TRAINING YOUR BIRDS FOR SHOWING

How well your bird places in a show depends on its condition, its disposition, how closely it conforms to the standard description for its breed and variety, and how it compares with other birds in its class at the show. 

Select your birds early. Don’t pull them out of a pen the day before the show. (I believe preparing a bird for exhibition starts when they hatch from the egg). Always have backup birds just in-case the birds you have selected can’t be exhibited on the day. 

Allow sufficient time for preparation and training. Birds should be trained and prepared to display their best qualities.

Birds unaccustomed to a cage do not ‘show’ to their best advantage unless trained beforehand. 

Getting birds accustomed to a cage is a simple process if started early. Start about 2-3 weeks before the show. Place each bird in a cage similar to ones used at poultry shows. A large fowl should be used to a show pen of 24” X 24”. Handle each bird 2 or 3 times a day in a manner similar to that used in judging. Always feed the bird after training with something they like. Start by putting the feed at the front of the cage, then try hand feeding, by holding the food on the bars of the cage. In time the bird will move forward to the front of the cage when someone walks up to the cage. This is good when they are being judge; there is nothing worse than a bird frightened in the corner at the back of the cage. 

There are 3 steps to safely remove a bird from a cage:
Approach the cage slowly, open the door quietly and prepare to remove the bird, headfirst. Manoeuvre the bird until it stands with its head to your right or left. Then reach into the cage across the back of the bird with your right hand, firmly but gently grasp the most distant wing at the shoulder. Keep the wing folded and close to the bird’s body.
Rotate the bird in the cage so that its head is pointing towards you and open the door.
Slide your free hand, palm upwards, underneath the bird’s breast. Simultaneously, grasp the bird’s right leg (just above the hock joint) between your thumb and index finger while clasping the left leg between the second and third fingers. This places your index and second fingers between the bird’s legs. The breast bone should be resting upon the palm of your hand.
Bring the bird out of the cage head first, keeping its head towards you. 
After holding the bird for a while, open the wings to examine various parts of the body just as you would if you were judging the bird yourself. 
Always return the bird to the cage head first and lower it gently to the cage floor. 
When accustomed to this confinement and handling, the bird will respond by presenting a good appearance to the judge. 


Many entries of good merit are never seriously considered by the judge because they have not been trained. 
Frightened birds tend to stand in a crouched rather than normal position, thus their true type is not revealed to the judge. 
Birds unaccustomed to handling may struggle when examined. 
Any of these things will give the judge unfavourable impressions. 
Therefore, it is recommended that you train your birds to become used to a show pen. 

Note: a tip to use in the training room is to have a radio on. The birds get used to noise and voices, because at a show there is plenty of noise in the poultry pavilion. Also paint the training pen a very pale blue to match that of the exhibition pens at shows

# The one handed style is for smaller and bantam breeds, for large and Xlarge breeds use both hands to assist in holding the bird until it is out of the cage then if necessary raise one of yr legs supporting it on a ledge or bench (or cross beam found under a lot of cages at shows) and rest bird on thigh for examination = you will see a number of judges do this

# subject to copyright laws of Australia