Why Would a Farmer Enter Birds at a Poultry Show?
Guess what we did over the weekend? Yep, we hit up this awesome poultry show — our own little poultry Super Bowl. Picture breeders proudly flaunting their fantastic animals, all aiming for those top spots. Some shows are massive, others more laid-back like a County Fair. These are the kinds of events 4-Hers enter their birds in, where you can see everything from chickens to geese!
If you happened to meet us there, it was awesome connecting with you! We learned a bunch and made some great friendships.
This time, we were at the biggest East Coast gig, with over 2200 birds (those Ohio Nationals are huge too, but that’s another story). We usually set up a booth, show off our birds, and help out our club pals — it’s a total blast!
Even though we hadn’t planned to show any birds this year due to the crazy flooding and all, we thought, “Why not?” So, we brought along some Ayam Cemani Chickens and Serama Chickens. And guess what? Our Ayam Cemani Chickens nailed it, grabbing 1st place in Best of Breed and a cool 2nd place as Reserve of Breed. We’re over the moon!
Now, you might be wondering, why would a “bird” farmer bother with a poultry show? Well, we run a farm — a working operation where our time is dedicated to caring for our animals and operations daily. Without us, the farm doesn’t exist. Leaving the farm is tough, but part of what we do is breeding. We have sets of parents and families for each bird type we carry. All birds have a purpose, and it’s organized chaos — imagine 20 types of chickens, each with their own families.
Each family is documented and tracked, and every bird is known. Attending and getting involved in these shows helps us figure out who to keep or place in what family. I’m super passionate about my craft — yeah, birds are my craft. I dive deep into each breed, studying their lineage, rich history, and unique attributes. To be an expert, I need to get hands-on, raising, observing, and treating the birds with kindness and respect. That’s where showing birds at a show comes in handy.
I get to know the birds, feel their attributes, and make better decisions as a farmer and breeder.
I have to select the best birds, prep them for the show (conditioning is the key), and make them look perfect — feathers, legs, body, and even nails. I’ll admit, I don’t have time for all the show breeder stuff, so I do what I can with my farmer hat on — like giving the birds a good bath and cleaning them up. During the selection process, I get to know the birds, feel their attributes, and make better decisions as a farmer and breeder.
Bathing the birds for the event turned out to be a surprisingly great experience. It’s not just about cleaning; it’s about understanding the bird and, more importantly, the breed. I had a bird selected from another type that I was planning to bring, but during bathing and conditioning, I decided not to. The cockerel wasn’t comfortable with the handling, and I knew he’d be better off not being a showbird.
Showing birds and poultry is hard work and dedication and hats off to those who do it full steam ahead. Am I that type? Yes AND no. But do I learn a lot going through the process? You bet.
In conclusion, take the time to get to know your birds, whether they’re chickens, ducks, quail, or Emu! Observe and handle them — you’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn, and this humane way of treatment goes a long way.
Cheers to our feathered friends!
Want to buy a fowl? Get one now!
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