First and foremost I am not an expert.....with that said. I separate all the birds with what I feel have good promise as soon as possible, 2 months prior to show being the absolute minimum. I have 2'x3' breeder pens that I use to house them in (they have plywood sides and floor, less chance of wire damaging feathers, they also have roosting poles in them), I will usually put 2-3 pullets in together or 2-3 cockerels together from the same hatch to reduce squabbles (Bantams that is Large Fowl I only put 1-2). 8-10 weeks before the show I pull all damaged feathers and start handling and posing the birds. I also keep the pens very clean and usually give them the first bath, trim toenails, treat for any parasites and make my final cut on what I think my best are at this time also. I continue checking for parasites (any sign of parasites is automatic DQ), and handling (like the judges will be doing) all the way to show date. Week before the show I bath them again (I also use blue ribbon poultry shampoo). First rinse tub I add a little vinegar to help cut the shampoo, second rinse tub just water. I do not blow dry my Ameraucana I just put them in wire cages and let them air dry. Every day I wipe them down with a silk cloth while I handle them this last week (helps feathers lay down and puts a nice sheen on them). I also put them outside in the sun for an hour or so each day to help brighten the combs and wattles. This last week I also change the feed from high protein chicken feed to scratch grains only. It helps reduce the scat and makes it dry and easy to remove from the bedding with a kitty litter scoop (less poop means less poop on there feet). I also do any final trimming of toe nails and beaks during this week at some point. Day or two before show I use a baby wipe to clean there feet and vent area and rub Olive oil or mineral oil mixed with rubbing alcohol on there feet and shanks, comb and wattles. Then off to the show we go
. I bring my own cups, feed, water (with electrolytes to help with stress) and final touch up kit. Which includes baby wipes, tweezers, nail file, cotton swabs, silk cloth, small towel, oil/alcohol mixture and Vaseline. Hour before show I check all birds and do my final preparations, remove all feed and water cups finally take a deep breath, relax and enjoy meeting and talking chicken with some great people. Not to mention sneaking off to the sale/vendor areas to see what I can not live without. Most importantly have fun and enjoy yourself, I went to 3-4 big shows and watched what other people did to prepare and asked a lot of questions. I was amazed how helpful and friendly they all were
Remember to always look for ways to improve not only your genetics but also your conditioning practices. They go hand in hand when competing at the show's