Tame chickens do best in competition

Tame chickens are much more fun to spend time with, and, they consistently do better in competition. Think about it from the perspective of a judge - calm, well behaved chickens make you look more in control and professional. Who wants to worry about 'losing' an entry?

If you want your chickens to make the judge look good (and be rewarded for it), spend plenty of time with your chickens . . . pet them, teach them little 'tricks' in response to an offer of treats, and practice placing them in and taking them out of a show cage repeatedly.

Also, go through the process of checking combs and wattles, lifting the wings, checking the vent, and examining the legs of your chickens. That's what the judge does in order to assign points to your entries, and if your chicken remains calm and 'unruffled' throughout the process, you'll have a good chance of winning.

Of course, you will have had to've done your due diligence when deciding which chickens to show. This includes checking every trait, color, shape, and all the other important points to ensure your entry is as close as possible to the Standard of Perfection for that breed.

More fairs and competitions are still coming up this month - best wishes to everyone for a fun, educational, and successful experience.

On my website at www.fortheloveofchickens.com, I offer a free e-book on the subject of fitting and showing chickens - it's pretty complete, covers everything I've learned over the past 25 years or so about showing chickens.