Local shows are dying out, but they shouldn't
be - they are great community events and a fantastic day out to
meet other local people with the same interests as yourself. This
page details how to enter a show, what to expect and gives you
information about how you can get involved. At any point if you
wish to get help or clarify something please feel free to ask
your question by clicking
here
Showing your birds can be a
great experience. After years of selective breeding and
dedicated time it is a great sight to see a bird you have
raised and selected from a chick to an adult appear in a
pen at a local show.
Small shows are a super way to train your birds for the
broader show scene. Many people use their local shows to
train their birds for the larger Nationals, it is easy to
get help and advice from locals and gets the bird used to
being in a strange place around different noises. You can
gain experience in washing and presentation and meet up
with other fanciers who share your interests. Many people
feel that showing can be a daunting task and do not know
where to begin. Here, we will walk you through the steps
involved - from filling out an entry form, to preparing
your birds and transporting them.
The featured shows in the box above are always looking
for volunteers to help set up the cages the day before,
sell raffle tickets, or just stick the prize cards on the
pens - this is a great way of getting the feel of the show
scene and gaining experience. |
The entry form:
You can find out if there any local shows to you
by clicking
this link or alternatively you may wish to purchase
a copy of the Poultry Journal newspaper
which has a comprehensive list of shows throughout the UK for
the coming months in each edition.
To get hold of an entry form you will have to contact
the show secretary and give him / her your address. They will
post you the form which you fill out to let them know which class
you will be entering and how many birds you will be taking. Once
complete, you post your entries back to the secretary along with
relevant entry fees and you are now entered for the show!
The actual entry form will list every available
class. It is up to you to choose which class to enter your birds
into - so you may have a Black Pekin hen, in this case you would
look for the class which best describes her. This may be "Black
Pekin M/F" (a combined male and female class) or "Black
Pekin F" (a class for females only).
Once you have found the class, notice the "class
number" next to it. This is important as it helps the show
secretary plan the number of cages needed for each section of
the show.
 |
Let's look at a sample entry form which has
kindly been given to us by Stuart Gamble of Oswestry
Poultry Society.
- Some key things to look at have been highlighted in
red. From top to bottom they are:
- The date of the show - check you are able to attend
before sending your fees off
- The class number - as explained above, this is the class
that corresponds to the description of the bird you are
taking
- The breed - this is the breed of bird
- Male / Female - here you can simply put a M for male
and F for female
- Entry fee - this will be displayed normally on the second
or third page of the entry form.
- Closing date for entries - so that the show organizers
have plenty of time to set the show up and create the
correct penning slips and cage numbers there will be a
deadline for entries. Ensure you get your fees and form
sent off before this date to avoid disappointment.
Note: if you are entering two birds of
exactly the same description, breed, colour and age then
you must use two lines in the entry form. Do not simply
write "x 2" as this becomes confusing for the
secretary to work out. |
The entry descriptions could be a little confusing
for the first time exhibitor so let's look at some of the abbreviations
you may find in your entry form.
| Abbreviation |
Definition |
| M/F |
Male or Female |
| AOV |
Any Other Variety |
| AOC / AC |
Any Other Colour / Any Colour |
| AV |
Any Variety (for example any colour of the same breed) |
| HF |
Hard Feather |
| SF |
Soft Feather |
| TB |
True Bantam (breed with no large counterpart) |
| It may be wise to point out here that in larger
shows some classes are split into four groups. For example
- Black Pekins may be split into Hens (females
over 1 year old) Cocks (males over 1 year
old) Pullets (females under 1 year old) and
Cockerels (males under 1 year old). |
Membership:
Many clubs will have an entry fee system something
like the following:
As you will see, membership to be a part of the
poultry club who's show it is is displayed. You do not need to
pay this if you do not wish - however you will not be entitled
to win any of the club special awards. These are usually cups
or shields for prizes donated by past members.
You simply add up the amounts shown on the entry
fee page with the corresponding entry you have written down on
the entry form and send a cheque off to the secretary. Details
on who to make the cheque payable to will be found somewhere in
the entry form.
Preparation:
Immediately after entering the show, bring your
birds inside. Feed them well and keep them clean and dry. Ideally,
if possible, you should wash them around 4 days prior to the show.
This will give them time to get their natural oils back and fluff
up again. More details about washing birds (not just Pekins) can
be found
here.
When you get home:
If you have prize cards - pin them up in the house
where you can see them as a source of inspiration! If not - think
how lucky you were to have a bird good enough to make it to a
show.
Thoroughly louse powder your bird incase any unwanted
visitors crawled onto it from neighboring pens. Put it back in
it's pen and give it some food and water. If possible, you could
quarantine it for a few days, but if this is not possible just
keep a close eye on it to ensure that it hasn't caught a cold
or picked up any illness.
Tips:
Some PekinBantams.com tips when filling out the
entry form are....
/
Set As Homepage 
/ Copyright
/ Disclaimer / Top 
Glossary: 
