Chillawack Fair and Poultry Show

I had the pleasure of judging the poultry show at the fair this year and had a good time. The entry was not huge but that is to be expected at this time of the year. One thing that comes to mind is that of all the birds that I handled there was not one bird with any evidence of mites and pretty close to 98% of the birds were clean and prepared so congratulations go out to the exhibitors on that front.
I saw some really fine birds in most of the classes, with nice sized classes of D'Uccles, Polish, Plymouth Rock Bantams,Cochins both large and bantam, Well Summers, and Australorps.
Starting with the Bantams my Champion Bantam was a Dark Laced Cornish- cock and Reserve Champion bantam went to a nice White Plymouth Rock cockerel. Also had a nice classes of D'Uccles with some nice females but not quite in condition and there was a reallt nice Porclein pullet who will be worth watching grow-up a bit more but she was a little on the young side for this show but I think I put here Reserve of Breed. There was also a nice typed Barred Plymouth rock pullet but her color was just not quite there. Also in the White Plymouth Rock bantams were two really nice pullets, ones I would have taken home but too bad they both had Stubs so were D.Qed but if the stubs hadn't been there the one female likely would have been my Show Champion, but in talking to the owner he has learned a lesson that I garantee he will likely not forget soon about "Stubs".

In the L.F there were a couple of promising cochins but there were just too young yet to compete with the more mature birds. My Champion L.F and Show Champion went to a lovely typed Australorp pullet who was in prime condition. Reseve show Champion went to the Cornish cock bird.The Res.Champion L.F was an Ausralorp cockerel. All in All a very nice show with many thanks going out to the people who put it together along with the people who showed.

While at the fair I saw the biggest Bovines that I have ever seen and though I have seen lots of bigg bulls etc. These 2 stopped me in my tracks, I had to know what they were. Turns out they were Oxen and I kid you not they stood about 7 ft. tall, not kidding. Absolutely beautiful and apparently they were a working team. So nice to see and that alone made the trip down worth it.

Heather

Did the Australorp winner belong to Stella?

Farmchiq- not entirely sure but I think someone said that it did.

Heather

What is a stub?
Is that the same as a sprig?

A stub is small feathers on either the shank or toes or between the toes of clean-legged breeds, Such as Plymouth Rocks, Wyanndotes,Australorps and many other breeds. It is a Disqualifcation.

Heather

Heather when you talk about nice sized d'uccles how do you tell? With the large fowl breeds I have been working with bigger is better and most are smaller than the breed standard. But what about for bantams?

And about stubs, if you see little feathers on the shanks or toes of a chick then nothing when they get the adult feathers is that a sign they will get stubs? (Not the dorkings, don't worry!)

Poplar Girl With the Bantams smaller is not better and in some breeds you a trolling a thin line trying to keep the size up but the biggest thing that breeders do and I am guilty of this from time to time is to let them get too small because the bird shows great type as the little ones do lots of times. I would highly suggest that anyone with bantams or L.F have a scale and that they weigh there birds. When we start getting to small in the bantams while the birds might be cute and typey they will not lay well. Alot of times you will have a bantam that you think is a horse but in reality he is standard weight and the ones around him are below weight. Tiny is not better in the bantams and the same goes for the Callducks, there is such a thing as too small.

As for stubs I look for them in my Plymouth Rocks as I am culling though them. But I had one line at one time that you could see the stubs at about 4 weeks plus and those birds were culled. I think you have to know your breed and bloodline, but with culling you can have the number that have them reduced a lot but I think they just pop up from time to time and some breeds like the Rocks and wynadottes are prone to them. And I think there is a difference with breeding a bird that has 1 stub to one that you have to almost wax the feathers of the legs when showing and as I have said you are only fooling yourself.

Heather

Heather, how nice that you go to places and perform a very laborious job of judging, I think it is no small feat, so good on you. There must surely not be as many people that show in the summertime, as this show, due to vacations, birds just not in greatest of condition, etc. So it was nice to hear that there was indeed a decent turnout. Sounds like there were some nice birds.

Stubs. When I read that, of course, being the person I am, I had to go into my SOP and find out what stubs were. And then I read your response about what stubs are. But I am going to take it even a little further and define it just a little more clearly for any person that would like to know ALL of what a stub is, according to the SOP. It is basically what you have said, but just a few words more. Keep up your good work, Heather, you are an fine attribute to the poultry lovers.

A stub is, thus I type from the definition in the American Standard of Perfection:

STUB: A short section of the stem of a feather, sometimes with a few short barbs attached thereto; a disqualification when found on shanks, or on or between the toes of clean legged breeds.

This has sent me onto an agenda of checking out my clean legged birds for any stubs, surely do hope that they are not present, smiling. Ah, the life of the person that keeps the birds, we are a very fortunate group of people, and share common love of so. have a beautiful and wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Stubs can pop up from seemingly no where sometimes. I had a pullet and a cockerel show up in my Barnevelders and I had the only PC I hatched this spring show up with stubs at the top of his legs. These were all from birds that didn`t show any. So they can pop up from time to time. You don`t even always see them in the chick down either.

Sounds like it was quite a show! Nice selection of birds for the time of the year. Do you know who owned the d'Uccle's?

Yeah Oxen are Huge! Our one neighbour used to have some when I was younger and they terrified me they were that big.

Any pictures of the fair?

Hello everyone,

The best of breed d'uccle and the reserve breed porclin was mine! I had another hen and a roo there as well.

Thank you for the lovley comments heather about them. I am also very excited about the little porcalin hen. She is a sweet heart and my sons best friend!

Heather also the young cochins were mine as well. I have some questions about some of the birds as I need to do my IPE entries asap! Can I message you my questions?

Anne

Congratulations fuzzy.

Yes, Anne feel free to drop me a line.
As for stubs, they do just seem to pop up which is why you should check for them before you show.
I personally don't use birds that have stubs for breeding as I don't like to envison my plymouth rocks evenually having leg warmers in a few generations but I suppose if I were in a pinch and had a bird that was exceptional I could be convinced to use it if it only had 1 or 2 but only if I had no choice as there are worse evils.

Heather

Glad to hear it was a good one Heather.

And big congrats Anne! That is so exciting!