First time entering a poultry show? Graduating from county fairs into large APA shows? Or just even want to get a bit more organized with a busier show season? Preparing for poultry shows ahead of time can be the difference between a class champion and an unplaced or even disqualified bird.
While conditioning shouldn't make or break your bird, when you get beyond county fairs, your entries are a direct reflection of your breedership. A bird with a bare back, stained feathers, and frostbitten combs that is stressed out in a cage is not a good example of the breed, no matter how good the type or structure. Some of the points listed are even considered bad enough to be point deductions, and lice or mites are enough to disqualify the bird entirely. Here, we've outlined the timeline and steps to give your birds the best possible chance at a show.
Start Early
Planning for well-conditioned and showable birds should start as chicks, if not before. Everything, from your incubation to your brood space to the feed the parent stock was on can affect the health and condition of your birds. You want to give them the best possible chance to fulfill their potential, so you have to do everything possible to eliminate anything that can stunt it.
The biggest factors here are food, space, and cleanliness. A too-small brooder can kill your chick's potential from the start, making it take longer to grow and stressing the birds out. The same goes for adult chickens. Birds with proper space should not need to grow back feathers outside of molt season. They will not have bare backs or rough feathers if roosters have enough hens to keep and all chickens have enough space to get away and hide as needed. Universities recommend 4 square feet of floor space per bird when raised off wire. This is the minimum for exhibition birds. You cannot give them too much space.
The same goes for food. Poor feed from the start means the bird needs to eat more fats and fillers to get the same amount of nutrients it needs to thrive, or in some cases, they will simply starve. This is drastic of course - few commercial layer feeds will truly starve a bird - but having the proper amino acids, calcium and protein ratios, and vitamin balances in your feed will help a chicken eat less, grow muscle more efficiently, and keep their feathers and bodies in peak conditions for longer.
Ensuring a bird has proper feed goes beyond just buying better brands too. Make sure every chick and hen has access to feeders, that they are kept clean and dry, and that waterers are readily available. Chickens fighting over feeders will stress themselves out and in turn, lose feathers, be more prone to picking on each other, and lose weight. All of these are generally preventable by planning your set-up appropriately.
2. Plan Out Your Season
Again, early is better here. The best showmen do not decide to go to a show the night before (nor can you in most places). Take your time at the beginning of the year, and again at the middle of the year, to plan out the season. This is best done months before the shows themselves. If this is your first time showing, go to one or two close shows without any birds and just watch and ask questions until you feel comfortable with the process.
Look and find the shows that interest you. Decide if you want to spend your time, energy, and money traveling, and if so, set a budget for the quarter based on what you can reasonably afford and when you can take off of work. Anything over an hour away and you will likely have to pay for a place to stay and gas money. The sooner you can schedule out your calendar and book all of the necessary amenities, the less likely you will have to rush things later on, or forget something truly important.
This is also a great time to start blocking out your birds. You don't need to know exactly which birds you're bringing where, but get an idea of how many fowl you'll want to bring to each show and what you'll have available. Start eyeing up your breeder pens and runs -- maybe your ducks always molt early and your chickens have good fertility as the weather cools, so for the fall show you would rather bring the mallards over a breeding pair you want to hatch from yet. Make sure you have the cage space to condition and travel with them.
At this point, you'll need to get any potential show birds Pullorum-Typhoid tested. It can take a while to find a tester depending on your state and antigen availability. If you aren't NPIP, you may have to test within 90 days of the show, so timing here is crucial. Know your laws and paperwork. It never hurts to call early and set a date for later.
3. Plan The Show
Usually a month or so before the show, the catalogs will come out. Now is when you need to get serious about what birds you are bringing. Submit your entry form as soon as you possibly can. The show secretary and your sanity will thank you - you can always add more entries or request a change during the sign-up timeframe, but you often cannot submit late.
As soon as you have your entries submitted, if not even before, pull birds out to put into individual conditioning pens. Pull more birds than you think, including extras and back-ups, as you never know when one will decide to lose a sickle feather or go broody. If your birds aren't used to being handled, now is a good time to start getting them used to being put into and out of a pen and seeing a judge's stick. The last thing you need is for your beautiful bird to shed half of its feathers in the judge's hand because they're stressed. Keeping them in cages similar to those used at shows will also help them be more calm and likely to show off during the actual judging day.
A good conditioning pen is important. Bedding plays a crucial role here. Wire floors often keeps the chickens cleaner, but with feathered feet can be a bit too harsh and cause more breakage. Usually, a thick bed of shavings cleaned daily works well, though sand, mulch, and coffee grounds can also work just as well. The biggest thing is to keep them clean, with enough space for the bird to stay comfortable.
Conditioning pens can also be used well before this point. Remember, birds only really grow feathers back after molts. So putting a bird in the cage right after a molt can be a great way to preserve their shiny new feathers. You may also find you need to use cages to reverse sun-bleaching or control their feed better. In any case, as long as the bird is in a big enough conditioning pen and isn't getting stressed, you cannot start conditioning them too early.
4. Preparing for the Show
Two weeks or so before the show is a good time to start getting ready for the show itself. Go through your show box now, and make sure you have everything you need (see our list of recommended materials here) for this show and the next. Write down what you're missing and go for a nice shopping spree to pick everything up, as well as food and anything else you may need.
You'll want to do a quick check for parasites and sickness before it gets too much closer to the show. It is a bit easier once birds have been individually penned and are used to being handled. Check for lice, worms, scaley leg mites, and other external parasites just to make sure, and use treatment now if necessary. Do a hard cull for any major signs of sickness like coughing, sneezing, bubbly eyes, or overall weakness.
Some breeders recommend spraying your bird's feathers with water around this time to prevent them from breaking, especially feather-footed breeds. Taking a mister and lightly spraying them once or twice a day may help to keep the shine going and the birds cool. However, other breeders believe getting the chicken's feathers wet only to have them dry out again can cause them to become more brittle, and results in more broken feathers. Work with your breeds and lines to find out if it is a method that is helpful or not.
5. The Week Before
The fun part! Bathe your birds around now, usually 3 - 7 days ahead of when the birds will be judged. You want to give them enough time to get their feather oils back, but not too much time for them to get dirty again. For harder feathered birds, you'll want to bathe the birds earlier, as they tend to get flaky and dry skin after bathing and need more time to get back to "normal". It is often easier to spot-clean them as well. For softer feathered birds, you'll want to wait a bit longer as it is easier for them to get their feathers dirty, and their looser feathers can hide the flakier skin better. This varies by breed and line, so finding the best timeline for you is important. You may also need to plan with the weather if you need to wash them outdoors, as you'll need a sunny, warm day to prevent them from being chilled. Extra hands are also appreciated.
When washing your chickens, it is best to have a system of three buckets - one with your preferred soap, one with warm water, and a second with either more warm water or secondary topicals (like conditioners). Each bucket should have enough liquid to cover the back of the bird while standing without reaching their head. You'll also want a rag or scrubby to help get dirty off, and at least one towel per bird. If it's not warm outside, a hairdryer can help dry the birds quickly. The soap you use will again vary by breeder. Some people use human shampoo and conditioner, some prefer Dawn dish soap, and some prefer livestock-specific soap. Generally, white birds will also need a deep cleaner like Bluing or another color-specific cleaner to really clean out stains and sunspots, but be careful not to overdo it and stain the chicken blue or bleach the skin.
Start by getting the bird wet, completely soaked from tail to breast. If there are any clumped feces, work that out now, and double-check for lice and mites. If you notice eggs or nits, wash them off entirely, and take extra care to replace all bedding, thoroughly cleaning all cage areas before putting the bird back.
Once the bird is wet, transfer them to the soap bucket. Using your fingers, rag, or a scrubby, go through all of the back and breast feathers to carefully get all of the dirt off without pulling or damaging the barbs themselves. A toothbrush or scrubby can also be used to help clean the feet and toes - don't be afraid to get under the toenails. If birds are extremely dirty, alternate between water and soap until they no longer are stained or have visible dirt. You can also dip the bird in the conditioner or other cleaners now, before transferring them to the last water bucket, where your goal is to get out all of the soap and suds.
The final step is the most fun - wrap the birds tightly with the towel to form a little "chicken burrito" and leave them to dry while you wash the next chicken. If you do it right, they will be secure, calm, and unable to run away or get dirty again. Once all of the chickens are finished, you can either put all of the birds in individual cages to let them sun-dry, or you can use the hair dryer to blow dry them mostly clean. The colder it is, the faster you'll want to dry them.
At the end of washing, you'll want to put them all back into individual conditioning pens that are clean, with fresh bedding and good air flow. Watch the birds closely to make sure they don't show signs of sickness or cold.
This is also a great time to make sure that you have everything ready for the show, including your show box, and pack your bags. Get your travel cages ready and the layout of your car organized now. Anything that can sit in your car for a few days should be packed away.
6. The Night Before
For longer-distance shows, it is much easier to pack up the birds the night before. Make sure all birds are secured in tight-fitting boxes - it is okay for the short duration if the birds aren't able to turn around. If they have too much space, they may get jostled during the drive and risk breaking feathers.
Usually, these boxes are fully enclosed with hard walls, whether they be wood or plastic. Wire sides, while it does help airflow, aren't as sturdy and lead to feathers breaking if the birds are suddenly pressed against them. Cardboard tends to also not be very sturdy and can crumple, whereas wood will hold up much nicer. They make specialty show boxes if you plan on transporting lots of birds at once, otherwise, cat carriers and plastic totes can work well.
Make sure all birds have access to water if they will be there longer than 12 hours, and that the trailer or truckbed isn't too hot or too cold. Feed at this point will only make a mess, and water should be pulled before driving. They do need airflow and proper ventilation, so leaving a door or window open overnight is preferred.
If needed, for longtailed birds or other breeds with delicate feathers to be protected, you can wrap the feathers up in silk and secure them with tape. This is sometimes done with Polish crests or Pheonix cock tails. For the majority of birds, this will not be necessary.
7. Coop In
For coop-in, get your birds in early. Again, the more time you give yourself here to get all of the birds set up and settled in, the calmer everyone will be. Check in at the front first, with all of your paperwork, and figure out where your cages are across the barns. Then bring birds and show box in. If your car is parked in a staging area, move it to parking before worrying about putting birds in their cages - they've been in the travel carriers for a few hours, sitting for fifteen more minutes will be just fine.
Put all of your birds into the cages and make sure the tags line up with the birds you brought. Then the cage cups, then water, then the feed. Ideally, you'll do this twelve hours or more before they will be judged, but if you have to bring the birds in the morning of the show, that's alright. Just be extra careful to arrive early and keep the birds calm. Make sure all of your birds have a good amount of shavings and a clean cage without any places to scratch or hurt themselves. If you are traveling with anyone, make sure their birds are also taken care of before settling in for the show.
8. Hours Before Judging
This is go time! The morning of (usually 4-8 hours before the judge will actually handle the bird), you'll want to wipe any last dirty feet, feathers, and faces with a wet wipe. If you did everything well, most of your birds should need minimal work at this point. Pull the feed a few hours before so the birds have time to process everything and don't have a full crop for the judges (or poop on them). Now's a good time to rub your shiner of choice on the combs, feet, and face. Some people prefer to use oil, others water or Vaseline, and still others like Vicks or Vet RX. This is just an optional step but can help them look perkier and catch their eyes a bit more. You want to do this early enough that the bird isn't oily in the judge's hands.
The hour before the judge gets to your chicken, you'll want to hold onto your rags and double and triple-check any dirty feathers. This is a good time to spray a show shine, bath in a bottle, hairspray, or other uses to give the bird just a bit of a shine if you use it. Not all breeders do.
9. Enjoy the Show!
At this point, you've spent days, months, and possibly even a year waiting for this. Sit back, relax, and wait for the judges to finish going through the birds and placing them all. Know that you've done everything you could to give your birds the best possible chance to fill out, grow in, and show off.
Final Thoughts:
Remember, the journey to the show ring starts long before the birds are cooped in, and your dedication to their care and conditioning reflects in every feather. This is just a guide - many breeders will have different timeframes and steps that they do for every show, but one thing is consistent across the board: the amount you put in ahead of time will pay off. With careful planning, proper preparation, and a little bit of patience, you can ensure that your birds not only meet the standard but also stand out in the crowd. Enjoy the show, and may your hard work and attention to detail be rewarded!
All the best,
Breanna Patz
Pips 'n Chicks
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