SHOW YOUR DOMINIQUES
Showing poultry is fun, exciting, and can be affordable for any budget. It’s a great way to get out and let the public know that the American Dominique is still crowing strong in the barnyards of American families around the country. Whether you choose to show at a local county fair, or at a large APA approved event, the Dominique Club of America is here to support our members with information and recognition.
These photos are the final product of A.O. Schilling’s interpretation of photos of winning Dominiques from 1913.
Interpreting the Dominique Standard by Mark Fields
Purchase in the Club Store (Coming Soon)
Read the PDF version free with membership. Join here!
PREPARING FOR A SHOW
2012 Newsletter, Volume Two has an excellent article by Mark Fields on getting our beautiful little Dominiques ready for show. Do as much or as little as you can, every little bit helps!
Besides preparing birds, some things on this list might help a new showman get started:
- Keep a duffle bag with all my show supplies in it – with each show I know right where things are!
- Dog and horse products can be very handy, as they can be easier to find than poultry-specific products.
- Stressed birds = bad show birds. Do everything you can to be calm and reduce stress for your animals.
- Make sure transport cages do not break feathers – ex. the cardboard carry boxes are great, metal rabbit cages are not.
- Bringing along some water and food your birds normally eat can keep them happier in a multi-day show.
- Look over each bird as you coop them in, fix feathers and make sure they’re clean. A few minutes = a few points!
- If you can, ask for double coops for your males with full tails, sometimes the single coops get them cramped and they hold their tail to the side or keep it low or worse break it all to pieces, ruining them for the whole season.
- If you have bought the birds from a breeder but still want to show them, make sure you bring along the breeder’s contact information so you can give that to potential new buyers. The best advertisement is word of mouth!
- Bring along a pen and paper pad – you’ll meet many people and make contacts you’ll want to write notes about, and don’t forget about the judge’s comments!
- Poultry showing is wonderful. You go to the show, get your exhibitor information, put your birds in the coops, feed and water them (unless the show asks you not to and they have someone doing that) and sit back and talk chickens! Once you get to the show everything is so easy and fun you will wonder why you didn’t go to a show much, much sooner!
