A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SHOWING BIRDS

An article from Agapornis News, the Newsletter of: The African Lovebird and Foreign Parrot Society of Qld Inc.

Bird shows are a lot of fun, especially if you are an exhibitor. You will be able to meet people who breed everything from finches to whatever, trade bird stories, swap notes on better ways of doing things, help support the clubs with raffles, auctions, sales, and their sales table, and of course that special bird you've been looking for is just waiting for you there. Sound good? However if you have not shown birds before, now is the time to start.

The hardest thing about showing birds is getting started. Perhaps you went to a show to see what it was all about, but felt a little left out and still didn't learn what you needed to show birds. If that is the case read on.

You've probably been breeding birds and want to see how your birds rank with each other or with birds in your area. The first thing to do is look through your magazine or contact the President of your local bird club about where to get some show cages. Yes they may seem expensive, but a lot of work goes into making them. Besides with proper care and maintenance a show cage will last a long time. It's worth the investment. They also double as a perfect way to display your birds for sale at auctions and sales, far better than a lot of carry cages one sees at these venues. In addition there are many more reasons for using a regulation show cage.

One is that it cuts down room. Can you imagine how much space a typical 300-400 bird show would require if everyone brought their birds in every type of pet cage under the sun? Secondly, it restricts the movement of your bird. The bird can only be in three places, on the floor, on the cage front, or on the perches where it belongs.

Thirdly, it gives a ruler by which to measure all birds. A judge can tell how large a bird is by the relationship of the head to the cage top. Head and body width can be seen by relating the number of cage bars to how wide the bird is. In budgies you can easily pick out a bird which is too beaky or has a small forehead by whether the beak or the forehead meets the vertical bars first. And the list could go on. The point is that your bird can be most fairly and accurately judged only in standard regulation show cages.

Next, your bird needs to be trained to the show cage. Cage training is very important and it can literally make or break your bird at the show bench. (You need to be trained also.) If a bird won't stay on the perch to be judged, it won't be judged. Also a bird which is steady on the perch will tend to show its good points better, and consequently do better in the judging. Cage training also lessens the stress of a show. Your bird will have enough problems without being scared by a new cage.

Start training your bird when it leaves the nest. Place it in the cage for a few days in an area if possible that has a lot of traffic. Take all your visitors in to look at the bird and get it used to a lot of different people staring at it. Feel free to pick up the cage and move it about. After all the judge will. When the bird perches like it should and quits cowering on the floor every time someone comes near him, you can put him into the flight. Every couple of months renew his training, with extra training right before the show. If he will stay on the perch the judge will do the rest. Make sure to watch the judging to see how he gets a bird to perch, and then stay there. A good judge will have lots of tricks which you can use in training.

Another important item for your show birds is flight space. Don't worry if you don't have a twenty foot flight for your birds. But your bird does need adequate room to fly. Allowing the birds enough flight space will help build up muscle so that wings will be less likely to droop or be crossed. Its chest may also improve due to good light space.

About two months before the show you need to start grooming your birds. Pluck out any broken tail or wing feathers, or any other feathers you want replaced by show time. This should allow plenty of time for the bird to replace these feathers. About one month before the show, start misting your birds several times a week. This encourages the bird to preen and keep its feathers clean. At the same time the feathers will take on a special glow and they will become tighter and less fluffy. All worth points on the bench.

Now check the cages. Are they clean? Wash off anything you may have missed last year, and get rid of the dust which may have accumulated. You also may want to give the cage a new coat of paint if it was scuffed last year. Make sure the perches are clean, and rub them with sandpaper or scraper. Roughing them up in this manner will make the bird feel more secure when standing on the perch. When the cage is ready, pour a good amount of your normal seed mixture on the floor of the cage. This is for your bird to eat during the show, and makes the floor less messy as well as keeping the bird clean of droppings.

Now place the birds in their cages and see how they look. They should look better than anything else in your aviary. If there are any pin feathers showing you have three choices. You can leave it for the judge to find, you can pluck it, or if the feather is already coming out of the sheath you can completely release the feather by running it between your fingers. You're almost ready to go.

Now get together anything you might need for the show. Make a list of the birds you are taking. You will need their band numbers and the description of the bird (normal, pied, blue, etc.).

"Now its time for the show..."

Probably the first of several for the season if you are lucky. Hopefully at least two months before the show you wrote for a show schedule and entry form. There is no charge, and you will require it to enter your birds. It will also contain the show location which may be handy. You will now need to transfer the information regarding your birds onto the registration form. You will also need to know what division, section and class your birds will be shown in, as well as your band number. At most shows you will be required to forward this information to the show secretary by a certain date. The secretary will then return to you the labels for the front of your cage. Place these on the small upstand at the bottom. (Keep it to the top of stand as some show staging will cover the sticker. The judge needs to be able to view this clearly especially if he needs to mark your bird's place in the show.)

Your next requirement is to arrive at the venue before the nominated booking-in time. Upon arrival proceed to the show hall. The secretary will then check your birds in. She will then return a copy of your registration form to you, which you will need to get your birds out of show hall, so don't lose it. Now it's time to enjoy yourself. Wander around and feel free to talk birds, talk birds, talk birds. After all, that's what everyone is there for.

Now all you have to do is collect your awards and birds and head home planning all the way your next show's entries. (What was wrong with that judge anyway, couldn't he see your bird was far better than the one he gave champion bird to.) Don't be afraid to find faults in your own birds, make sure you check your birds against those that beat you, then endeavour to breed those qualities into your stock.

Showing Lovebirds can be an enjoyable addition to your hobby. It helps to maintain a standard of excellence and to improve the quality of captive breed birds. If you are proud of the birds you raise, then I hope you will show them.

See you at the next show...