If you want to get into exhibition fowls

Cackles · **Posted:** Wed Sep 09, 2015 9:01 am

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I wanted to go over some mistakes that I believe beginners make in our exhibition poultry hobby.
1) They pick out a breed , buy birds from a individual. The first thing they want to do is buy some more from another breeder and cross them. I've seen this happen way to many times in my several yrs of being in this hobby. So I've asked some of them why they did this? One of they most common answers I received was " I want my own line of birds" . Well one might say what is wrong with that? So this is how I answer that. You just got into the hobby,what do you know about breeding exhibition birds ? Nobody in this hobby to my knowledge just goes right to winning and breeding great birds, you must learn to breed your birds to maintain them. What I'm saying is not every offspring is going to be show worthy. You need to study the standard description for your breed and variety, so that you will understand what stays and what goes into the cull pen. The standard is a very complex thing for most beginners, I know it was for me. I was told when I started that it would be about 5 yrs before you will win anything such as class champion. True to the words it was exactly 5 yrs before I won my first class champion. I used those 5 yrs to fine tune my eye on my breed of birds. What new people don't understand is that new blood brings new genes. Some genes match others go completely haywire. So take time to breed and learn what you got,learn to maintain before you try to improve them.
The second thing I see that new comers do that I think is wrong. They go to a show and get beat, first thing they want to do is get birds from that person that wins. They want to abandon the birds that they have and go with the new ones. Here again you haven't been doing it long enough to know what you've got. You haven't trained your minds eye yet to what they should look like. How do you know that the bird picked is the best bird. How do you know the judge is a expert on that breed or variety? With all the different breeds and varieties in the standard you can't possibly know all of them... can you? Bottom line take time , have patience ,find you someone willing to mentor you and lead you on your breed and variety. Don't get caught up in chasing fads. A lot of times judges pick different birds,they will even look different. If you go to several shows you will see this happen quite often. And boy you will be buying a lot of different birds and be lost on what it is you need to do.
The last thing is Having too many different breeds. Start slow learn one and get it down before you try something else. Have plenty of pen space for the offspring, so that they will be able to mature properly. Too many times is see new people and they have entirely to many different breeds,don't get me wrong I love chickens and there are several that I would love to have but time and space dictate what I can have and take care of properly.
This hobby is a great hobby filled with some great people. A lot of those people are willing to help and all you have to do is just ask. Everyone wants to win,but just like in life it's earned not given. So bottom line for me is this. Take your time, pick out a breed, pick out a breeder that his birds represent the written word in the standard. Remember this the cheapest expense you will ever pay in this hobby is the birds you start with. Buy the best that you can afford, oh and while your at it buy a couple of trio's from you breeder of choice . Ask him questions about his birds, tell him what you are after and what your future plans are and let him help you out. After all he knows his birds better than you do.
Hope that this helps someone out. Best of luck to you