Preparing For A Poultry Show
Preparing birds for a show is not that difficult. There is no set standard covering all fowl. You should consult the standard for your breed of bird.
Firstly, birds should be free from external parasites, and internally if
you are carrying out a proper health regime. Worm your birds well in
advance of a show, (the last thing you want is the birds passing them
during a show.)
If you wash your birds do it 3 to 5 days before the show and keep them
indoors. You want the oils in the feathers to return before the show or
your bird will look dowdy.
You can leave the comb, wattles, beak, legs and toes until the night before
the show. Give them a good clean with a toothbrush and a little liquid
soap, (but be careful around the eyes).
To finish off a little vegetable oil makes the colours stand out.
The following are general points that a judge will penalise or disqualify a bird:-
Head: crossed or deformed beaks, blindness or defective eyesight, odd eye colour or defective pupils, a comb that closes the nostrils or obstructs sight, malformed combs, peculiar head carriage, wry neck, badly distended and sagging crop or any indication of brain or nerve affliction.
Back: any deformity, rounded or curved spine (roach back), weak back formation, one bone higher than the other giving the back a lopsided appearance.
Bone structure: pigeon breast, deformed or malformed breastbone, broken or malformed pelvic bones and faulty stance.
Wings: Twisted or curled feathers, slipping or drooping wing, split wing, wing formation or carriage.
Tail: Defective parson’s nose
