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.

Chicken Health - Keep a Close Eye on Your Flock

A couple of chicken questions I've been asked lately:

1. Do chickens get more or less healthy as they age?

Though they develop a resistance to some diseases, they also become more susceptible to other diseases that commonly affect older birds. Some factors that affect the health of your flock are bringing in new birds frequently, having neighboring birds nearby, and fitting and showing your chickens.

2. How do you tell whether your chickens are healthy? Check how they look: Are their eyes bright and lively? Are their combs bright, waxy in appearance? Check their feathers; have they retained their sheen? Check their legs and vents, as well as underneath their wings, no parasites? Great!

Taming and Training chickens for the Fairs

Taming and training chickens for the fair competitions coming up is likely on the minds of a lot of people these days. Most of my birds are pretty tame already, but cage training is still necessary.

Judges favor entries that are calm and well behaved, so it pays to practice cage training as consistently as possible. If you're new to fitting and showing your birds, here's how I prepare my birds:

1. Using a wire cage similar to the type used at fairs, place your chicken in it. Practice handling the bird properly and place it in the cage, then out again a couple of minutes later. You'll want your chicken to become accustomed to this, as that's how the judge will do it when he/she inspects the bird.
2. Move on to the other exercises practiced by the judge. This includes inspecting the comb, eyes, wattles, and head shape. Then you'll want to spread the wings, check to ensure there are no missing or broken feathers. Finally, check the vent and tail feathers. Examine the feet to make sure the entry has the correct

Fitting and Showing Plans for Chickens

This weekend seemed an ideal time to take a good look at my chickens to decide who to show late this summer at the local fairs. Everybody survived the  snow and freezing temperatures pretty well, but we're still getting plenty of rain -- and it's been pretty chilly.

So far, I'm pretty sure I'll show my White Leghorn pair, but just making a long list otherwise that I can trim in a couple of months. Some of the baby chicks I picked up in February are good possibilities, but they need to develop a little more to make a positive choice. Probably will limit myself to 8 or so chickens to take to the fairs.

How 'bout you . . . would love to hear about your fitting and showing experiences, too. It's still really popular if the show I visited a few weeks ago is any indication. 

Fitting and Showing the Old English Breeds

"The Old English Breeds". That's my automatic response whenever someone asks me what my favorite breed of chicken is. There are many other beautiful breeds, and I've never seen one I didn't love, but the Old English is number one. In part, it's probably their long and colorful history.

For showing, though, the roosters have to be dubbed. Dubbing, in case you're not familiar with the term, means cutting the comb. This was done when they were used in cock fighting and apparently it became the standard because of that. This means I don't show my Old English roosters, as I've learned to do dubbing, just isn't my favorite activity. Besides, I think the combs add a whole lot to their beauty.

It's the Old English roosters (bright red combs intact) that are used in much of the chicken decor, including weather vanes, dinnerware, and kitchen linens. During the founding of the United States, they were proposed as the National Bird, but barely lost to the Bald Eagle. Despite losing that vote, they are still a patriotic symbol of American grit and independence, pride, and nobility.

They don't need to be trained to fight each other, they're genetically programmed for that. So. if you have more than one rooster they need to be kept separate from each other. The hens are plainer looking than the roosters, but make good brood hens. If you're looking for pet chickens, especially if you have young children, an Old English rooster might not be my first recommendation, as they each have their own personalities. Some can be mean, but many do make good pets, it's just hard to predict.

Within the urban farming movement the Old English wouldn't be the best choice, but in rural areas where crowing isn't too frowned upon and land is abundant they are still enjoyed by many chicken enthusiasts. Along the backroads of the Pacific Northwest they're seen quite frequently. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is travel the backroads and see all the farms, the animals, and the buildings used to house them in. It's quite an education. Lately, it's been a bit sad, though, as some places that used to have lots of animal life have been abandoned . . . this bad economy taking its toll.

The one fair I've been to so far, though was very lively, lots of animal exhibits, and the poultry barn was full. Seems to back up my theory; raising chickens as a family hobby, getting fresh eggs, and fitting and showing your best birds is an inexpensive and fun activity for families to participate in.

If you haven't done so yet, you can get the free report about fitting and showing your chickens on my website .