The Poland is another of the great exhibition breeds and certainly one of the most rewarding, a good Poland will always make it to championship row of the larger shows. Preparation is time-consuming and fraught with problems, but is so worth the effort when the bird is presented well. When …
The Poland is recognised instantly by its massive crest, the exhibition Poland is truly a sight to behold. Sprightly and erect, birds have a fairly long body, similar to a long ‘u’ with a full neat tail carried somewhat low. There are some diseases that are common in Poland chickens. …
Silkies are unfortunately prone to a few different poultry diseases. In this blog post, Lawrence Beeken provides some information on diseases that he has found are common to the Silkie breed of chicken.
Probably one of the most popular of the exhibition breeds and certainly one of the best suited for showing, silkies are normally found on championship row of the larger shows, and have a history of being a good ladies exhibit (popular with female exhibitors as opposed to only shown by …
The Poland is an old breed, although its ancestry is unclear due to many countries having laid claim to its making. Some books connect the type with the Paduan (Patavinian) fowl. What is clear is that this was originally a utility breed for both table and egg, with the bantam …
Lets face it, most chickens look the same; they are either a brown or a speckled bird with little or no intelligence. They lay eggs and you eat them on a Sunday. OK, so perhaps for those of us who do actually have an interest in chickens this is not …
One of the joys of keeping chickens is to see them wandering around the garden going about their chicken business (or destroying your annual bedding depending on your point of view!), and there is nothing more satisfying than watching a group of stately Orpingtons sailing across your lawn like a …
Showing chickens is a popular hobby which can be enjoyed by all the family, and all shows have prizes for junior keepers and many will have a ‘best ladies exhibit’ section. All exhibits will be pure breeds of a type recognised by the Poultry Society of Great Britain, and it …
Following on from Making your Own Line of birds, Laurence Beeken looks at how to fix specific traits into your line, and how to introduce fresh blood when necessary. So you’ve selected your birds and your first season has gone well, and now you’re ready to look to the future …
If you are familiar with showing and breeding then you will almost certainly recognise the reference to a ‘line’ or a ‘strain’ and this becomes immediately obvious when you start to look at show winners. A particular exhibitor will have a row of birds all appearing exactly the same, and in …
