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2011 NCS SPECIALTY & DOUBLE POINTS
SHOW
idwest Bird Breeder & Exhibitors Oct.
18th, 09Grand Rapids, MI.
Midwest Bird Breeders &
MWBBE
Second Show in Grand Rapids, Mi. 
BIRD TALK sat down with veteran bird show judge Gary Morgan to find out what it takes to be take home a top prize at a bird show, and he had lots of advice to offer. Morgan has 20-plus years experience as a judge and is currently a panel judge for the African Lovebird Society, North American Parrot Society and the National Cockatiel Society. We last saw him at the National Cage Bird Show where hes been a judge four times.
He also raises and when time allows it, shows his birds. Morgan keeps lovebirds, Eclectus, Amazons, macaws, caiques, Meyers parrots, and Alexandrine, moustached, plum-headed and Indian ring-necked parakeets.
1. What are the top three things that a person should do to prepare their birds for a show?
Number 1: The Standards. The first, and what I believe is the most important thing, about showing is you have to understand what the judge is looking for. If you don�t know that you can�t pick the appropriate birds to take All of the societies have a Standard of Perfection. The bulk of the points are typically Size and Conformation. It is always about 60 points out of 100. This is the basic size and shape of the bird.
Number 2: Know the rules. Every show is different. Specialty societies have certain rules, local clubs have their own rules, and you must be prepared. Contact the show contact person. Get your paperwork ahead. When you show up organized it will make your check-in smooth.
Number 3: Show preparation. There are a number of things that you as the exhibitor have control over. Once you select your first show, back up about 8 weeks. This is the date you need to begin show prep. The reason why is that you will often have tail feathers and flight feathers that are damaged so much that normal bathing will not help. [Talk to a professional groomer on how to handle this situation. -Ed.]
Between now and the show mist your birds twice daily with water. I recommend keeping your mister in the refrigerator. The cold water helps make the feathers tight. When you mist just do so enough to lightly cover the bird and inhibit grooming on their part. You will see noticeable improvement on the condition in just a few weeks.
2. What are the top three
mistakes that first-time participants make?
Number
1: Out of condition birds. Groom your birds, train them in their show cages
so they are calm and relaxed.
Number
2: Show presentation. Things
like colored seed should not be used. The birds get on the
cage bottom and then the seed coloring can stain their
feathers and feet. Use plain seed.
Use approved waterers and place them between the second and third wire from the right. Many birds get their feathers wet from sitting on the waterers. Clean or paint your show cages. A clean cage shows off a good bird.�
Number 3: Enter your birds correctly. Find the classifier and discuss it. If a bird is entered in the wrong class it may not do well.
3. What should a person do with their birds the week before the show? The day before? The hour before?
Start show cage training your birds 8 weeks out. Let them get accustomed to the cage. I have two sets of cages. Ones that are freshly painted or plastic, I save until the day before the show. I used older beat up cages for training. As each week passes, let the birds stay in the cages longer.
The day before the show, I transfer the birds into the clean show cages. I place the band numbers on some masking tape on the top of the cage so that it will make it easier to attach the tags at the show.
Show up early. Be organized and ready.
This came from National Finch Softbill Society. First
published in the Sep-Oct
1989 Bulletin.
Revised slightly.
Top of Page
Show
Box Training Your Cockatiel
by Pamela A. Thompson
(with reprint permission)
veteran
exhibitor and winner of many Best-In-Show wins in both American
Cockatiel Society, and National Cockatiel Society, Great American
Bird Show, and the NATIONAL CAGE BIRD SHOW.
This picture is from awhile back, Pam is pictured here with the late Don Dunn, NCS
Panel Judge.
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With each successful breeding season, I bet you can't wait to see how your new "hopefuls" develop. You might be starring at a future champion in your nest-box right now. If you're like me, you continue evaluating these offspring and curiously wonder, which of them will make you proud this year. The best thing I can do for one of these future "hopefuls" is to prepare them for their first show. Preparing for a show can appear to be time consuming, but it really isn't. Lord knows I don't have extra on my hands, but I will always find a way to do the following.
Show Box Training
Everyone has their
own method that they swear by. Whatever works for you and fits
into your time schedule is all that is needed. The goal is to
have a calm, confident bird that shows well in front of a judge
and audience. Training your bird not only works to your bird's
best advantage come show time, but it also protects your bird
from unnecessary injury while being judged or transported to and
from a show.
My method of show box training is different from some as I start training my cockatiels around 5 weeks old. Precaution is taken so they are not cold or needlessly stressed. I'm a firm believer that if you can familiarize any animal to a positive experience at an early age, that experience stays with them forever.
When my handfed chicks are around 5 weeks old (fully feathered), I place a few of them inside a show-box after their evening feeding. The seed and pellets on the bottom of the show box keeps them entertained as well as encourages them to begin eating on their own.
I start with 5 minutes in the show box and work up to a half-hour as they mature. As they gain confidence, I move the show box to different rooms of the house to get them used to strange noises, movement, lighting, etc. across the bars of the show box. I also run a judge stick across the bars of the show box and often place it inside the show box for the babies to climb on and play with. I continue this training every day (time permitting) until they are weaned.
After deciding which babies I'm going to show, their training continues once a week (time permitting). There is no particular time schedule I stick to, just at my convenience. Sometimes they are in the living room with me while I watch television or in the kitchen while I do dishes. After one of these babies has attended their first show, they never require training again. Prior to their next show I will put them in a show box for a brief practice just to make sure they haven't forgotten anything.
From this method of show box training my birds have shown very well. Allowing the judges to examine them without any major panics or pacing back and forth. Also, I feel that I've put less time and effort into their training compared to that of a mature adult bird that never received training.
Judge Stick Training
Training your bird
to not be afraid of the judge stick should not be overlooked.
The goal is to have a cockatiel that doesn't flinch at the sight
of a judge stick. This is an important part of training and why
I introduce the judge stick at an early age. Additional training
would include tapping or running a 12" perch stick across all
the cages in my aviary. This helps keep my birds familiar with
the stick. I also practice directing my cockatiels with the
stick while they are in the show box.
I want to teach them to calmly
move from perch-to-perch or to turn around so that when the
judge does this, they can get a good look at my bird. I have
seen many young birds panic the first time they are approached
by the judge or the judge stick and these birds usually don't do
very well that day and are at risk of injuring themselves.
Never poke your bird with the stick. The judges don't do that,
rather they gently guide them, like herding sheep, in the
direction they wish the bird to turn. If you are a new
exhibitor, I encourage you to attend a show to watch how the
judge directs the birds with a stick, and conduct your training
in that manner.
Conditioning
I start conditioning my birds
approximately 12 weeks prior to a show. There are four things
that should not be overlooked:
1) Toenail clipping or beak
trimming if necessary (an overgrown beak will not work to your
bird's advantage).
2) Pluck all damaged flight feathers
(it takes approx. 12 weeks for new growth of primary feathers).
3) Cage all the birds you
intend to show together, remembering not to overcrowd them (for
convenience of bathing and to monitor any bickering or
plucking).
4) 8 weeks prior to the show, begin spray misting your birds with luke-warm water (everyday if possible) and at least once a week, give them a good soaking.
I continue spray misting my birds up until the night before the show. Some exhibitors prefer to stop spray misting one week prior to the show, as this allows the feathers to settle and gives the bird a fuller look. Personally, I like my birds to look tight feathered and shiny so I spray them up to the last minute.
Grooming Tips:
- If you plan to pluck all the
tail feathers (usually this is because many are damaged), pluck
the longest tail feather about one week after you pluck all the
shorter feathers. Since the shorter feathers will start growing
in first, they will help support the longer feathers so they
don't accidentally get broke.
- Two weeks prior to the show, any pinfeathers on the head, nape
or body should be removed by gentle grooming. The rough side of
a piece of Velcro or a toothbrush can be used to brush out the
pins.
Health Tip:
Before heading out to show a with your birds, give them a thorough health check. Their eyes should be clear and bright. Their nostrils should be free of any clogs or discharge.
Their poops should be of normal color and consistency. The inside of their mouth should be clear of any abnormal debris or growth. Making sure your birds are in top health before you head out the doors not only protects your birds from further damage, but also protects other exhibitor's birds.
This article should help you to prepare your birds for their first show. Keep in mind that it is not necessary for your bird to be in perfect feather condition. Many exhibitors have setbacks when preparing for a show, but they don't let a few minor disadvantages stop them from showing a good bird. Some novice exhibitors think they cannot show their bird when a single flight feather is missing. Well that's not true. Only a point or so is deducted and if that's your birds only issue on show day, your bird can still win.
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