Showing and Exhibiting.
Your guide on the shows around, what to do at shows and how to prepare your birds so they look like show stoppers when being exhibited and much more!
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To aid with easy browsing and being able to find what you need fast we have made a list of the different topics covered on this page. Numbered them and have included details on each section. Then all you need to do is find the number by scrolling below. The number will be to the left of the page in a large font so it is easy to find or just scroll below reading it at your own pace.
1 - Section includes:
2 - Bedding and Litter. Section includes: Details on different materials to use, cleaning your birds out and more.
3 - Dust Bathing. Section includes: Tips on it, how it helps the birds and more.
4 - Water. Section includes: Details on keeping water clean, tips and more.
5 - Food. Section includes: How to feed birds, suitable diet and more.
6 - Checking your birds. Section includes: Why, when and everything else you need to know.
7 - Holding and Catching your birds. Section includes: How to do this with phots and more.
8 - Beak, toe nail and spur clipping. Section includes: How to trim your birds spurs, beaks and toe nails aswell as why and when to do it.
9 - Routines. Section includes: When to let your birds out and shut them in. Cleaning and more!
There is a helpful panel at the bottom with further useful links to other related and useful areas on Poultry Talk and other sites.
A Silver Sebrighht Cockerel who came 2nd in the True Bantam Cockerel Class in the regional Poultry Club Show Wales (Usk) 05. Owned by T.A.Z Bantams.
Showing and Exhibiting is when shows are held for different clubs, at different shows and at different evenst. People can enter into classes which seperate the birds into groups like for breeds and sex. You enter in advance and select or breed birds to the standard for that breed set by The Poultry Club of Great Britian, they are then judged to this standard. Then they are prepared for the show and cleaned up so they look there best. At the show they are judged againest the other birds in the class/show and are the best ones recieve awards and certificates for the quality of their birds.
Many people find it fun,a great social event, a chance to meet fellow poultry keepers and take it very serious and if they don't win it is usally fun for them, a challenge and they can have a go at the next one. People of all ages can enter and there are a whole range of classes so why not contact your local poultry club, breed club or check out furture events to see when there are going to be shows near you which you could enter!
On here you should be able to find out more about showing in detail aswell as some top tips!
To Show or not to show. 
You may be unsure wheather to show or not to show. If your breed is pure and a standard breed then you should be able to show it.
The best way to find this out is by joing the club for the breed that you are interested in showing. This way you can look at the breed standards and compare them to your bird. People from the club can also give you handy hints on showing thay paticular breed.
There is more or else a club for every breed. You can find them by doing searches on the net. Checking on poultry forums (some are listed on the links page), or looking in magazines, such as 'Fancy Fowl' and 'Practical Poultry'.
Posting on forums asknig questions about the breed is also a good idea. More often than not, some one who is also interested in the breed will be able to tell you bout the standards, and if yuo post a photo, or email one to them, they can even tell you by looking at the bird whether it is worth showing it or not.
A Silver Sebrighht Pullet. Owned by T.A.Z Bantams.
Preperation.
Once you have found a show you would like to attend, you most contact the secretary to have a registering form sent to you. Make sure you enter your bird in the right class. If you are not sure contact the breedd club, or ask on a forum.
It is important that the bird looks in a decent state before you arrive at the show. Depending on the breed and the feather variety it is (hard feather-all game birds/sort feather-all non game birds) makes a difference to when you prepare it.
First of all you need to wash the bird. Fill a washing up bowl with water. Make sure that the water isn't to high, and that the bird has a good deal of space between its head and the top of the water. Gentley pour water onto the back of the bird. Then rub into the feathers shampoo (baby shampoo is good for this). Avoid the eyes and beak. Once this is done rinse the shampoo with clean water, taking care not to splash the birds face. To clean the feet and nails of the bird, use a tooth brush and gentley scrub them. Wipe the birds face with a soft cloth.
Softly towel the bird, to get rid of excess water. Place the bird on the towel, and blow dry on a low heat, taking care not to burn the bird. If this is the first time the bird has had this done, it may be nessacary, for someone else to hold it at this stage.
Once this is done, and the bird is as dry as possible, place it in a warm place with sawdust. The bird will arrange its feathers, and the sawdust will keep it clean.
The Big Day.
When the big day arrives make sure before leaving you have fed and watered your bird, as during the judging food and water will not be availible to the bird.
When transporting the bird to the show make sure it is put in a secure box, with plenty of ventilation. In hot weather if it is a long way, and the bird has little ventilation it can easily die of heat exhaustion. It is a good idea if it a long way to the show to stop regularly to make sure the bird is alright, and to water it.
*It is possible to buy special carriers for bird. A cheap carrier can be found in a cat carrier, which have plenty of ventilation, and are easy to carry.
Once you get to the show it is time to find your cage. The show may, or may not provide sawdust. Therefore it is best to take some alnog with you. Once you have placed sawdust in the cage (if needed) you can place the bird in. It is best to just wipe a soft cloth over the birds body, and to wipe away any dirt on the feet or face before you clsoe the cage.
Exbitors are not allwoed near the bird when judging is taken place, so you might as well go enjoy a cup of coffee, or if it is an agricultural show, go and look around. Once the judging is over, you can return to the bird, and feed and water it. Plus you can see if you haave won anything! The awards ceremony is done at the very end of the day, so you will have to hang around for a few hours for this, and also before you are allwoed to take your bird out of its cage, and go home.
So good luck to all bidding showers out there! And most importantly, have fun!
A Silver Sebrighht Pullet. Owned by T.A.Z Bantams.
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For a guide on showing click here to continue to the Exhibiting/Showing page....
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