This blog will be heavy on the pictures because I like pictures, and because I think they speak louder than words.
This is our second poultry show.We have a small group of kids in 4-h that do these shows. The first show we attended was small,(felt big to me) but this one is one of the largest in Texas. We were up at 4:00 am to get to ATM by 8:00 so it was an early morning. When we got there this was our view......
This is our second poultry show.We have a small group of kids in 4-h that do these shows. The first show we attended was small,(felt big to me) but this one is one of the largest in Texas. We were up at 4:00 am to get to ATM by 8:00 so it was an early morning. When we got there this was our view......
That is a lot of birds! I wish I could describe to you the noise with so many roosters in an enclosed area. It was quite......deafening.
Once you get checked in and find the cages your birds go in, you have to start doing your finishing touches.
Here we are dabbing Vaseline on the waddles and combs to make them shiny.
Handling your bird one last time before you show them is also important.
And a lot of waiting for your turn before the judge.....
However, there is a lot to see while you wait. This is the egg judging.Here they judge the eggs by how well they are shaped. (don't ask I have no idea what makes a perfectly shaped egg)
Another egg judging contest. Here they crack the eggs and judge them by the inside contents(again not exactly sure what they are looking for here)
And let's not forget the hundreds of fun breeds to look at while you are waiting.
Finally, it's show time. There are two parts to the show. First, there is the open show. The open show just involves a judge looking at your bird in its cage. They judge it against other birds of that specific breed. They look at confirmation, feather condition, feet and comb condition, and they judge you accordingly. For this you aren't even in the presence of the judge. In fact, they block off the area while they are judging. Bodie signed up three hens for the open show.
He placed first with all three in the open show. They were all different breeds.
This last hen is also the hen Bodie used for showmanship. She is a frizzle bantam, which basically means she a smaller than average chicken that has crazy feathers.
Next, is showmanship. When you are called by the judge, you bring your bird and place it on the table. The judge then asks you questions about your bird, looks at the bird, and also asks you questions about chickens in general to see what you know. They judge the bird, but a big part of it is your interaction with the judge.
Here comes the funny part. Brylee, was walking around carrying one of the chickens. A judge asked her if she was showing. When she told him it was her brothers chicken, he told her if she wanted to show she could just use his bird. He brought her over and explained it to us and Bodie said she could use Frizz so we let her try too.
Here comes the funny part. Brylee, was walking around carrying one of the chickens. A judge asked her if she was showing. When she told him it was her brothers chicken, he told her if she wanted to show she could just use his bird. He brought her over and explained it to us and Bodie said she could use Frizz so we let her try too.
We honestly didn't think she would place at all. She doesn't know that much about chickens and had never practiced.
I can not describe to you the shock when Brylee beat her brother by one point to take first place.Bottom line was that she is not intimidated at all and was more comfortable with the judge. When we received the score sheet, the notes on his said that he needs to speak up. Needless to say, he says he won't be letting her use his hen again, but it was a good learning experience for him. I don't think he realized just how important it is to speak loudly and clearly and have good eye contact.
It was a fun time for the whole group and we are looking forward to the next show.