Showing Poultry???

Question

I recently got both chickens and ducks for a 4-H project. I was wondering...how exactly do you train them to be in a show? I have NEVER been to a poultry show and don't even know what they do there! LOL! How are they judged, and what all do they (and I) have to do? I would apreciate any advice, especialy from you who have had experience in showing. Websites to information on this will also be apreciated! ^_^

Answer 1

If you got them for a 4-H project, don't you have a poultry leader? I've never been in 4-H, but I help a lot of 4-H kids.

Ok, so let's say you don't have a leader and are striking out on your own.

If you got commercial birds for a meat bird project, I think you have something like 42 days ONLY to raise them and bring them up to market weight. If this is the case, there is no training involved. Make sure  they have pleanty of food, clean water, and a clean place to live. Wash them before the show. I don't know much else about market birds.

Fancy birds: Make some small cages, 2'x2'x2', and let them live in there for several weeks before the show. Take them out every day and handle them so they get used to it. Other than that, no training needed. Three days before the show, wash them:

http://users.ameritech.net/rasillon/Wash...

http://www.wikihow.com/Wash-a-Chicken

pictures: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/albu...

At our fairs, once you put the birds in, the fair feeds them. At a poutry show, we feed them.

Unfortunately, if you are doing showmanship, there is more training involved, but I can't help with that. I've never done it.

Answer 2

Well, where I live, we have parish fairs i the fall. (county fairs if you dont live in louisiana) If you are in 4-H, then you bring your poultry to the fairgrounds a few days before the actual fair. All you do is put your animal in an assigned cage, give it food and water, and then you can leave. Then, you go back each day (they are there 4 days) and check on it, feed it, and whatever else you want to do to it. The 2nd or 3rd day the poultry is there, they are judged. The judges just walk around and look at the breed of the chicken(which is on a piece of paper on the outside of their pen) and then they look at the chicken to make sure it is healthy, has no injuries, and looks like the breed that it is said to be.(to make sure you know what type of chicken/duck you have) They dont even take the chicken/duck out. The next day you can go see your chicken and see what ribbon you got. (the ribbon is on the outside of the cage) Hope this Helps!!! :)

For more info please email me! :)