Resources and insights for a happy, healthy flock
For many young 4-H’ers, it’s that time of year where they are preparing to exhibit their chickens at local, county or state fairs. It’s bathing chickens time!
Whether you’re entering the show ring soon, or just think your girls could use a good washing, check out these simple tips on bathing chickens.
In previous articles, we’ve covered selecting chickens for kids as well as preparing your children and chickens to go to a poultry show, including how to wash your birds.
At this point my two girls (ages 5 and 7), were as ready as they would ever be to show a chicken. The birds were somewhat trained, the kids were fairly well prepared, and we hit the road.
We arrived at the fairgrounds the evening before the show and took the birds to the waiting area.
A vet check is required at our fair for all incoming animals. The vet looks to make sure that the bird has no nasty communicable diseases that could spread to the rest of the birds.
Once we were cleared to unload, we took the birds into the barn and got directions from the barn manager as to which pens were ours.
Then we put the birds in and immediately filled the waterers and feeders to make them feel a bit more at home.
The girl
s were hesitant to leave their birds in a strange place all alone that first night, but eventually we decided they were in good hands and headed for home.
The next day was the big one – show day! We began by getting the birds fed, watered and checked up on.
They were in good shape – more so than my girls who needed clean shirts and hair done and new jeans, etc. etc. The first rule when showing is to always look professional.
A collared and nicely pressed long sleeve shirt is a great idea. Tuck your shirt in and make sure your hair is off your face.
We talked about smiling and keeping their eyes on the judge while they were showing and – most important of all – don’t let your chicken get away!
The time for their class finally arrived and I have to admit, they did great! We had lots of adults on hand to help, but those kids had their birds in control (well, mostly).
Each one did great and showed off their birds as well as answered questions from the judge. They all learned valuable skills and experience and earned beautiful ribbons!
They were proud of themselves when the show was over and really enjoyed showing all their friends at the fair their birds.
All in all our chicken showing experience was a great one – and I have a feeling that we won’t be strangers to the poultry barn in the future!