The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Exhibiting & Promoting
Training for show (the bird and me)
Don:
Dan, I think everyone has this dilemma especially in the spring or early winter when they are looking forward to showing. And not everyone is able or interested in keeping tons of birds, some for show and some for breeding. So when you decide to show, you will need to work around the issues. They will damage feathers or even further if left in the breeding pens together for long. The hens are known to pick beards and muffs. The males will ruin the hens backs, even causing great sores on their sides if not careful. And that's not to mention just feather breakage. But if you are like many of us, you have to devise some way to do both at the same time.
Some people find that the males are just too rough on the hens if left in the breeding pens all season. So once they have consistent fertile eggs, you can remove the males to a show coop for most of the week. This gives you time to calm and train him and protects him from damaging feathers. Let him visit with each of the hens for about 15-30 mins a couple times a week. This will be enough to keep her fertile and her eggs will be good to hatch as long as you keep the routine. It also keeps the hens in better shape too. I have done this with bantam and LF at different times and it has worked well. I had a LF White Ply Rock years ago that was so badly damaged by the male that her hips were bleeding. I removed her and kept her by herself. She was a great show bird and by herself she stayed clean with nice silvery feathers. She healed over the next few weeks and I still hatched her eggs all season.
Dan Pitts:
Thanks guys. I know full well what treading does to hens, that's why I haven't even had a thought of showing a girl. The black cockerel is my best bird, but I need him to keep boosting the flock right now. Given all of that information, I think what I will do is try to make a few shows as a spectator this year. I would really like to see what these other birds look like in person. Keeping show birds separate would be the best solution for me. When my first generation grows out, if I have any that I feel could be held out for show, I have the space and material to make more pens.
Thanks for the replies
Susan Mouw:
Ok, now I'm going to offer one tip that I do with my birds as they are growing out. :)
From the time they are in the brooder box to the grow out pens outside, I hand fed them raisins. :)
The first time or two, I'll have to toss a raisin or two in their midst, but it doesn't take them long to figure out that raisins are really nice treats! Once they've figured it out, the rule is that they have to come get the raisin out of my hand - no more tossing it in the pen or the brooder box.
It doesn't take very long of that for them to decide that every time they see me coming to come rushing to the door!
This doesn't help with later handling - that is a separate process - but it does one very important thing - teach them that people coming up to the cage or pen might be bringing treats and it is a good idea to pay attention. So, they are front and center, bright eyed and alert, when the judge comes by. :)
Dan Pitts:
--- Quote from: Susan Mouw on February 10, 2016, 04:58:05 PM ---Ok, now I'm going to offer one tip that I do with my birds as they are growing out. :)
From the time they are in the brooder box to the grow out pens outside, I hand fed them raisins. :)
The first time or two, I'll have to toss a raisin or two in their midst, but it doesn't take them long to figure out that raisins are really nice treats! Once they've figured it out, the rule is that they have to come get the raisin out of my hand - no more tossing it in the pen or the brooder box.
It doesn't take very long of that for them to decide that every time they see me coming to come rushing to the door!
This doesn't help with later handling - that is a separate process - but it does one very important thing - teach them that people coming up to the cage or pen might be bringing treats and it is a good idea to pay attention. So, they are front and center, bright eyed and alert, when the judge comes by. :)
--- End quote ---
I forgot about the raisins! My chickens love raisins. Great idea.
I know a lot of you guys are able to make some culls at hatch, but I'm not that far along yet. Are you able to pick out the exceptional chicks at hatch as well? There is one of my 7 that hatched this weekend that just looks different than the rest. It's a little bigger, but the coloring just looks so right. Very dark blue with a beautiful, full blonde muff. It's the best looking of the chicks, but I don't know if that's because maybe some develop more in the shells, or if that's an indication that it's a keeper
Susan Mouw:
--- Quote from: Dan Pitts on February 15, 2016, 04:44:13 PM ---I forgot about the raisins! My chickens love raisins. Great idea.
I know a lot of you guys are able to make some culls at hatch, but I'm not that far along yet. Are you able to pick out the exceptional chicks at hatch as well? There is one of my 7 that hatched this weekend that just looks different than the rest. It's a little bigger, but the coloring just looks so right. Very dark blue with a beautiful, full blonde muff. It's the best looking of the chicks, but I don't know if that's because maybe some develop more in the shells, or if that's an indication that it's a keeper
--- End quote ---
I forgot about one thing - when they are really are really young, I use oatmeal - just old fashioned oatmeal that you get in the grocery store - as a treat until they're old enough to eat raisins.
The only time I will cull a chick is if it has a obvious serious fault or disqualification - eg, duck foot, etc. I would never cull for color until they are older.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version