The championship potential of a chicken or turkey is determined by genetics. The animal's environment dictates whether this championship potential will be attained. Nutrition is a critical part of a bird's environment, and a good ration is the foundation of chicken and turkey growth.
A Successful Exhibitor Must
1. OBSERVE ALL SHOW RULES AND REGULATIONS
governing the purchasing and showing of
broilers and roasters. Many shows now allow the
exhibition of both pullets and cockerals.
2. Purchase Pullorum-Typhoid clean meat strain
chicks.
3. Use top-quality feeds.
4. Follow recommended management practices during
the entire brooding and growing period.
5. Keep careful records of all expenses and receipts.
6. Cull birds closely and select the show entry
properly.
Growing, selecting and preparing exhibition poultry for show is a good way to learn animal husbandry. The project provides an opportunity to learn responsibility, decision making and showmanship skills.
A poultry project generally requires less space and less monetary investment than other animal projects. A project that uses meat-type production birds can take only 8 weeks to complete. Birds are easy to handle, the facilities are normally inexpensive and the impact on the environment is minimal.
Most classes of poultry at county fairs are divided into two divisions: Open and 4-H production and exhibition. Some counties have recently started to offer a broiler competition. Criteria for judging classes within these divisions are different.
Preparing poultry for fairs and shows is challenging, educational, and rewarding in many ways. Birds have the ability to learn and respond to specific training experiences. They reflect the exhibitor's care, knowledge, skill, and training. Poultry refers to birds that people keep for their use and generally includes the chicken, turkey, duck, goose, quail, pheasant, pigeon, guinea fowl, pea fowl, ostrich, emu and rhea.
Youth poultry shows typically have one or more of the following categories: production chickens, purebred birds, eggs or special projects. Production chickens are sometimes called commercial chickens. Purebred birds are sometimes called exhibition birds.
There are a number of factors which judges take into account when evaluating chickens in a poultry show. Some of these will be discussed. In selecting chickens for show it is important to look at the bird as a whole. Judges are looking for a good overall bird --and not ones that are good in only one or two features.
