My Welsh National Poultry Show 2014

My Silverlace Wyandotte

It was the best attended Welsh National event so far, the thirty eighth show with around 2000 entries.  Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys all under one roof.  The noise was deafening, and the smell by the end of the day was "ripe".  That didn't matter as it was an excellent day, helped along by one of my silver lace wyandottes picking up first place in the any other colour Wyandotte female category.

I'm learning something every show I attend, and it was great to see some familiar faces there.  The problem with showing, is that it's like an old fashioned sweetie shop.  So many breeds that can turn your head along with a sale section that could easily have caused a major argument in my house when I returned that Sunday evening.

My Wyandotte following a good bath
& blow dry

 

I returned however, with the same two birds I took to the show along with a little red card for first.  Better than some, especially as we were all kept inside the building for half an hour because someone had accidentally boxed up the wrong birds.

How does that happen?  Well with several birds in the same class, pen numbers falling off and some exhibitors having in excess of 10 birds on show it is easy to see in the rush to get packed how this can happen.  I guess the only answer is to take your time and leave a little marker on your pen.

Talking to one exhibitor, he was feeling particularly sad as he had accidentally left one of his little call ducks in her box for the whole show, so somewhere there must have been an empty pen.  Thankfully she did not seem at all bothered by the experience and I'm sure he will make it up to her.

I'm not likely to be entering any shows now until around April, and that really depends on the condition of the girls and how well breeding is going.  Last thing I want to do is enter a hen that has been trodden on and feathers damaged by a frisky make.  It may be that my next show is with my own hatchings as late as August or September.  

My 1st Place Wyandotte

In the mean time I have plenty to keep me occupied, finding a male Silverlace Wyandotte, rearranging the back garden run, and potentially converting my shed into a coop.

More on this in the next entry, that's if I have had planning permission (from the wife).

Thanks for reading.