Post by Lesli on Mar 23, 2007 20:19:45 GMT -5
I have been pondering our latest 4H and FFA show. My sons both showed broilers this year, the second year for my oldest son and first year for my younger son. Our sale is a final show and all contestants "make the sale" and have to sell. The raiser of the broilers keep all the birds, when they "sell" they just get the money and we get to keep all the birds (seems like a rip off to the buyers but most don't really want to deal with the 3chickens.)
Usually we have to show birds from Texas A&M inspected and wing banded. This year we had a local but large commercial hatchery for many of our local commercial chicken farms hatch our birds. All were unbanded. Every one had to get those birds. Well our birds were much better this year than lasts year, we just didn't know much last year, but we learned a lot. Many of the local kids that showed also have long family history with birds and work at or own commercial farms.
Which makes one wonder totally with out accusing anyone, but the possibility still lies for some one to collect the best birds from a particular commercial house the same age and swap them out with theirs and bring them to the show. Do you all think this would be cheating? Should we all go back to the Texas A&M birds or should we all have free choice where we purchase our birds and raise them to the standards we wish and hope for the best? How is it done where you live? Any major show here in TX use the TAM birds, this is just a little biddy country show. I know for a fact that one kid dropped out half way through raising the chickens and sold their entire pen to another kid that was showing, and so of course the kid that was showing got more birds there fore to pick their top birds from. I sort of think this does seem a little like cheating. But I am not certain enough to fuss about it. I really like the family that bought the second pen of birds and would not want to cause problems.
Oh by the way my oldest got 6th and my youngest got 8th (his best bird died right after the pick night before the show ) While the judge placed them, there are two groups after the grand and reserve grand which are blue ribbons and red ribbons, they sell in alphabetical order one year and in reverse alph. order the next. This year we were just early enough to do ok at the auction as it was in reverse order. My sons both got blue ribbons. Last name starting with N. The boy who won grand last year was put in fifth place just in front of my oldest son, but his last name started with C so buy the time the auction got to him he got half as much as my oldest son and still less than my youngest. I know there are some people very unhappy about this. Since we obviously lucked out this year, it is hard for us to be upset. They do it every year and we were at the end last year. So I guess it is fair?
All this said, I was wondering what would be the difference in broilers cocks that were caponized vs. the uncaponized. I am wondering if it would be obvious to the judge that they were capons or not and is that something that would be considered legal or not for a 4h/ffa show? I know nothing about this and was just curious.
Usually we have to show birds from Texas A&M inspected and wing banded. This year we had a local but large commercial hatchery for many of our local commercial chicken farms hatch our birds. All were unbanded. Every one had to get those birds. Well our birds were much better this year than lasts year, we just didn't know much last year, but we learned a lot. Many of the local kids that showed also have long family history with birds and work at or own commercial farms.
Which makes one wonder totally with out accusing anyone, but the possibility still lies for some one to collect the best birds from a particular commercial house the same age and swap them out with theirs and bring them to the show. Do you all think this would be cheating? Should we all go back to the Texas A&M birds or should we all have free choice where we purchase our birds and raise them to the standards we wish and hope for the best? How is it done where you live? Any major show here in TX use the TAM birds, this is just a little biddy country show. I know for a fact that one kid dropped out half way through raising the chickens and sold their entire pen to another kid that was showing, and so of course the kid that was showing got more birds there fore to pick their top birds from. I sort of think this does seem a little like cheating. But I am not certain enough to fuss about it. I really like the family that bought the second pen of birds and would not want to cause problems.
Oh by the way my oldest got 6th and my youngest got 8th (his best bird died right after the pick night before the show ) While the judge placed them, there are two groups after the grand and reserve grand which are blue ribbons and red ribbons, they sell in alphabetical order one year and in reverse alph. order the next. This year we were just early enough to do ok at the auction as it was in reverse order. My sons both got blue ribbons. Last name starting with N. The boy who won grand last year was put in fifth place just in front of my oldest son, but his last name started with C so buy the time the auction got to him he got half as much as my oldest son and still less than my youngest. I know there are some people very unhappy about this. Since we obviously lucked out this year, it is hard for us to be upset. They do it every year and we were at the end last year. So I guess it is fair?
All this said, I was wondering what would be the difference in broilers cocks that were caponized vs. the uncaponized. I am wondering if it would be obvious to the judge that they were capons or not and is that something that would be considered legal or not for a 4h/ffa show? I know nothing about this and was just curious.