific instructions, recommended by experts for best results. On the next page is a little story about the first
time I bathed my pet chicken. Maybe it'll help you if you're facing a similar situation.
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