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Training for show (the bird and me)

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Dan Pitts:
I've looked for this topic on here, and can't find one, so I hope I'm not posting a redundant thread.
A few of you have suggested that my black cockerel be shown. I find myself making excuses for why I don't have time, but if I'm honest with myself the biggest thing holding me back is my reluctance to take the time to cage train a bird. I work daylight until dark 5 days/week, but I doubt that many of you are independently wealthy from selling day old chicks, so I assume you guys have the same struggles with time.
I have read the cage training chapter of Storey's Guide many times, and that seems to be a good way to go, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about starting. My cockerel is 9 months old, not aggressive, but also not hand tame. He has always been in the pen with the flock, and for the last few months with his own girls. I envision going into the pen and cornering him to catch him, and having him fear me to start off the relationship. If I am only able to do this on the weekends, I'm afraid that the 5 days of me not being around will be time enough for him to forget any training, and be scared of me again the following Saturday.
Do you guys have any tips for starting the process?

Dan Pitts:
Also, feel free to move this if I posted it in the wrong place

Don:
Dan,  People go about this in all different ways.  Most of us don't have all the time in the world like you said.  If you put them in a smaller coop it helps to get them comfortable to being approached more closely. Something in the 2' square range will work well for LF.  If it is raised up about desk height that will prepare them for some of the show situations.  Then you just approach them as many times a day as you can with feed and treats.  Just get them to be more comfortable with you is the goal.  Get the to see you as a source of feed rather than being scared when you open the door.  I would give him a full days ration of feed each day when you are working during the week.  On the weekends you can take away the feed Friday night and bring him feed several times a day.  Take him out of the cage and hold him in one hand.  Spread his wings and and look at each of the feathers.  Hold his head and look at both sides of the comb, eyes and muffs.  Turn him to look at his feet and legs.  He will be very reluctant at first, and will probably not look forward to this part of the experiment.  But the goal is to get him to be more comfortable when the judge does similar inspections.  Try to put him back in the cage when without too much struggling.  This will reassure him that you mean no harm and next time will not be as nervous. 

To start you can go out after dark and pick him up off the perch.  Place him in his coop and he will have the early morning to explore this new cage before you upset him again.  This will cause less frustration for both of you.     

Dan Pitts:
Thanks, Don. I had thought about taking him off the roost, but you are talking about keeping him in the coop for an extended period of time. That makes sense, but he is my breeder (if his fertility is up), so I don't really want to separate him from the girls. Don't you think it would be a better idea for me to try and make a few shows this year as a spectator, then possibly separate him later, or possibly use his offspring as show birds? For you guys that show regularly, are the show birds kept separate from the breeder flock? I do have the space for separate pens.

Birdcrazy:

--- Quote from: Dan Pitts on February 08, 2016, 07:48:56 PM --- For you guys that show regularly, are the show birds kept separate from the breeder flock? I do have the space for separate pens.

--- End quote ---

Dan, I seldom show birds from my breeding pens as feather condition can be a problem. It seems cocks and cockerels are prone to tail feather damage, and hens and pullets back, head, and neck feather damage. I do let my male birds run with the females all the time. Perhaps if I only let the cocks stay in the pen for a short time and remove them and reinsert them a few days later and remove them off and on, this might help on feather condition. Another factor may be many of my breeding pen runs are only 3' X 8-10'.

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