Winterizing poultry

Whether we own and care for 200 cows or a horse and two goats, come blizzard, ice storm or power blackout, we farmers brave the elements to provide for our stock.

The beef rancher in northern Montana may be more concerned about ice and snow than his Arkansas-based meat goat breeder cousin, but both get cold—as do their animals. And when warmth is the objective, preparation is everything.

To learn more

Central Indiana Poultry Show

This is one of the best organized shows we have been to. They had 193 showmen and 1439 poultry and waterfowl an turkeys. For their first show this was a good one, i really liked the one day show in and out. The kids did really well;

Trey’s Partridge Cochin got a First and a Second roosters.

Denton’s Dark Cornish rooster got a First and his Royal Palm Turkeys tom received BB,BV,first and Reserve Grand Champion of show.

Coty’s Silver Dutch received BB,BV hen and RV,RB rooster

Areil’s Light Brahma rooster received a First.

We are very proud of the kids and there poultry and turkeys. Now for the old folks placings. We wil start with Gayla’s Dutch Cream Light Blue rooster wich received BB,BV. Her Light Brown hens received First and Second.

Now for mine, Lets just say old dad got a real razing. Three hens placed Second, Third and Fourth.

Diane Jacky poultry Art Gallery

You are about to enter the largest
poultry breed art gallery on the web!

Tour selectively or sequentially all the
poultry images available for purchase as
prints and t-shirts.

This is a great site for unique poultry paintings. Get more here

How a Poultry Show works in North America

How It’s All Laid Out

Poultry shows are generally open to three types of fowl recognized by the American Poultry Association. Turkeys and waterfowl are shown at most shows, but we will focus on chickens here as they are by far the most common type of fowl at most shows.

It may appear at first glance that there are wall-to-wall chickens in no particular order. However, someone has worked hard to organize the birds. The pattern may not be apparent, but once you know what you are looking at, it will start to make sense.

Large Fowl or Bantam?

The first thing you may notice is that there are very large birds and very small birds. You might even notice that some look almost identical except for the size. The large birds are known as large fowl or standard size. The small birds are bantams, sometimes called “banties”. A few types of birds come only in large fowl or bantam, but most can be either. The relationship is similar to “toy” or miniature dogs and their “normal” size counterparts. The goal is to have virtually the same bird, except for size. Typically large fowl will weigh in at 9 to 12 pounds while a bantam will weigh 2 to 3 pounds. Large fowl are the standard size for a chicken, but bantams are popular because they are smaller, easier to handle, take up less space, eat less food and still provide many of the benefits of owning chickens. In the show, large fowl and bantams will be shown separately.

Class

The next thing you may notice is that birds are broken down into classes. For large fowl, the classes are named after the area of origin. You will notice an American Class, Asiatic Class, English Class, Mediterranean Class, Continental Class and an All Other Standard Breed Class. For bantams, classes are named after physical characteristics. These include Game Bantams, Single Comb Clean Legged (S.C.C.L.), Rose Comb Clean Legged (R.C.C.L.), All Other Comb Clean Legged (A.O.C.C.L.), and Feather Legged Classes. Every breed will be listed in one and only one class.

Breed

Within each class will be several breeds. Each breed will have specific characteristic(s) that differentiate it from all other breeds. One example of a breed is the Plymouth Rock. Breeds will differ in shape, feather characteristics, comb and other attributes. Some breeds originated for meat production, some for egg production, others originated from Asian or European fighting cock stocks, while a few breeds were developed for ornamental qualities. The Standard of Perfection will provide information on breeds, their characteristics and history.

Variety

If you look at a breed you will find that there are often many color patterns represented. Both large and bantam Plymouth Rocks are recognized in the Standard in Barred, White, Buff, Silver Penciled, Partridge, Columbian, and Blue varieties. The black variety was recently admitted, but for Plymouth Rock bantams only. Each of these varieties has distinctive traits that set it apart from other varieties. You may find some of the same varieties appearing in a number of breeds, for example, there are also Buff Cochins, Buff Cornish and Buff Orpingtons as well as a few other breeds. The Standard of Perfection will list the characteristics of each variety.

Gender & Age

Within each variety, birds will be divided based on sex and age. A cock (C) is a male bird over one year old while a cockerel (K) is a male bird under one year old. A hen (H) is a female over one year old while a pullet (P) is a female under one year old. Birds might also be placed in a trio, which will be either an old trio (2 hens and a cock) or a young trio (2 pullets and a cockerel).

Scoring Birds

Judges score birds using a detailed point system that compares various physical points on each bird. Certain characteristics are disqualifications and preclude a bird from being considered for placing. The closer a bird approaches the standard of perfection, the more points they will score and the better their chances of placing. For more information on the point scale, see the Standard of Perfection published by the APA. A copy should be available at the information desk at a show.

Placing

Judges will review the birds and place the best specimens. The first step is to look at all of the pullets of one variety and rank from first through third or fifth place. The same will be done with each age/gender group and the coop cards will be marked with a 1, 2 etc. After all of the birds in a variety have been judged, the official will select the best and second best representative of the variety and mark them Best of Variety (BV) or Reserve of Variety (RV).

After all of the varieties of a breed have been judged for Best and Reserve, the official will pick from those birds the two that best represent the breed and will mark them Best of Breed (BB) and Reserve of Breed (RB).

After all of the breeds in a class have been judged, the official will place a Best and Reserve in class from the Best and Reserve and of Breeds. Typically a show will have a Champion Row where the best bird in each class is displayed. From Champion Row, the judges will select a Champion Large Fowl, and Champion Bantam. Finally a Grand Champion, or Best Bird of Show, may be selected from among the best of the waterfowl, turkeys and chickens.

Judges

The judges of a show are licensed either by the American Poultry Association or the American Bantam Association (or both). The licensing process requires years of practice, an apprenticeship, and passage of a strenuous written and practical test. Judges are poultry fanciers who have taken the hobby to its full extent and are a wealth of knowledge. It is considered good etiquette not to talk with or interfere with a judge while they are judging.

What if a bird is not in the Standard?

There are many breeds, varieties or hybrids that are not recognized in the APA or ABA standards. (If they are not of a recognized breed, they may be placed but can not win champion if they are entered into a show.) If the standard of perfection for the breed has not been officially determined, there are no standards by which a bird can be judged. To be admitted into the APA standard, a breed must have several supporters that have been working with it for at least 5 years and are able to have a minimum of 50 birds exhibited at a show. If all of these conditions are met, a breed or variety may be admitted to the standard and written up in the Standard of Perfection. It will be eligible to compete in shows from that point forward.

This page is the reformatted text from a pamphlet that I created for our poultry club. It is geared towards those new to the poultry fancy or visitors to one of our shows. I have tried to cover some of the basics I remember finding mysterious as I joined the hobby seven years ago.

The original pamphlet is tri-folded, two sided, and has a few graphics thrown in. The reverse side has a cover, a panel on resource groups available, and an application to join the Pacific Northwest Poultry Association.

I have donated the pamphlet to the PNPA, but will share a master copy with individuals or organizations that will use it for free, educational purposes.

ROYAL PALM TURKEYS

A remarkably attractive bird, the Royal Palm displays some of the nicest colors of all turkey varieties. These birds are quite small compared to other turkeys. Mature toms weigh 15-20 pounds and hens are considerably lighter at 10-12 pounds. They are striking in appearance. These beautiful birds have a white base color and most feathers are banded with a bright metallic black color. The contrast of this black/white combination is truly radiant. The Royal Palm is not a common variety.

POLISH HISTORY

History
Known in England as the Poland, this is the most popular of the crested breeds. It is also one of the oldest. The origin of this bird and its name is still not clear. Crested birds have been described all over Europe, not just in Poland. It has been known as a pure breed as early as the 16th century. They appeared and received classification at the first poultry show in London in 1845. Then available in four colours.
Behaviour
The Poland is an unusual and beautiful bird. They do look rather strange with their big hair do! They lay a good number of white eggs. Generally classed as a non-sitting bird, they can occasionally become broody. Breeders tend to tie the crest up to keep it clean and allow the bird to see well. The Poland has a thin skull and can suffer from hypothermia quite quickly in the cold. Mites need to be looked out for, as they cannot preen themselves very easily to remove them.
Varieties
Colours of the Poland are very varied. The best known being the white crested black with its black body and white crest. The other two similarly patterned colours are white crested blue and white-crested cuckoo. These three colours do not have a beard and have wattles; all the other colours have a beard with no wattles. They have white earlobes. The crest of the female should be very round with the males being spikier. The eyes are red in all colours and beaks and legs are dark blue in all except the white crested cuckoo, which has a paler beak and legs. The chamois, gold and silver are all laced.
Egg Colour: White

CORNISH HISTORY

History
Indian Game birds are bred in Cornwall and have been since the 19th century. They are sometimes referred to as Cornish. They do prefer to live where the climate is mild. The bird descends from an Asil, an Indian breed of bird whose name means aristocratic. Although the bird looks fierce and stout it has never been used as a fighting bird. They were and still are very popular due to their very large proportion of breast meat. They are used for cross breeding purposes for their meat. Although called Indian Game they are not classed as game at exhibition standard. The shortness of the legs and the increased width of the bird is something that has been developed over this century. Earlier birds had longer legs. Crossbreeds of this bird are what we find in our supermarket shelves today.
Behaviour
The Indian Game is both sensible and tame and very confident in character. Their strange shape does make them vulnerable to lice and mite infestation as they find it hard to preen under their tails. As its purpose is mainly cross breeding for meat it does not lay that many eggs. It can become broody and protective. A full grown bird can become tricky to pick up due to its width. They do need to have low perches and large pop holes to get through.
Varieties
Standard colours for this bird are dark, jubilee and blue laced. The plumage on the females gives a very elegant look. The feathers are hard, close and double laced. The cock bird in dark colour does not have the lacing but a beetle green shine on his back feathers. The jubilee has white where the dark has black and the females again are well laced. The blue laced is the most attractive of the three. It has blue where the dark has black. Over the breastbone there usually is an area with no feathers. The eyes are pale red or pearl. The earlobes are red and the legs are orange or yellow.
Egg Colour: Light brown

FAVEROLLES HISTORY

History
Faverolles originate from the village of Faverolles in Northern France and were created from a mix of several different breeds of hen, Dorking, Brahma, Crvecoeur, Houdan, Coucou de Rennes and possibly the Cochin! The first true description of the breed came in 1893 and the salmon variation appeared later in 1895. They were bred specifically for meat production but they also produce a good number of eggs so are true dual-purpose birds. They have a broad, square body with small wings, a single upright comb, short neck, a striking beard and muffling. The head is broad and round and the eyes are reddish bay. The pinkish legs are sparsely feathered with the feathering concentrated on the outer toe. They have five toes, the fifth one points upwards.
Behaviour
They are quiet, friendly, gentle birds that can actually become very affectionate towards their keepers and are an ideal breed for children. They are alert, active birds and the hens make very good broodies and mothers. The hens will actually lay prolifically over winter. Chicks grow quickly and develop fast on high quality food and will forage happily from an early age. They thrive in a run and are not good fliers so the fencing doesn’t have to be very high. They are able to cope with damp grass better than chickens with more heavily feathered legs and feet but do suffer badly from Scaly Leg mite which causes terrible irritation to the birds. They require high quality feed to maximise meat production. The cocks can weigh in at around 11lb which makes them very good table birds. The small comb and thick feathering make them ideal for cold conditions. Like many other large breeds of hen, they are prone to being bullied by other hens if kept together with other varieties. They live for around 5-7 years.
Varieties
The breed actually comes in three different types - the original French Faverolles, The German Faverolles and The British type with the following colours - Black, blue (laced), buff, cuckoo, ermine, salmon, white.
Egg Colour: Tinted pinkish brown

COCHIN HISTORY

History
Cochins originated from China in the early 1850s where it was known as the Shanghai or the Cochin-China. The original birds were received by Queen Victoria which led to great popularity for the breed. It was believed that the Chinese bred them with such profuse feathering for filling duvets. The Cochin has no sharp angles and is very rounded in appearance. They are the largest of the heavy breeds and cockerels can weigh in at 12lbs! They are broad birds too and this is enhanced by the enormous amount of feathers that they have. The plumage is soft with short broad feathers.
Behaviour
The Cochins rounded appearance unfortunately affects its health as the birds tend to suffer from metabolism and heart problems which is compounded by their rather lazy lifestyle. They like to be kept on short grass and will not venture onto longer vegetation as this damages the feathers on their feet. They take up remarkably little room and like to be contained with fencing but avoid putting them onto cold, wet grass as youngsters. The profuse leg and foot feathering means that it is best to confine Cochins on wet days when mud becomes a problem and can cause balls of mud to collect under their feet. They do not fly and a 2 foot fence is sufficient to keep them contained. They make excellent broodies because of their calm, maternal nature. They lay quite large eggs but don’t produce many over the year. The chicks are strong when they hatch but take 22 days rather than the usual 21 to emerge. Cochins are friendly, docile chickens and tend to be submissive when kept with more aggressive breeds. They require good quality feed and mature in two years. They make remarkably good pets and a pet Cochin should live between 8-10 years.
Varieties
Black, blue, buff, cuckoo, partridge, grouse and white. The legs are yellow and the ear lobes are red while the eyes are a reddish bay.
Egg Colour: Light brown

THE DUTCH ARE COMING

History
The Dutch bantam or De Hollandse Krielan has been in existence for a long time and first appeared in Britain in the late 1960s. They are upright little birds with short backs, and a high full breast. The wings are fairly large and long and are carried close to the body. The tail is full and well spread with well developed sickles. The comb is single with five serrations and the beak is short, strong and slightly curved. Ear lobes are small and oval shaped while the wattles are short and round. They have four toes and the legs are unfeathered.
Behaviour
Egg production is limited to the summer months and eggs take only 20 days to hatch instead of the usual 21 days for other breeds. They are good layers, good setters, and good broodies. Because of their small size, Dutch females are only capable of covering a small clutch of eggs. The chicks are very active indeed and need good quality chick crumbs to keep up with their appetites. They usually need these for longer than the usual 8 weeks and also require shallow drinkers to prevent them from drowning if they happen to fall in. Dutch bantams are jaunty little birds and need to be protected from the winter weather. They also need good fencing as they are good fliers.
Varieties
Gold partridge, silver partridge or duckwing, yellow partridge or duckwing, blue silver partridge or duckwing, blue yellow partridge or duckwing, blue partridge (blue-red), red shouldered white (pyle), cuckoo partridge (crele), cuckoo, black, white, blue and lavender (pearl grey)
Egg Colour: Tinted